Seagate SkyHawk AI hard drives are now available in capacities up to 20 TB for network video recorders (NVRs), AI video and image analysis, and general server use. This HDD uses conventional magnetic recording (CMR) instead of single (SMR) to provide optimal performance for these workloads.compared to seagate Exos X20, SkyHawk AI comes with 3 years of data recovery, ImagePerfect AI, and explicit support for up to 32 AI streams and 64 HD cameras. Regular SkyHawk has a shorter standard warranty, lower workload rate limit (WRL), no explicit AI stream support, and is only available in smaller capacities.
The SkyHawk line of drives is distinguished by Seagate’s surveillance-focused ImagePerfect firmware. Multi-Layer Caching (MTC), ATA-8 Streaming Command Set, write-intensive workload optimizations, better error correction code (ECC), and scheduler optimizations improve performance and reliability for video and imaging workloads To do. The latter two keep the image quality high and guarantee that no frames are dropped. The rest will help you maintain multiple continuous write streams, which is great for recording HD camcorders. AI models further fine-tune the performance of analytics workloads.
specification
| product | Seagate SkyHawk AI 20TB |
| capacity | 20TB |
| model # | ST20000VE002 |
| Price (USD) | $429.99 |
| Cost per GB (rounded) | $21.50 |
| interface | SATA 6 Gbit/s |
| technology | CMR (Helium) |
| RPM | 7200 |
| Sustained transfer rate | Up to 285Mbps |
| cache | 256 megabytes |
| Workload Rate Limit (WRL) | 550 |
| MTBF (hours) | 2.5 million |
| guarantee | 5 years (3 years service) |
The 20TB Seagate SkyHawk AI HDD is very similar to the 20TB Seagate Exos X20, and the regular SkyHawk is closer to the IronWolf Pro. This makes sense since the hardware is effectively the same, although there are firmware and support differences. At the time of review, the 20TB SkyHawk AI is priced the same as the Exos X20 on Amazon at $459.99, making it a better value. Cheap 20 TB drives from rivals. 20TB WD Red Pro NAS (opens in new tab)which provides a generic alternative.
The 3.5 inch 20TB SkyHawk AI uses only SATA interface at 7200 RPM and can reach sustained transfer rate of 285 MBps with higher burst transfer rate. It features CMR technology and 256MB cache. Seagate says the drive can handle up to 32 AI streams or channels and can handle 120 real-time AI capture events per second or 96 comparison events per second. This drive also supports up to 64 high definition cameras, just like the regular SkyHawk. Seagate also says the drive can perform video analytics and recording simultaneously during GPU analytics workloads.
Standard 5 year warranty plus 3 year + rescue service warranty including data recovery. Seagate is committed to one data recovery attempt with an overall success rate of 95%. Recovered data is returned encrypted. The drive also comes with SkyHawk Health Management (SHM) and RAID RapidRebuild. Other features include PowerChoice for improved efficiency, Rotational Vibration (RV) sensors for improved reliability, and AcuTrac technology for enhanced multibay surveillance systems.
SkyHawk AI has a Workload Rate Limit (WRL) of 550 TB. This is the annual data transfer threshold to maintain expected longevity.
Software and accessories
Besides the recovery service, Seagate offers multiple software downloads for this HDD. This includes SeaTools, an application designed to test drive health issues. Seagate provides bootable versions of these tools so you can boot from USB and test your drive. Seagate also offers a download of DiscWizard, an application that allows you to back up and securely erase your data.
look carefully
image 1 of 2
The SkyHawk AI is an attractive HDD, clearly labeled for video processing with the subtitle “Surveillance”.
image 1 of 3
This drive has common connectors for SATA power and data. Onboard is write cache, spindle motor controller, and DRAM for use as Seagate’s main drive controller.
image 1 of 2
The three main components are again visible. this is, Exos X20 internal. In this case the memory is DDR3 instead of the DDR3L he found on the Exos. Seagate advertises the size of this cache to help buffer the data stream. Traditionally, HDDs used a volatile cache to buffer and merge writes to improve random write performance. Read performance gains are more limited due to the relatively small size of the cache.
Seagate’s MTC is designed to add a caching layer with specialized responsibilities, such as a Media Cache (MC) layer to handle bursty workloads. Recording is sequential in nature, so MC is not particularly useful in such drives, but MTC is more broadly the basis for ImagePerfect firmware.
more: best SSD
more: Best External SSDs and Hard Drives
more: HDD and SSD test methods
more: All SSD content
