Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB vs Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB
Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB and Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB each win something the other does not — the choice is which of those you want.
| Specification | SeagateSkyHawk AI 8TB | Western DigitalWD Red Plus HDD 8TB |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity (GB) | 8000 | 8000 |
| Current best price | $329.99at Amazon.com · captured 2026-09-11 | $309.00betterat Amazon.com · captured 2026-09-04 |
| Price per TB | $41.25 | $38.63better |
| RPM | 7200better | 5640 |
| Cache (MB) | 256 | 256 |
| Form factor | 3.5-inch | 3.5-inch |
| Warranty (years) | 5better | 3 |
How these two compare
Sequential throughput
Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB holds the higher sequential rate. Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB is rated 245 MB/s read and 245 MB/s write, Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB 215 MB/s read and 215 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 8TB lists at $329.99, or $41.25 per TB; Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB at $309.00, or $38.63 per TB.
Spindle speed
Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB spins at 7200 RPM and Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB at 5640 RPM. The faster-spinning drive reaches data sooner; the slower one typically draws less power and runs quieter — responsiveness traded against heat and noise.
Cache
Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB carries 256 MB of onboard cache and Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB 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 8TB carries a 5-year warranty and Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB 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
There is no outright answer — each takes something the other gives up. Decide which of those advantages matters for your build; the comparison above lays out both sides.
Common questions about this pair
- Which is faster, Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB or Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB?
- Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB holds the higher sequential rate. Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB is rated 245 MB/s read and 245 MB/s write, Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB 215 MB/s read and 215 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 8TB or Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB?
- Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB lists at $329.99, or $41.25 per TB; Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB at $309.00, or $38.63 per TB.
- Should you buy Seagate SkyHawk AI 8TB or Western Digital WD Red Plus HDD 8TB?
- There is no outright answer — each takes something the other gives up. Decide which of those advantages matters for your build; the comparison above lays out both sides.