Seagate announces first 36-TB hard disk drive
Seagate increases the data density to 3.6 TByte per disk. However, this requires overlapping storage tracks.
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The first hard disk with a capacity of 36 TByte comes from Seagate. The manufacturer combines the Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) of its 32 TByte version with overlapping data tracks (Shingled Magnetic Recording, SMR).
However, Seagate is not yet releasing the Exos M 36 TByte to the retail market. Samples will first be sent to data center operators for qualification and evaluation. The situation is similar for the 32 TB hard disk without SMR, production of which is now set to increase. Dell wants to launch corresponding storage systems for data centers; an unnamed cloud service provider is apparently ordering larger quantities.
With SMR, the data tracks overlap like roof shingles to increase data density, but this leads to performance losses during repeated write operations. SMR drives are only as fast as classic models with conventional magnetic recording (CMR) when reading and writing sequential data for the first time.
Seagate confirmed the use of SMR technology on request. The new Exos-M hard disk drive also retains ten magnetic disks in the housing. With a capacity of 3.6 TByte per disk, Seagate achieves the highest storage density.
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26-TByte HDDs from WD go on sale
Competitor Western Digital switched to eleven disks for its latest hard disk drives in 2024. The WD Gold 26 TByte (without SMR) is the model with the highest capacity in German retail (starting from 832,57 €). However, one retailer is currently only accepting pre-orders – and plans to deliver from mid-February. It should be noted that 24 TByte models currently cost less than half as much.
For 26 TByte Western Digital relies on Energy-Assisted Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (ePMR). During the entire write process, an additional current is applied to the main pole of the write head, which generates an additional magnetic field and is intended to achieve a more even magnetization. Together with SMR, Western Digital currently has 32 TByte. However, the 32 TByte models are not yet available.
Toshiba achieves 31 TByte for data centers with the combination of SMR and Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR). With MAMR, a microwave transmitter pushes the magnetic particles on the disks in the right direction during writing. Toshiba is also developing HAMR hard disks in parallel.
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