Western Digital Consumer 3TB
Other HDD
Part number WD3001FAEX · Consumer series · SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III). If your machine is listed below, this drive is officially supported — not a forum workaround.
Part of the Western Digital Consumer series →
Check WD3001FAEX 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 4 machines and series — 4 QNAP. Check the class badge above: drives tagged NAS or Enterprise are built for 24/7 multi-bay operation. Desktop-class drives often lack vibration resistance and are usually absent from vendor 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 WD3001FAEX officially compatible with my NAS?
It appears on the official compatibility lists of 4 machines and series — 4 QNAP. Every machine page linked below shows the vendor's own list entry, refreshed daily.
Is the WD3001FAEX a good NAS drive?
Check the class badge above: drives tagged NAS or Enterprise are built for 24/7 multi-bay operation. Desktop-class drives often lack vibration resistance and are usually absent from vendor 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 WD3001FAEX 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 WD3001FAEX?
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.