Skip to main content

HGST Debuts Ultrastar He10 10TB Helium-Filled Hard Drive

I bet you never thought you would live to see the day we had 10TB hard drives did you? Well, helium-filled hard drives have finally reached this point by creating the first 10TB hard drives that use conventional recording methods.

Western Digital subsidiary HGST has created the Ultrastar He10 which, interestingly enough, is not the first 10B helium drive. HGST created the first real 10TB hard drive back in the summer. However, this new drive is the only helium drive that has 10TB and uses perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR), the standard recording technology for hard drives over the last 10 years.

The first 10TB drive from HGST used shingled magnetic recording (SMR). SMR uses magnetic tracks that overlap to increase capacity. The downside here is that there is very little guard space between the tracks, which makes rewriting data much more difficult and longer as adjacent tracks may need to be rewritten as well. That is why SMR is better-suited for cold storage as opposed to routine recording.

PMR has some negatives too. The problem with PMR is that is is coming to the limits of its potential capacity. Regardless, HGST has pulled off something quite amazing by stuffing seven platters into a standard 1-inch drive. Helium drives from other companies, like Seagate, top out at 8TB. Both Seagate and HGST have been putting money into new technology known as heat-assisted magnetic recording, which allows for a much higher capacity and is better suited for everyday use though these hard drives won't start showing up until next year at the earliest.


Just like with the earlier helium drives from HGST, the Ultrastar He10 is being marketed at enterprise and server use and will have a price tag of around $800. Compared to air, helium isn't as dense which means that there will be less of a drag on the moving parts of the drive. This decreased friction when combined with hermetic seals that keep out contaminants and humidity allow these drives to run at cooler temperatures than a standard HDD. This will also reduce your energy costs. This makes them perfect for use in servers though the direct impact on consumers will be minimal. Regardless, the larger capacity could benefit the cloud services that we are relying on more and more.

Content originally published here

Sharing this story on social media? Use these hashtags! #WesternDigital #HGST #UltrastarHe10 #HardDrives

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Precious Things My Kid Says and My Usually Unspoken Retorts

I never get to do anything I want except face painting and carnivals Kids say the darnedest things!  Good thing they sleep for 12 hours a day or the cuteness would overwhelm me and I would have to shoot myself. Here are some tender words my preschooler serenades me with in her melodious little voice. 1- I'm not yours.  I'm Daddy's! Answer: Then go ask him to wipe you. 2- Why are you wearing that? Answer: Because I lost my fashion sense when I pushed you out of my uterus. 3- Why did you do that with your face? Answer: Because I am exerting all my willpower not to throw you out of this moving car. 4- The other mothers tell the teachers what they did on the weekend.  Why don't you? Answer: Preschool pickup sucks enough without trying to add meaningless small talk to the mix. 5- I am the only one who doesn't go to Disney. Answer: And I am the only mother with a brain. 6- Why can't we have a playdate with Madison? Answer: I hate Madison's mommy because she is too...

Annapolis Smokehouse, a Restaurant That Won't Kick Out My Kids and The Food is Great Too!

I am starting a new blog section called Restaurant Reviews: Places That Won't Kick Out My Kids. I do not get paid or get free food for my review, although there is always a first time.  If you would like to be featured in this space, think long and hard first because this is who is coming: Keep in mind you can't hear the noise in this picture Anyway,  Annapolis Smokehouse  is located at 107 Hillsmere Drive in Annapolis which doesn't matter until I tell you it is across the street from Quiet Waters Park, aka the park with the awesome playground.  Any restaurant located near a park is a good bet for families with small kids, because then you can threaten them with not going to the playground if they don't behave.   Ambience: Annapolis Smokehouse gave my kids crayons and activity placemats and allowed us to sit outside as we requested, so as not to disturb any people who went to dinner thinking they would be able to converse like human beings.  Remember those...

Life Before and After Kids, or Something Not to Read if You Were Having a Good Day

Oh those salad days (literally in that you had time to order and eat a salad) when you were married without children!  As nobody says aloud, childlessness is wasted on the childless.  Here are a few distinctions between those with kids and without, in various domains of daily life. Special Occasions:  Before Kids:  Prior to children, a three day surprise trip to a beach was a good anniversary present. Possibly add some thoughtful little gift into the mix like a treasured book, CD, or even a piece of jewelry.  As you slowly ate a delicious dinner at an amazing restaurant you found through meticulous online research, you gazed into each other's eyes.  Passionate love making followed. After Kids:   You would like your husband, for once, to be the one to text the sitter so that you can go out for two hours, including the drive, to a restaurant you don't even like but is near to the house.  Of course he doesn't have the sitter's number (despite your n...