Tech Beetle briefing DE

Seagate Unveils 32 TB Hard Drives for NAS and Server Applications

Essential brief

Key facts

Seagate has increased hard drive capacity to 32 TB in its Exos, Ironwolf Pro, and Skyhawk AI series without changing the 3.5-inch form factor.

The capacity boost is enabled by Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology, which uses lasers to write data more densely.

These drives use Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR) to ensure reliable performance in enterprise and NAS environments.

The new drives target data centers, NAS systems, and AI-driven surveillance applications requiring high capacity and durability.

Seagate's innovation helps meet growing data storage demands while maintaining compatibility and performance standards.

Highlights

Seagate has increased hard drive capacity to 32 TB in its Exos, Ironwolf Pro, and Skyhawk AI series without changing the 3.5-inch form factor.

The capacity boost is enabled by Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology, which uses lasers to write data more densely.

These drives use Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR) to ensure reliable performance in enterprise and NAS environments.

The new drives target data centers, NAS systems, and AI-driven surveillance applications requiring high capacity and durability.

Seagate has announced the release of new 32 terabyte (TB) hard drives across its Exos, Ironwolf Pro, and Skyhawk AI product lines, marking a significant step up from the previous 30 TB models. These drives maintain the use of Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR) technology, which is favored for its reliability and performance in enterprise and network-attached storage (NAS) environments. The increase to 32 TB is achieved without changing the standard 3.5-inch drive form factor, allowing for easy integration into existing systems.

The key to this capacity boost lies in Seagate's Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology. HAMR uses a tiny laser integrated into the drive's read/write head assembly—there are 20 such heads in total—to heat the disk surface momentarily during data writing. This heating process allows data bits to be written more densely and stably, overcoming the limitations of traditional magnetic recording methods. By employing HAMR, Seagate can pack more data into the same physical space, pushing the boundaries of hard drive storage density.

These drives are targeted primarily at enterprise data centers, NAS setups, and AI-driven surveillance systems. The Exos series caters to data centers requiring high-capacity, reliable storage solutions, while the Ironwolf Pro drives are optimized for NAS environments where consistent performance and durability are critical. The Skyhawk AI drives are designed specifically for AI-enabled surveillance, offering high write endurance and optimized firmware for video workloads.

Maintaining CMR technology is a strategic choice, as it ensures compatibility and performance consistency across workloads that demand sequential and random data access. CMR drives are generally preferred over Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) drives in environments where write performance and data integrity are paramount. By combining CMR with HAMR, Seagate delivers drives that not only hold more data but also meet the rigorous demands of enterprise and professional users.

The introduction of 32 TB drives in the same 3.5-inch format means organizations can expand their storage capacity without increasing physical footprint or power consumption significantly. This is particularly valuable as data generation continues to accelerate across industries, from cloud computing and big data analytics to AI and video surveillance. Seagate's advancements signal ongoing innovation in hard drive technology, ensuring that traditional spinning disks remain relevant and competitive alongside solid-state drives for high-capacity storage needs.

Overall, Seagate's new 32 TB hard drives represent a meaningful upgrade for users requiring massive, reliable storage in NAS, server, and AI surveillance contexts. The use of HAMR technology to push capacity boundaries while retaining proven CMR recording techniques underscores Seagate's commitment to balancing innovation with dependable performance.