Toshiba Unveils 7,200RPM 2.5-Inch HDDs

Toshiba decided it was time to extend its collection of platter-based storage devices. Unlike previous occasions, however, when it settled for just one or several units, the company thought it would supply an entire collection made up of two series of hard drives. Dubbed Mkxx61GSY and Mkxx61GSYB, the new lines are composed of multiple 2.5-inch units that combine the benefits of compactness, durability and performance. Basically, the drives are meant to give system designers the possibility of building solid systems for business-critical applications, among other things.

The Mkxx61GSY covers a fairly wide capacity range, from 160GB to 640GB, and is intended for high-end systems (laptops and desktops) and workstations, among other things. The second set of members, Mkxx61GSYB, is specifically aimed at demanding, 24x7 applications, such as network routers, switches, blade servers and point of sale terminals, where its members' high durability and high power efficiency will definitely prove useful. Finally, because it was also mindful of the security element, Toshiba also intends to bring out some SED (Self-Encrypting Drives). SED are designed to the TCG Opal Specification and will boast government-grade security features.

For those interested in actual numbers, the 7,200RPM Mkxx61GSY drives use the SATA 3.0 Gbps interface and 16MB of buffer memory, a 12ms access time and a sound output of 26 dBA. As for the Mkxx61GSYB series, is has similar specs, except for a better access time (10.5) and capacities of 80GB to 500GB. They will start shipping in the fourth quarter, though the release plans for the SED have not been made public so far.

“With this family, Toshiba is addressing the high-performance 2.5-inch market and enabling system differentiation in the fiercely competitive notebook PC market. The MKxx61GSY is designed for speed, with a balanced approach to storage capacity, durability, power consumption, and acoustics, compared to 5,400 RPM mobile and 3.5-inch desktop drives,” said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. “We have been able to transfer our extensive experience to the enterprise market so that the MKxx61GSYB meets demanding applications that require greater durability, availability, and performance.”