Seagate SkyHawk AI 12TB vs Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB
On the measures that settle this, Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB never comes out behind, and on at least one it comes out ahead.
| Specification | SeagateSkyHawk AI 12TB | ToshibaN300 HDD 12TB |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity (GB) | 12000 | 12000 |
| Current best price | $495.00at Newegg · captured 2026-09-13 | $319.99betterat Amazon.com · captured 2026-09-13 |
| Price per TB | $41.25 | $26.67better |
| RPM | 7200 | 7200 |
| Cache (MB) | 256 | 256 |
| Form factor | 3.5-inch | 3.5-inch |
| Warranty (years) | 5better | 3 |
How these two compare
Sequential throughput
Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB holds the higher sequential rate. Seagate SkyHawk AI 12TB is rated 250 MB/s read and 250 MB/s write, Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB 253 MB/s read and 253 MB/s write; a spinning disk's throughput rises with platter speed and density and barely differs between reading and writing.
Price
Seagate SkyHawk AI 12TB lists at $495.00, or $41.25 per TB; Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB at $319.99, or $26.67 per TB.
Spindle speed
Both turn at 7200 RPM. Spindle speed sets how quickly the head reaches data and how much power and noise the drive makes, and at an identical RPM the two land in the same place on all of it.
Cache
Seagate SkyHawk AI 12TB carries 256 MB of onboard cache and Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB carries 256 MB — the buffer the drive uses to absorb bursts of writes and hold recently read data, smoothing over the mechanical delay of moving the head. More cache helps most under bursty, mixed workloads; for one long sequential transfer it barely matters.
Warranty
Seagate SkyHawk AI 12TB carries a 5-year warranty and Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB a 3-year one — how long the maker will replace a failed drive, and a rough read on the confidence it has in the mechanism.
Which to buy
Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB. It gives up nothing to the other on the measures the site tracks and leads on at least one, so there is no trade to weigh — the sections above show where the margin is.
Common questions about this pair
- Which is faster, Seagate SkyHawk AI 12TB or Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB?
- Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB holds the higher sequential rate. Seagate SkyHawk AI 12TB is rated 250 MB/s read and 250 MB/s write, Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB 253 MB/s read and 253 MB/s write; a spinning disk's throughput rises with platter speed and density and barely differs between reading and writing.
- Which costs less per terabyte, Seagate SkyHawk AI 12TB or Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB?
- Seagate SkyHawk AI 12TB lists at $495.00, or $41.25 per TB; Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB at $319.99, or $26.67 per TB.
- Should you buy Seagate SkyHawk AI 12TB or Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB?
- Toshiba N300 HDD 12TB. It gives up nothing to the other on the measures the site tracks and leads on at least one, so there is no trade to weigh — the sections above show where the margin is.