Typically, when most people, myself included, think of mass storage solutions, particularly hard drives, the last things on that list to consider are mechanical, physical, and disk-based solutions. In a world of flash storage solutions, such as SSDs and even m.2 NVME drives that take advantage of the latest PCIe standards, a mechanical drive might not make a lot of sense, but when you’re talking bang for your buck, especially in regards to server or NAS usage, nothing still comes close to a reputable 3.5” plate-based HDD, moving parts and all.
Enter the Synology HAT3310-12T Plus, a relatively new mechanical HDD from Synology. It is tailor-made for use in their robust lineup of NAS solutions, though it can also be easily used in other popular branded NAS systems. For the uninitiated, NAS (Network Attached Storage) refers to a class of Linux-based computer-adjacent chassis designed specifically for home server use.
The Synology HAT3310-12T Plus, with “12T Plus” referring to its 12-terabyte capacity (or about 12,000 GB), is part of Synology’s range of higher-speed, RPM-rated (revolutions per minute) mechanical NAS drives. With a speed of 7200 RPM, it’s perfectly suited for server use.
“Enter the Synology HAT3310-12T Plus, a relatively new mechanical HDD from Synology, tailor-made for use in their robust lineup of NAS solutions…”
If all of that sounds like a lot of numbers and abbreviations, here’s the bottom line: the actual usable space on the HAT3310-12T Plus translates to about 10.9 TB, which conveniently matches the current size of my library. Speaking of my library, migrating my data to the Synology HAT3310-12T Plus was a straightforward process, starting with initializing the drive. For first-time users, I usually recommend installing the hybrid RAID SHR file system format used by Synology and their DSM (DiskStation Manager) NAS OS. This setup automatically creates a hybrid RAID configuration, providing a flexible storage pool with failure protection via data redundancy when two or more drives are installed.
However, since I’ll primarily use the HAT3310-12T Plus HDD as a media server in a two-bay NAS, I opted for a JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) setup to maximize my storage pool. JBOD combines all available disks into one large pool, which was ideal for my needs.
From here, the benefit of a higher RPM disk became evident, as moving a large volume of data can be an arduous process. Still, thanks to the reliability of the HAT3310 series, the process was completed within a few days with zero errors or corrupt files. Before continuing, it should be stated that this initial transfer was done between the Synology DS224+ and the TerraMaster F2-212, which I looked at back in April. Additionally, both NAS systems lack multi-gig LAN ports, limiting the throughput to a 1GB connection. However, the Synology DS224+ does feature link aggregation, thanks to the inclusion of dual gigabit ports.
“…migrating my data to the Synology HAT3310-12T Plus was a straightforward process, starting with initializing the drive.”
With the potential bottleneck in mind and to give the transfer the best chance to evaluate performance, I opted to use FastCopy instead of Windows’ built-in Explorer-based file transfer protocol over an SMB network connection. FastCopy is a lightweight and highly recommended third-party file transfer software, ideal for moving a large number of files—perfect for my situation.
Aside from migrating data between existing servers, I put the HAT3310-12T Plus to work for the next test and saved some time on moving the rest of my data (about 3.2TB) by directly connecting the HAT3310-12T HDD via the Synology DS224+’s front-facing USB 3.2 port. With transfer speeds peaking around 240MB/s, this test showcases the real-world speeds readers can expect if they choose Synology’s HAT3310 series of NAS HDDs.
Finally, I mounted the HAT3310-12T Plus on my Windows machine as a physical drive using the iSCSI protocol. For those unaware, unlike a network or SMB drive, this protocol allows the connected Synology HDD to behave like a physical local disk, which enabled me to run some synthetic tests using CrystalDiskMark for this review.
“At the end of the day, it’s hard not to recommend the Synology HAT3310-12T Plus or any other NAS drive from the series.”
For a final bonus test, while I had the HAT3310-12T Plus mounted, I decided to try the Steam release of Ghost of Tsushima and Halo Infinite — I chose these two specifically as they were released on cross-generational hardware, meaning they optimized to run on both high-speed SSDs and more traditional, mechanical HDDs, something that would be a perfect candidate to test gaming the gaming capabilities of the HAT3310-12T Plus NAS drive.
From my testing, although I don’t have a proper benchmark breakdown, I can say both games ran identically over the network versus running them from my internal SSD, perhaps a few seconds longer overall, but nothing that I could perceive from an end-user standpoint, ultimately resulting in a very smooth gameplay experience.
At the end of the day, it’s hard not to recommend the Synology HAT3310-12T Plus or any other NAS drive from the series, especially for those who plan on picking up a Synology branded NAS to go along with it. Ultimately, there are cheaper solutions out there, particularly if you are willing to shop around, but for those looking for the easiest and most convenient method of expanding your home or small business network storage, the HAT3310 series of NAS Drives are excellent.
