Seagate Launches Enterprise Capacity and Performance 10K HDDs

The Enterprise Value HDD series hasn't been released alone. In the same announcement, Seagate has introduced the 6th-generation Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5 hard drives, as well as the Enterprise Performance 10K HDDs.

Also known as the Constellation ES.3, the Enterprise Capacity 3.5 series comes in 1 to 4 TB (five platters at 7,200 RPM rotary speed).

With super parity features and fourth generation SAS interfaces (or SATA III 6 Gbps), they can be used in server racks, for a data density of 152 TB per sq. foot.

The MTBF is of 1.4 million hours and the enhanced multi-drive, rotational vibration tolerance makes certain that constant 24x7 operation doesn't kill them ahead of time.

Seagate also implemented the RAID Rebuild technology (fast data recovery), PowerChoice (power efficiency while idle) and multi-drive firmware.

Meanwhile, security is ensured by the 3rd-generation Self-Encrypting Drive technology (SED FIPS U.S. federal government approved security option). Seagate Instant Secure Erase (easy drive repurpose and disposal) is a bonus.

The other range of units, Enterprise Performance 10K HDD, have the 2.5-inch form factor and are known as Savvio 10K.6 as well.

Described as “an ideal replacement drive for power-hungry, lower capacity, 3.5-inch 15K-RPM HDDs [and slower] 2.5-inch 10K-RPM HDDs,” they are up to 21% faster than the previous generation.

The maximum capacity is of 900 GB (50% more in 70% less space than the best 3.5-inch 15K drive).

Seagate outfitted them with built-in security too: self-encryption, Instant Secure Erase that obliterates stored data in 1 second.

As for energy consumption, it is actually 71% beneath that of 3.5-inch 15K drives and up to 14% better than the previous-generation 10K products.

Unfortunately, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hasn't finished testing the 10K HDDs for FIPS 140-2 Level-2 certification, so it will only ship in mid-2013. The arrival date of the Enterprise Capacity series is also unknown, like the prices, for that matter.