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Best NAS hard drives with the lowest running costs (2026)

Drives in a NAS spin all day, and every watt counts per bay. These draw the least at idle, cheapest first. Running costs assume 24/7 at idle, at 26.32p/kWh. Where we don't have today's price, we use the typical UK price we found when researching it.

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

  1. #1

    WD Red Plus Internal NAS HDD 3.5", 4TB, model WD40EFPX

    6.9/10verdict: wait for deal

    The WD Red Plus 4TB (WD40EFPX) is for home and small-office NAS owners filling up to eight bays who want a CMR drive. Its 5,400 rpm spindle and low rated noise and power suit a NAS that sits in a living space or runs around the clock. Buyers whose needs go beyond its 180MB/s transfer rate, 180TB/year workload rating or three-year warranty should look elsewhere.

    4TB5400256MBCMR

    3.1W idle · £7.15/year to run · £230.43 over three years, all in

    Read the full review ›
    WD Red Plus Internal NAS HDD 3.5", 4TB, model WD40EFPX
    £208.99typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  2. #2

    Seagate IronWolf 4TB NAS hard drive

    7.0/10verdict: wait for deal

    The Seagate IronWolf 4TB is for people building or expanding a small NAS of up to eight bays who want CMR recording and a 3-year warranty. It suits bulk storage, backups and media libraries where low noise and power draw matter more than raw speed. Buyers need to check which of the two model numbers they are getting, because speed, cache and noise figures differ.

    4TBST4000VN006: 5400 RPM; ST4000VN008: 5900 RPMST4000VN006: 256MB; ST4000VN008: 64MBCMR

    3.96W idle · £9.13/year to run · £210.97 over three years, all in

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    £183.58typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  3. #3

    WD Red Pro 4TB NAS Hard Drive (WD4005FFBX)

    7.9/10verdict: buy

    The WD Red Pro 4TB suits people building a multi-bay NAS or RAID array who want a drive rated for heavy workloads. It lists CMR recording, a 5-year warranty and a 550TB/year workload rating. Buyers who want a quiet, low-power drive or included data recovery should look at the trade-offs first.

    4TB7200 RPM256MBCMR

    4W idle · £9.22/year to run · £287.66 over three years, all in

    Read the full review ›
    WD Red Pro 4TB NAS Hard Drive (WD4005FFBX)
    £259.99typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details