Seagate Constellation ES ST3500514NS 500GB Enterprise Hard Drive Explained

The Seagate Constellation ES ST3500514NS is a 500GB internal hard drive in the 3.5-inch format. It belongs to Seagate's enterprise "nearline" range, which is designed to run continuously in servers and storage systems instead of the occasional use of a typical home PC. It is sold as a bare drive, with no cables, bracket or software.

What "enterprise nearline" means

Nearline drives sit between fast, low-capacity drives for active databases and offline archive storage. They are meant to hold large amounts of data that must stay online and reachable at any time. Seagate describes this fourth-generation Constellation ES as designed for 24x7 operation, and it quotes an MTBF (mean time between failures) of 1.2 million hours. MTBF is a statistical figure for large groups of drives, not a prediction for a single drive.

Speed and interface

The drive spins at 7200RPM and has a 32 MB cache. This model uses a SATA 3Gb/s interface. SATA 3Gb/s works with most SATA ports, because SATA is backward and forward compatible across speeds, though a slower port limits the maximum transfer rate. Seagate says the wider Constellation ES family also offered a 6Gb/s SAS option, but the ST3500514NS is the SATA model, so SAS controllers are a different matter.

Seagate also mentions dual processor technology and ramp load technology, and says the drive delivers a 35 percent average sustained throughput increase over the previous generation.

Vibration tolerance and power options

Servers and storage arrays pack many drives together, and their vibration can hurt performance. Seagate says the drive has enhanced rotational vibration tolerance for high-density use and multi-drive firmware tuned for enterprise availability.

PowerChoice is a set of host-selectable power options. Seagate says these can lower power use by up to 92 percent during slow or idle periods. Whether they are available depends on the host system.

Where it fits

Seagate lists uses such as servers, network attached storage, direct attached storage, backup and restore, and surveillance storage. A 500GB capacity is small by current standards, so this drive most often turns up as a like-for-like replacement in existing systems or in older equipment that needs a specific drive.

Size

It follows the 3.5-inch form factor and measures 4.0 x 5.8 x 1.0 inches. It weighs about 1.3 lb (0.6 kg).

What to check before you buy

• Compatibility: confirm your server, NAS or PC takes a 3.5-inch SATA drive, and check any approved-drive list from the system maker.
• Interface: this is SATA 3Gb/s, not SAS.
• Capacity: make sure 500GB meets your needs.
• Mounting: a bare drive needs a caddy or bay, screws and a SATA data and power connection.
• Age: check the warranty terms and the condition if the drive is being used as a spare part.
• Data safety: keep backups, and follow the system's manual when installing.

The short version

• A 500GB, 7200RPM, 3.5-inch SATA 3Gb/s enterprise hard drive from Seagate.
• 32 MB cache, built for 24x7 operation.
• Seagate quotes a 1.2 million hour MTBF and PowerChoice power options.
• Sold as a bare drive, with no accessories.
• Used for servers, NAS, backup and similar storage.

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