Seagate launches new Exos series 24TB hard drive

Recently, Seagate unveiled its groundbreaking Exos 24TB hard drive. Crafted using the conventional CMR technology, this 3.5-inch device spins at 7200 RPM, encompassing 10 platters, each with a storage capacity of 2.4TB. It stands as Seagate’s pinnacle in storage density, tailor-made for vast-scale enterprises and data centers, delivering an industry-leading Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Seagate has commenced shipments of the Exos 24TB to its primary clientele, with channel distribution slated for December.

The Exos 24TB hard drive is meticulously designed to maximize storage and rack space. Leveraging refined technology, it supports both SAS and SATA interfaces. Enhanced caching propels its performance to triple that of solutions solely reliant on read-write caches, achieving a continuous data transfer rate of 285 MB/s. Moreover, it boasts Seagate’s advanced encryption technology, offering Self-Encrypting Drives (SED), SED-FIPS, and Instant Secure Erase (ISE), all complemented by a five-year limited warranty.

According to Seagate’s prior pronouncements, the trajectory is set towards hard drives equipped with HAMR (Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording) technology in the offing, potentially reaching capacities exceeding 30TB. Mass production is anticipated to kick off in early 2024. The last of the CMR/PMR products will cap at 24TB. Recognizing a segment of clients’ reluctance toward HAMR drives, Seagate is poised to present alternative solutions, including models exceeding 24TB based on PMR+TDMR and SMR+TDMR configurations, set for release by year’s end. It’s projected that PMR/SMR and HAMR technologies will coexist for a period, awaiting the advanced HAMR technology to attain maturity.

Seagate’s vision with HAMR technology is to significantly augment storage capacities without escalating per-unit costs, thereby achieving an optimal Total Cost of Ownership. The ultimate goal might be a reduction in certain costs, rather than passing them onto the consumer.