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Silver 3.5-inch internal hard drive with exposed circuit board on underside

Seagate

Seagate Exos X16 ST12000NM003G 12TB 7200 RPM 256MB SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" internal hard drive

SKU CH-F4FG-4GMEK MPN ST12000NM003G

Enterprise 12 TB 3.5" drive spins at 7200 RPM with 256 MB cache over SATA 6.0 Gb/s

  • Total capacity12 TB
  • Interface typeSATA 6.0Gb/s
  • Form factor3.5 in (8.89 cm)
  • Flash memory typeHard Drive
  • Rotational speed7,200 RPM
  • Cache memory256 MB
  • 12TB capacity stores massive enterprise datasets
  • 7200 RPM spindle speed enables fast sequential access
  • 256MB cache buffer accelerates burst workloads
  • Helium-sealed design reduces power per terabyte
  • Seagate Secure simplifies safe drive retirement

Enterprise capacity

The Seagate Exos X16 ST12000NM003G is a 12TB 3.5-inch hard drive built for enterprise storage arrays. It spins at 7200 RPM with a 256MB cache and connects through a SATA 6.0Gb/s interface. The helium-sealed design reduces weight and power per terabyte for large-scale deployments.

Helium-sealed build

A side-sealing weld protects the helium fill for long-term leak resistance and handling robustness. Digital environmental sensors monitor internal conditions to maintain consistent operation. The SATA connector and standard 3.5-inch mounting points allow direct installation in hot-swap bays or fixed cages without adapters.

PowerBalance thermals

The PowerBalance feature optimises watts per terabyte during sustained read and write workloads. Helium fill lowers drag on the platters, reducing acoustic output and heat generation compared with air-filled drives. Average latency sits at 4.16ms under typical enterprise access patterns.

How it compares

Measured against everything we stock in 3.5-Inch Internal Desktop HDDs, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.

Price $312.99
Pricier than about 83% of the 4,938 comparable items (median $107.99).
Total capacity 12 TB
Higher than about 90% of the 2,372 comparable items (median 2 TB).
Price per TB $26.08 per TB
Cheaper than about 88% of the 2,365 comparable items (median $62.21 per TB).

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Specifications

Product
Brand nameSeagate
Product lineExos X16
Model nameST12000NM003G
Total capacity12 TB
Recommended useFor Enterprise Storage
Performance
Rotational speed7,200 RPM
Mean latency4.16 ms
Storage
Flash memory typeHard Drive
Cache memory256 MB
Ports & slots
Interface typeSATA 6.0Gb/s
Size & build
Form factor3.5 in (8.89 cm)
Max height26.11 mm
Maximum width101.85 mm
Maximum length147 mm
Shipping weight0.91 kg
Package size196 × 152 × 51 mm

Questions about this item

What maximum throughput does the SATA 6.0Gb/s interface allow on this 12TB drive?

The SATA 6.0Gb/s interface caps theoretical bandwidth at 6.0 Gb/s; real-world sequential speeds will be lower and depend on the host controller and workload.

What are the exact physical dimensions of this 3.5" Exos X16 drive?

The drive measures 147.00 mm long, 101.85 mm wide and 26.11 mm high, matching the standard 3.5" enterprise form factor.

How is the helium-sealed Exos X16 installed, and what common step is missed?

Mount the drive in a 3.5" bay using four side or bottom screws, connect SATA data and power cables, then enable AHCI mode in BIOS so the 256 MB cache and 7200 RPM performance are fully utilised.

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