Seagate: Matching Donor Drives and PCBs

Seagate drives are considered the hardest to match: two drives with the same model can contain heads that do not work together. Use as many label values as possible.

What is on a Seagate label

Seagate label: model, P/N, firmware and site code explained
Example label (schematic) – on Seagate all four values matter.
FieldExampleMeaning
ModelST2000DM008Model family and capacity.
P/N2GA164-500Part number. The first part (here 2GA164) describes the build; the last digits often the customer/region version.
Firmware0001, CC26, SC60Firmware version – must match as closely as possible.
Site codeWU, SU, TK, KRATSGFactory. Prefer the same site.
Date code20514Seagate fiscal date code (year, week, day) – not a calendar date. Choose a donor with a code close to yours.
S/NZFL..., Z1E...The first characters of the serial number describe the family/plant; labs often compare the first three.

Donor drive for a head swap

  • Same model, same P/N (at least the first six characters, ideally complete).
  • Same site code and firmware, date code as close as possible.
  • Same head count / head map. Even with all label values matching, some head stacks are not compatible – this is normal on Seagate and the reason labs keep several donors per model.
  • Helium drives (Exos, IronWolf Pro large capacities) need donors from a very close production period.

PCB for a Seagate drive

Real photo: Seagate PCB with controller, DRAM and motor controller marked
Real Seagate board from our stock.
  • Board number on the PCB, usually starting with 100, e.g. 100774000 REV A. Number and revision should match.
  • The ROM (8-pin chip or inside the controller) contains drive-specific data and must be transferred from your old board. A Seagate board without the original ROM typically leads to a drive that spins but is not detected or reports a wrong capacity.
  • Many Seagate failures after a power problem are a burnt TVS diode on the board – a lab can often fix this without replacing the board.

Samsung-built Seagate drives

Some models with Seagate label are Samsung designs inside (e.g. ST1000LM024, Spinpoint M8/M9T family). They follow the Samsung rules – a “normal” Seagate donor will not fit.

← Back to the guide overview · Ask us with photos