Toshiba MG04SCA**E 5TB
Enterprise HDD
Part number MG04SCA50EE · MG04SCA**E series · 3.5" SAS HDD. If your machine is listed below, this drive is officially supported — not a forum workaround.
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Specifications are the manufacturer's published ratings for this product series; verify the exact part number before purchase.
Rated CMR (conventional magnetic recording) — the right recording type for a large cold copy. CMR keeps a full-library backup pass fast even at 16–24 TB, which is the whole point of the offline slot in a 3-2-1 plan: rotate two drives monthly, keep one powered off, and the backup tooling (Veeam, Duplicati, Hyper Backup, HBS 3) does the scheduling. Full rule and vendor tool table: 3-2-1 for NAS.
Compatibility verdict
It appears on the official compatibility lists of 28 machines and series — 2 Synology, 26 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. Its series rating is on file as CMR (conventional) — what RAID rebuilds and full-library copies want.
Compatible NAS models
Same-capacity alternatives
Other drives listed at 5 TB capacity, ranked by how many machines list them:
Quick answers
Is the MG04SCA50EE officially compatible with my NAS?
It appears on the official compatibility lists of 28 machines and series — 2 Synology, 26 QNAP. Every machine page linked below shows the vendor's own list entry, refreshed daily.
Is the MG04SCA50EE CMR or SMR?
As a Toshiba MG04SCA**E drive, it is rated CMR. CMR (conventional magnetic recording) is what a RAID array wants: SMR drives slow rebuilds dramatically. See the <a href="/faq/cmr-vs-smr-nas-drives/">CMR vs SMR guide</a> for the full series table.
Is the MG04SCA50EE 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. Its series rating is on file as CMR (conventional) — what RAID rebuilds and full-library copies want.
Can I use the MG04SCA50EE for a 3-2-1 cold backup copy?
Rated CMR (conventional magnetic recording) — the right recording type for a large cold copy. CMR keeps a full-library backup pass fast even at 16–24 TB, which is the whole point of the offline slot in a 3-2-1 plan: rotate two drives monthly, keep one powered off, and the backup tooling (Veeam, Duplicati, Hyper Backup, HBS 3) does the scheduling. Full rule and vendor tool table: 3-2-1 for NAS.
What are alternatives to the MG04SCA50EE?
At the same capacity, the most widely listed alternatives are Toshiba MG04ACA500E (348 machines), Western Digital HUS726050ALE610 (281 machines), Seagate ST5000NM0084 (274 machines). The full ranked list is below.