881781-B21: HPE 12TB SAS 12G Business Critical 7.2K LFF LP 512e Helium Digitally Signed Firmware HDD
Also listed as: 882397-001, 881779-001, WUH721414AL5204, HUH721212AL5200 · made by Western Digital
The HPE 881781-B21 is a 12TB 7,200 RPM 3.5-inch Large Form Factor (LFF) 12Gb/s SAS enterprise hard drive hermetically sealed with helium and mounted in an HPE Low Profile (LP) carrier. Designed for massive capacity storage tiers, surveillance retention, and backup repositories in ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 servers, it provides 512e sector formatting and digitally signed firmware. Buyers of used units should verify helium level sensors and run full sector scans.
Specifications
| Part number | 881781-B21 |
|---|---|
| Brand | HPE |
| Made by | Western Digital |
| Type | Hard drives |
| Other numbers | 882397-001, 881779-001, WUH721414AL5204, HUH721212AL5200 |
| Status | end of sale |
| Capacity (GB) | 12,000 |
| Interface | SAS 12Gb/s |
| Form factor | LFF 3.5in |
| Speed | 7.2K rpm |
| Carrier | Low Profile (LP) |
| Carrier type | LP |
| Sector format | 512e |
| Vendor model | HUH721212AL5200 |
| Generation fit | Gen9 / Gen10 |
About the 881781-B21
The HPE 881781-B21 delivers 12TB of enterprise storage per spindle, representing a major capacity tier for high-density storage servers and secondary backup arrays. Built upon Western Digital's 8-disk helium-sealed mechanical platform, it dramatically reduces mechanical drag, permitting tighter disk spacing and lower spindle motor power draw compared to traditional air-filled hard drives. It is frequently deployed in software-defined storage architectures (such as Ceph or Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct) requiring dense raw terabyte capacity.
Compatibility
Compatible with 3.5-inch LFF hot-plug drive slots in HPE ProLiant Gen9 and Gen10 servers (such as DL380 Gen9/Gen10 LFF models, ML350 Gen10, and Apollo storage clusters) equipped with Low Profile (LP) carrier cages. It does not fit into 2.5-inch SFF backplanes. A 12Gb/s SAS host controller or HBA is required to establish dual-port SAS communication.
How to identify a genuine unit
Genuine drives carry an HPE label stating Option Part Number 881781-B21, Spare Part Number 882397-001, and Assembly Part Number 881779-001. The base drive mechanism is a Western Digital / HGST Ultrastar He12 (model HUH721212AL5200). In HPE iLO and Smart Storage Administrator, genuine units report digitally signed HPE firmware with an HPDx prefix and validate carrier telemetry.
Buying used
When buying second-hand 12TB helium drives, verify that SMART Attribute 22 (Helium Level Indicator) reports 100% health without warning flags. Inspect the drive housing for denting or compromised seals. Check that the Low Profile carrier latch operates smoothly and that the drive passes an extended SMART offline surface self-test without bad or reallocated sectors.
Reference prices (last 14 days, updated 2026-10-27)
Refurbished: USD 175 (1 sighting, Oct 2026)
Used: USD 120 (1 sighting, Oct 2026)
All sightings
| Seller | Condition | Price | Note | Seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| serversupply.com | refurbished | USD 175 | Refurbished drive tested clean SMART and 100% helium | 2026-10-27 |
| ebay.com | used | USD 120 | Working pull with verified helium health | 2026-10-27 |
Prices seen on public listings on the dates shown, before tax and shipping. Not an offer.
Fits these models
Check compatibility with HPE
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that HPE has tested with the HPE 881781-B21.
- Compatibility HPE SPOCK (storage, SAN and host compatibility)
- Part lookup HPE PartSurfer (spare and option part numbers)
- Support HPE Support Center
Equivalent part numbers
- Western Digital HUH721212AL5200 HGST Ultrastar He12 12TB 7.2K SAS 512e bare drive
FAQ
Why does 881781-B21 use helium instead of air?
Helium is one-seventh the density of air, which minimizes aerodynamic drag, lowers operating temperature by 4 to 5 degrees Celsius, reduces motor power draw, and enables higher platter counts in the same 3.5-inch form factor.
Does 881781-B21 work with MSA 2060 SAN storage arrays?
MSA 2060 arrays use specific MSA drive carrier firmware and part numbers (e.g., R0Q55A for 12TB SAS); standard ProLiant server drives like 881781-B21 will be flagged as uncertified in MSA firmware.
Buying or selling 881781-B21?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.
Sources
- HPE Server Hard Drives QuickSpecs, checked 2026-10-27
- HPE PartSurfer 881781-B21 Record, checked 2026-10-27