Seagate SkyHawk ST2000VX008 2TB Surveillance Hard Drive: what it is for

The Seagate SkyHawk ST2000VX008 is a 2TB internal hard drive in the standard 3.5-inch size, sold for surveillance systems. It connects over SATA 6Gb/s and has a 64MB cache. The listing is short, so this page sticks to what it states and explains what those terms mean for someone building or upgrading a camera recorder.

What a surveillance drive is

Seagate's SkyHawk line is aimed at video recording. A security recorder writes video constantly, often from several cameras at once, day and night. Ordinary desktop drives are typically designed for shorter, mixed workloads with plenty of idle time. Surveillance drives are generally tuned for continuous writing and for handling many video streams, which is why they are sold for DVRs and NVRs rather than general computing. The exact firmware features and workload limits vary by model, so check Seagate's datasheet for this one.

What the listed specs mean

• 2TB capacity: the space available for stored footage.
• 3.5-inch form factor: the full-size desktop drive format, used in recorders, desktop PCs and NAS enclosures. It is larger than a 2.5-inch laptop drive.
• SATA 6.0Gb/s: the connection standard. SATA is backwards compatible, so the drive generally works on older SATA ports too, just limited by the slower port.
• 64MB cache: a small memory buffer on the drive that smooths short bursts of data. For video recording, sustained write behaviour usually matters more than the cache size.

Seagate's listing gives dimensions of 5.7 x 4.0 x 0.8 inches (about 14.5 x 10.2 x 2 cm) and a weight of 1.1 lb (about 0.5 kg).

How much footage 2TB holds

Storage time depends on the number of cameras, the resolution, the video compression, the frame rate and whether the system records all the time or only on motion. As a rough guide, a single modern high-definition camera with efficient compression may use tens of gigabytes a day when recording continuously, and higher resolutions use more. With several cameras, 2TB can fill in days or a few weeks. Most recorders let you set how long footage is kept and overwrite the oldest recordings first. Check your recorder's storage calculator or manual for a figure that fits your setup.

Where it fits

This drive suits someone who needs a replacement or an added disk for a compatible security recorder, or who is building a small camera system around a PC or NAS. Because it is a hard drive, it has spinning platters. It is quieter than many people expect for a single drive, but it makes some noise and some vibration, so mounting it properly in a recorder bay matters.

Installing and handling

Installation is the same as with other 3.5-inch SATA drives. It needs a free drive bay, a SATA data cable and a power connector from the power supply. Many standalone recorders also need the drive to be formatted by the recorder itself, which erases anything already on the disk. Handle the drive by its edges, avoid knocks and static, and power the recorder down before installing it.

What to check before you buy

• Recorder compatibility: look at your recorder's manual or support page for supported drive types and the maximum capacity per bay.
• Capacity: work out how many days of footage you want to keep, and for how many cameras.
• Bay and connectors: confirm there is a 3.5-inch bay, a SATA port and a spare power connector.
• Existing data: back up any needed files first, since formatting erases the drive.
• Warranty and specifications: check Seagate's datasheet for the warranty term and workload limit for this model number.
• Backups: a single drive can fail, so important footage should be copied elsewhere.

The short version

• A 2TB, 3.5-inch internal SATA 6Gb/s hard drive with 64MB cache, model ST2000VX008.
• Sold by Seagate for surveillance recorders, where video is written all day.
• Weighs about 1.1 lb and fits the standard 3.5-inch bay.
• How long 2TB lasts depends on camera count, resolution and recording mode.
• Check recorder compatibility, and keep copies of footage you cannot lose.

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