WD has introduced new data center hard drives featuring ePMR technology, offering a range of storage capacities, including 12 TB, 14 TB, 16 TB, 18 TB, and 20 TB.
Earlier this month, WD quietly announced on their website the release of a new data center hard drive named Ultrastar DC HC555. It offers five storage capacities: 12 TB, 14 TB, 16 TB, 18 TB, and 20 TB; two interface options: 6Gb SATA and 12Gb SAS (with 12 TB supporting only SAS); and two security configurations: SE (Secure Erase) and SED (Self-Encrypting Drive), providing a total of 17 different options to choose from.
Translation:
Compared to the company’s existing data center hard drive products, the Ultrastar DC HC555 stands out for its use of Energy-assisted Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (ePMR) technology. It is claimed to increase storage capacity while reducing the overall total cost of ownership (TCO), including unit storage costs and operational expenses.
Before this, WD had already introduced ePMR in the Ultrastar DC HC650, launched in 2020, and the Ultrastar DC HC560, launched in 2022. These drives also incorporated Energy-assisted Magnetic Recording (EAMR) technology, Triple Stage Actuator (TSA)/Tri-Arm Actuator, and Helium-filled technology (HelioSeal). They offered two types of hard drives: Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) and Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR), but their storage capacity was limited to 20 TB.
The newly launched Ultrastar DC HC555 clearly provides more storage capacity options. Moreover, a close examination of the specifications of these three ePMR products reveals that the Ultrastar DC HC555 performs well in terms of sustained data transfer rates. For example, the 20 TB model reaches up to 285 MB/s, while the other models offer 269 MB/s, surpassing the Ultrastar DC HC650 (250 MB/s) and slightly below the Ultrastar DC HC560 (291 MB/s).
In addition, several specifications are the same across these models, such as a cache size of 512 MB, a rotational speed of 7200 rpm, an average access latency of 4.16 milliseconds, a workload rating of 550 TB per year, a reliability rating of 2.5 million hours MTBF, and a 5-year limited warranty.
In terms of power consumption, when comparing WD’s various 20 TB SATA interface CMR hard drives, the existing Ultrastar DC HC560 consumes 6.9W or 7.0W during operation and 5.8W or 6.1W when idle. In contrast, the newly launched Ultrastar DC HC555 consumes 6.4W during operation and 5.3W when idle, making it slightly more energy-efficient.
Product Information
WD Ultrastar DC HC555
- Manufacturer: WD
- Suggested Retail Price: Not provided by the manufacturer
- Form Factor: 3.5 inches
- Mechanical Design: Helium Sealed
- Capacity Options: 12 TB, 14 TB, 16 TB, 18 TB, 20 TB
- Interface: 6Gb SATA, 12Gb SAS
- Supported Disk Format: 512e
- Cache Memory: 512 MB
- Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
- Maximum Sustained Transfer Rate: 285 MB/s
- Workload Rating: 550 TB per year
- Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): 2.5 million hours
- Power Consumption:
- SAS Interface Models: 8.8 W or 9.2 W
- SATA Interface Models: 6.4 W
- Weight: 679 g or 690 g
- Warranty: 5 years
