Seagate has entered the competitive 32 TB hard drive market with the introduction of its new Exos M series, marking a significant development in data storage technology. Following Western Digital’s lead, Seagate has launched two versions of this hard drive: a 30 TB model utilizing conventional magnetic recording technology (CMR) and a 32 TB version that employs stacked magnetic recording technology (SMR). Both models are based on a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) platform, integrated with Seagate’s Mozaic 3+ technology.
HAMR technology has been under development by Seagate for over a decade and is designed to enhance data storage density in hard drives. This innovative approach, however, has generated mixed opinions regarding its reliability, performance, and longevity.
To address potential concerns, Seagate has claimed that the Exos M series hard drives are three times more energy-efficient than traditional models, with an emphasis on using renewable energy sources and recycled materials in their production. Additionally, the company has reported a mean time between failures (MTBF) of up to 2.5 million hours, aiming to reassure customers about the durability of the HAMR technology.
Despite these advancements, the decision to utilize HAMR in its 32 TB hard drives represents a bold move for Seagate. In contrast, Western Digital has opted for traditional SMR technology in its own 32 TB offering. As both companies compete fiercely in the data storage sector, the market landscape is poised for increased competition and innovation.
Seagate anticipates that it will begin ramping up production of its HAMR-based Mozaic drives by 2025, following the completion of extensive testing.
