Anyone Using the Hitachi HUC101212CSS600? 1.2TB 10K SAS – Reliability & Performance Feedback?

Hey folks,

I’m looking for some real-world feedback on the Hitachi HUC101212CSS600 — a 1.2TB 10K RPM SAS 2.5" enterprise hard drive. I came across a batch of these being offered at a good price from Hard Disk Direct, and I’m considering using them in a medium-scale enterprise storage array (possibly RAID 10).

From the spec sheet, here’s what we know:

Key Specs:

• Model: HUC101212CSS600

• Capacity: 1.2TB

• Interface: SAS 6Gb/s

• RPM: 10,000

• Form Factor: 2.5-inch

• Enterprise-grade: Yes (24/7 duty cycle, high MTBF)

What I’m Curious About:

1. Reliability – Have you used these drives in production environments? How do they hold up under continuous load?

2. Compatibility – Any issues using these with Dell PERC, HP Smart Array, or Supermicro controllers?

3. Performance – While I know they're not SSDs, how do they perform under database or virtualized workloads?

4. Noise & Heat – How loud do they get, and do they require more cooling than typical enterprise 2.5" drives?

5. Firmware – Any trouble with firmware mismatches or drive locking with OEM systems?

I’m trying to balance cost, performance, and long-term stability. SSDs are still expensive per TB for our needs, and 15K RPM drives are harder to find lately. These 10K SAS drives seem like a decent middle ground if they’re reliable.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s deployed these — especially in clustered or virtualized setups.

Thanks in advance!