Western Digital Introduces the World’s Highest Capacity ePMR HDDs, 32TB UltraSMR and 26TB ePMR CMR HDD
- Western Digital unveils new HDD storage options for businesses
- 32TB UltraSMR and 26TB ePMR CMR are the world’s highest capacity ePMR HDDs
- Built for scalability, efficiency and longevity with a 5-year warranty
Western Digital has unveiled new developments in hard drive technology that it says will meet the growing needs of AI and data-intensive applications.
The company recently launched the new 32TB UltraSMR HDD and 26TB ePMR CMR HDD.
Equipped with innovative features such as OptiNAND and ArmorCache, these new hard drives provide scalable, efficient and cost-effective solutions for hyperscalers, cloud service providers (CSPs) and enterprises.
Advanced 11-drive design for maximum efficiency
The 32TB Ultrastar DC HC690 SMR HDD is the industry’s highest capacity HDD yet, utilizing the latest UltraSMR technology to support deep content storage at scale. On the other hand, the 26TB Ultrastar DC HC590 CMR HDD offers a drop-in replacement for businesses looking to increase their data capacity without sacrificing performance or reliability.
The 32TB UltraSMR HDD offers up to 257 MiB/s sequential performance and uses just 5.5W of idle power, making it ideal for “warm” and “cold” data storage levels, allowing businesses to optimize their energy consumption while scaling their storage needs . Meanwhile, the 26TB CMR HDD features a sustained transfer speed of up to 288 MiB/s and consumes just 5.6W in idle mode, making it a reliable option for mission-critical environments.
Their 11-drive design is the first of its kind commercially available and increases storage capacity without increasing the physical size of the drives, making them highly efficient for modern data centers.
Western Digital is integrating the new HDDs into the Ultrastar Data60 and Data102 hybrid storage platforms that can accommodate up to 102 drives and offer up to 3.26 petabytes of raw capacity. The company also uses IsoVibe and ArcticFlow to reduce vibration and optimize cooling.
The 26TB WD Gold SATA HDDs offer a decent balance for system integrators and resellers. Based on the Ultrastar HDD platform, these drives are tailor-made for small and medium businesses that need reliable, high-performance storage. They offer up to 2.5 million hours mean time between failures (MTBF) and a five-year warranty.
“Our CMR and UltraSMR technology not only breaks records; it also gives customers the efficiency and TCO benefits they have been asking for, and we are not done yet,” said Ravi Pendekanti, SVP Product Management, HDD Business Unit, West Digital.
“By delivering the highest ePMR capabilities available today, we ensure our customers have the storage efficiency, scalability, reliability and unparalleled value they need to stay ahead.”
