Is a helium hard drive better than an air-filled one?

At high capacities, yes. Helium is far less dense than air, so the platters spin with less drag - that cuts power draw, heat and noise, and lets manufacturers stack more platters. Effectively every drive above 12TB is helium, because air-filled designs can't reach those capacities reliably.

What happens if the helium leaks out?

Modern helium drives are hermetically sealed and report internal helium pressure over SMART, so a slow leak shows up long before failure. Large-scale Backblaze data puts their failure rates in line with - often better than - comparable air drives.

Best Helium NAS Drives (2026): Cooler, Quieter, Denser

	Drive	Capacity	Tech	Class	Interface	AFR	€/TB	Price
1	ST16000NM000J Seagate Exos X18	16 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	0.22%	€49.78	€796
2	WUH722626ALE6L4 WD Ultrastar DC HC590	26 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	0.40%	€52.46	€1,364
3	WUH722222ALE6L4 WD Ultrastar DC HC570	22 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	0.47%	-	-
4	ST16000NM001G Seagate Exos X16	16 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	0.54%	€38.31	€613
5	MG10ACA20TE Toshiba MG10	20 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	0.59%	€44.95	€899
6	MG11ACA24TE Toshiba MG11	24 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	0.68%	€41.48	€996
7	WUH721816ALE6Lx WD Ultrastar DC HC550	16 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	0.80%	-	-
8	WUH721414ALE6L4 WD Ultrastar DC HC530	14 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	0.81%	€34.93	€489
9	ST12000NM001G Seagate Exos X16	12 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	0.96%	€69.50	€834
10	MG07ACA14TE Toshiba MG07	14 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	1.18%	-	-
11	ST14000NM001G Seagate Exos X16	14 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	1.35%	€29.66	€415
12	MG08ACA16Tx Toshiba MG08	16 TB	CMR	Enterprise	SATA	1.48%	-	-

Ranked by measured failure rate (Backblaze AFR). $/TB shows once live prices are wired.

Why helium matters above 12TB

Helium is standard from 12TB up: it's the only way to fit seven, nine or ten platters in a 3.5-inch case while keeping power and heat in check. For a multi-bay NAS that runs 24/7, the lower draw and cooler running add up across the array.

It is not a reliability shortcut on its own - rank by failure rate first, then weigh price per TB. The capacity and efficiency are the win; the drive still has to be a low-AFR CMR model to be worth buying.

Frequently asked questions

Is a helium hard drive better than an air-filled one?: At high capacities, yes. Helium is far less dense than air, so the platters spin with less drag - that cuts power draw, heat and noise, and lets manufacturers stack more platters. Effectively every drive above 12TB is helium, because air-filled designs can't reach those capacities reliably.
What happens if the helium leaks out?: Modern helium drives are hermetically sealed and report internal helium pressure over SMART, so a slow leak shows up long before failure. Large-scale Backblaze data puts their failure rates in line with - often better than - comparable air drives.