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Forward-looking: In an period the place video games are larger than ever, 4K content material is available, and our telephones are recording in 8K, high-capacity storage is important. Western Digital is planning to throw its hat into the high-capacity onerous drive market, asserting its intentions to release HAMR drives within 18 months.
Recently, we lined Seagate’s announcement of its impending release of latest heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) onerous drives. The reveal drew pleasure due to the affirmation of consumer-grade 32 TB onerous drives reaching consumers later this yr. However, this left others inquisitive about what Western Digital, arguably Seagate’s largest competitor, had up its sleeve.
For years, Western Digital had been hesitant to undertake HAMR as its technique of manufacturing high-capacity onerous drives. Instead, Western Digital initially opted to use microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) to develop its drives. However, after years of teases and hype, Western Digital silently moved away from MAMR and commenced using HAMR in its manufacturing.
During a latest convention, Western Digital’s CFO and Executive VP, Wissam Jabre, was requested about the firm’s roadmap relating to HAMR drives. Jabre said, “I think we’re probably on the HAMR side, we’re probably one year to 1.5 years plus before we get sort of volume production.”
Jabre additionally emphasised that Western Digital’s engineers have accomplished a lot of R&D work relating to HAMR drives and wish to be sure that the merchandise are dependable earlier than the drives ultimately attain customers in the close to future.
A roadmap launched by Western Digital could present clues for potential capacities from the firm’s first swings into the HAMR market. Currently, Western Digital’s highest capability drive sits at 22 TB and makes use of its energy-assisted perpendicular magnetic recording (ePMR) know-how. Platters utilizing ePMR can maintain up to 1.1 TB per sq. inch.
This platter capability could be almost doubled on HAMR drives, with Western Digital hoping it will possibly ultimately squeeze up to 2 TB per sq. inch on a single platter. This might end in Western Digital’s HAMR drives that includes storage capacities of fifty TB or much more down the street. However, it took years for Western Digital to attain 22 TB with ePMR know-how, so we could also be ready some time for consumer-grade 50+ TB onerous drives.
Overall, the coming years might be a good time for individuals who simply need the most storage doable, whether or not it is for storing video games, motion pictures, or 200-megapixel images. Even higher, each Western Digital and Seagate adopting the know-how means we might even see some competitors within the market, probably leading to costs reducing faster than anticipated.
…. to be continued
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