Seagate Cheetah 300GB 3.5 inch SAS internal hard drive 15000 RPM 16 MB 3.5 inch

The Seagate Cheetah ST3300657SS is a 3.5" SAS-2 (6 Gb/s) enterprise hard drive with 300 GB capacity and a 15,000 RPM spindle speed. Designed for server and data center environments, this 3.5" 15K disk provides low latency and sustained throughput for demanding read/write workloads while offering proven reliability for continuous operation.

Advantages

Compared with legacy 3.5" 15K drives, moving to smaller 2.5" Savvio drives can yield improved cost-effectiveness and up to 15% better overall performance, with up to 10% faster random reads and up to 8% faster random writes. The Cheetah-series 15K drives deliver high sustained throughput (around 168 MB/s) suitable for intensive enterprise tasks. If higher capacity in a 3.5" form factor is required, Constellation ES 7.2K drives offer significantly larger capacities for nearline use while maintaining scalability and consistent access.

Suitable for

• High-performance database servers
• Transaction processing and virtualization hosts
• Enterprise applications requiring low latency
• Mixed read/write intensive workloads in rack servers

Key specifications

• Capacity: 300 GB
• Form factor: 3.5"
• Interface: SAS-2 6 Gb/s
• Spindle speed: 15,000 RPM
• MTBF: 1,600,000 hours
• Weight: 0.671 kg

How to use

Install the ST3300657SS into a compatible server or storage enclosure with a SAS-2 backplane and ensure the host controller supports 6 Gb/s SAS devices. Use appropriate drive sleds or mounting brackets for 3.5" bays and secure connections to power and SAS data cables. Configure the drive in the server OS or RAID controller according to the intended use (standalone, RAID array, or as part of a larger storage pool). Monitor drive health and performance using vendor tools and SMART reporting.

Recommendations

For improved density and lower power per IOPS, consider migrating to 2.5" Savvio 10K/15K drives when compatible; for maximum capacity in 3.5" systems, evaluate Constellation ES 7.2K nearline drives. Match the drive choice to your workload profile—use 15K drives for low-latency, high-IOPS needs and nearline 7.2K drives for large-capacity, lower-activity storage.