Hard disk drives (HDDs) are increasingly being replaced by solid-state storage (SSDs) because they are not as fast, especially for video game needs. HDDs still have the advantages of having larger storage capacity, longer read/write cycles and cheaper prices. Toshiba this week announced new technology that opens the door to the production of HDDs with a capacity of 40TB.
Toshiba's technology stacks 12 disks (platters) in a single 3.5-inch HDD. Previously, HDDs with the largest capacity of 36TB were only equipped with 10 platters. Improvements to the platter stacking mechanism, and a change from aluminum to glass substrates have enabled a thinner design to be achieved while increasing storage capacity. This HDD with a capacity of 4TB will be marketed by 2027 for data centers.
Toshiba's competitors, Seagate and Western Digital are also looking to increase the capacity of their HDDs with a target of 100TB by 2030.
