Toshiba Enterprise 3TB
Enterprise HDD
Part number MC04ACA300E · Enterprise series · SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III). If your machine is listed below, this drive is officially supported — not a forum workaround.
Part of the Toshiba Enterprise series →
Check MC04ACA300E price on Amazon partner link
No series-level recording rating is on file for this part number yet — check the exact model for CMR vs SMR before buying it as a large cold copy (SMR is the one trait that makes a 16 TB+ backup copy painfully slow). The 3-2-1 guide and the backup tools encyclopedia cover what to schedule it with.
Compatibility verdict
It appears on the official compatibility lists of 144 machines and series — 144 QNAP. This is a Enterprise-class drive: rated for heavier sustained workloads than desktop drives. It is a strong pick for a NAS running 24/7, large-array rebuilds or camera workloads, and enterprise lines are also the drives most widely listed across all five vendors' HCLs. No series-level recording rating is on file for this part number yet, so check CMR vs SMR on the exact model before buying for an array.
Compatible NAS models
Same-capacity alternatives
Other drives listed at 3 TB capacity, ranked by how many machines list them:
Quick answers
Is the MC04ACA300E officially compatible with my NAS?
It appears on the official compatibility lists of 144 machines and series — 144 QNAP. Every machine page linked below shows the vendor's own list entry, refreshed daily.
Is the MC04ACA300E a good NAS drive?
This is a Enterprise-class drive: rated for heavier sustained workloads than desktop drives. It is a strong pick for a NAS running 24/7, large-array rebuilds or camera workloads, and enterprise lines are also the drives most widely listed across all five vendors' HCLs. No series-level recording rating is on file for this part number yet, so check CMR vs SMR on the exact model before buying for an array.
Can I use the MC04ACA300E for a 3-2-1 cold backup copy?
No series-level recording rating is on file for this part number yet — check the exact model for CMR vs SMR before buying it as a large cold copy (SMR is the one trait that makes a 16 TB+ backup copy painfully slow). The 3-2-1 guide and the backup tools encyclopedia cover what to schedule it with.
What are alternatives to the MC04ACA300E?
At the same capacity, the most widely listed alternatives are Toshiba MG04ACA300E (418 machines), Seagate ST3000NM0033 (341 machines), Western Digital WD30PURZ (307 machines). The full ranked list is below.