Toshiba S300 and S300 Pro Surveillance Hard Drives in Oman
Purpose-built drives for 24/7 DVR and NVR recording. S300 from 1 TB to 6 TB, S300 Pro from 4 TB to 10 TB.
- Up to 64 cameras
- Up to 24 bays on Pro
- 300 TB/yr on Pro
- 5-year warranty on Pro
The S300 and S300 Pro look like the same product with a suffix. They are not.
S300 runs at 5,400 RPM, uses shingled recording on most capacities, supports 8 bays and carries three years. S300 Pro runs at 7,200 RPM, is conventional recording throughout, supports 24 bays, is rated for two-thirds more annual writes and carries five years.
That gap decides whether an installation survives its warranty period. Elite Infotech supplies both across Oman and will tell you which one your deployment actually needs rather than defaulting to the cheaper line.
The SMR split inside the standard S300
Most S300 models from 2 TB to 6 TB use shingled magnetic recording. The 1 TB model and one 4 TB variant use conventional recording. Toshiba does not put this on the front of the box.
For continuous surveillance recording this is a reasonable engineering trade. SMR overlaps data tracks to raise density and handles sequential writes well, which is what a recorder produces almost exclusively. Toshiba rates the SMR models at 180 TB per year and up to 64 cameras for exactly that reason.
It becomes a problem in RAID. Array rebuilds involve heavy random rewrite and SMR drives slow substantially under it. For any RAID-configured recorder, specify S300 Pro, which is CMR across every capacity.
The 4 TB variant conflict
There are two 4 TB S300 models and they are meaningfully different drives.
How we handle it
We check which variant is in stock before quoting, because the two are not interchangeable on a multi-bay build.
The CMR model has the lower workload rating and the lower transfer rate, but it is the one with vibration sensors. If the build is a single-drive recorder doing straight sequential recording, the SMR model is the better drive. If it is a multi-bay chassis, the CMR model is, despite the lower headline numbers.
Toshiba S300 capacities available in Oman
| Capacity | Model | Recording | RPM | Buffer | Transfer | Cameras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 TB | HDWT860UZSVA | SMR | 5,400 | 256 MiB | Up to 184 MB/s | Up to 64 |
| 4 TB | HDWT840UZSVA | SMR | 5,400 | 256 MiB | Up to 184 MB/s | Up to 64 |
| 4 TB | HDWT140UZSVA | CMR | 5,400 | 128 MiB | Up to 157 MB/s | Up to 64 |
| 2 TB | HDWT720UZSVA | SMR | 5,400 | 128 MiB | Up to 184 MB/s | 32 – 64 |
| 1 TB | HDWV110UZSVA | CMR | 5,700 | 64 MiB | Up to 153 MB/s | Up to 32 |
S300 common specifications: SATA 6.0 Gb/s, 3.5-inch, 512e Advanced Format, 24/7 operation, shock sensor fitted, MTTF 1,000,000 hours, read error rate 1 per 1014, up to 8 drive bays, 180 TB/year workload (110 TB/year on the 4 TB CMR model), 600,000 load/unload cycles (300,000 on the 1 TB), operating temperature 0–70°C surface, 147 × 101.85 × 26.1 mm, 3-year limited warranty.
Toshiba S300 Pro capacities available in Oman
| Capacity | Model | Operating power | Active idle | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 TB | MD10ADA10TV | 9.07 W | 5.74 W | Approx 755 g |
| 8 TB | MD10ADA800V | 8.19 W | 4.92 W | Approx 730 g |
| 6 TB | MD10ADA600V | 7.43 W | 4.14 W | Approx 710 g |
| 4 TB | MD10ADA400EV | 6.75 W | 3.49 W | Approx 690 g |
S300 Pro common specifications: SATA 6.0 Gb/s, 3.5-inch, CMR throughout, 512e, 7,200 RPM, 512 MiB buffer, sustained transfer up to 281 MB/s, up to 64 cameras, up to 24 drive bays, 300 TB/year workload, MTTF 1,200,000 hours, read error rate 1 per 1014, 600,000 load/unload cycles, RV and shock sensors fitted, operating temperature 0–65°C surface, 5-year limited warranty.
S300 or S300 Pro
| If the deployment is… | Specify | Because |
|---|---|---|
| A single-drive DVR or small NVR | S300 | Rated for the workload, and the price difference buys nothing you will use |
| A RAID-configured recorder | S300 Pro | CMR throughout — SMR rebuild performance is the risk |
| More than 8 drive bays | S300 Pro | S300 caps at 8 bays; Pro supports 24 |
| A 4K camera estate | S300 Pro | 7,200 RPM and 512 MiB buffer handle the higher bitrate |
| Long retention, 60 days or more | S300 Pro | 300 TB/yr rating and five-year warranty match the service life |
| Analytics running on the recorder | Neither — use S300 AI | Neither S300 nor Pro is rated for AI stream workloads |
Where these drives fit in Oman
For recorder selection, channel counts and retention sizing, see Dahua NVR and storage systems in Oman.
- Retail, warehouse and office surveillance on conventional recorders
- Residential communities and small commercial buildings — standard S300
- Educational and healthcare sites on standard retention policies
- Multi-bay RAID recorders in banking, government and industrial deployments — S300 Pro
- Third-source supply where a Seagate or WD capacity has gone to allocation
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between S300 and S300 Pro?
S300 runs at 5,400 RPM, uses shingled recording on most capacities, supports up to 8 bays, is rated at 180 TB per year and carries three years. S300 Pro runs at 7,200 RPM, is conventional recording throughout, supports 24 bays, is rated at 300 TB per year and carries five years. Specify Pro for RAID, more than 8 bays, or a 4K estate.
Do S300 drives use SMR?
Most models from 2 TB to 6 TB do. The 1 TB model and one of the two 4 TB models use CMR. S300 Pro is CMR across every capacity. For RAID deployments this matters and Pro is the correct specification.
Which 4 TB S300 should I buy?
HDWT840UZSVA is SMR with a higher workload rating and faster transfer. HDWT140UZSVA is CMR with rotational vibration sensors. For a single-drive recorder take the SMR model; for a multi-bay chassis take the CMR model despite its lower headline figures.
How many cameras can one S300 drive support?
Up to 64 on the 2 TB to 6 TB models and up to 32 on the 1 TB. Actual capacity depends on resolution, codec, frame rate and retention target.
Can I use S300 drives in a Dahua NVR?
Yes, and this is the most common deployment we supply them into. Confirm the capacity against your recorder model’s compatibility list — we check this when quoting.
What warranty applies?
Three years on S300 and five years on S300 Pro, through authorised distribution with regional support.
Where to go next
Request S300 Stock and Pricing
Share your camera count, recorder model and retention target. We confirm the correct line, capacity and exact model, and flag whether an SMR or CMR variant is in stock.
- Muscat
- Ruwi
- Salalah
- Sohar
- Delivery across Oman