18TB Has the Lowest Indexed $/TB
This week's read: 18TB still has the lowest median $/TB in the capacity index, but the buyable floor moved lower after Seagate Exos ST18000NM003D 18TB refurb appeared at $26.06/TB. Capacity medians stayed steady; the actionable change is a new named listing below last week's best row. Data through Aug 21, 2026.
Notable capacity moves
18TB is the lowest current median $/TB capacity tier in the index at $39.78/TB. No qualified capacity tier got cheaper this week; 18TB had the smallest 30-day increase at +12.1%. The index tier and named rows point in the same direction, so large HDD tiers are where the cleanest $/TB signal is showing.
Current best-value drives
Current rows with clear condition data: Seagate Exos ST18000NM003D 18TB refurb CMR at ServerPartDeals for $469.00 ($26.06/TB); Seagate Exos ST16000NM000J 16TB recert CMR at ServerPartDeals for $489.00 ($30.56/TB); LaCie d2 Professional STHA10000800 10TB new at BestBuy for $437.75 ($43.77/TB); Toshiba MG MG11ACA24TE 24TB new at BestBuy for $1059.99 ($44.17/TB). If recertified or refurbished drives are off the table, compare against LaCie d2 Professional STHA10000800 10TB new at BestBuy for $437.75 ($43.77/TB) and Toshiba MG MG11ACA24TE 24TB new at BestBuy for $1059.99 ($44.17/TB). These are not interchangeable: condition and recording tech matter before the lowest $/TB row becomes a buyable recommendation.