Skip to main content

Western Digital still plans to start shipping 36TB HAMR hard drives in 2027

 


(Image credit: Seagate)

At Computex, Western Digital reiterated plans to start high-volume shipments of hard disk drives featuring heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology in 2027. However, before going all-in with HAMR, the company plans to introduce its last and final ePMR 2-based generation of HDDs next year.

Western Digital’s initial HAMR drives will come in several variants: a 36TB version using conventional magnetic recording, a 40 TB model using shingled track layout (SMR), and a 44TB model using UltraSMR technology with a variety of proprietary enhancements aimed at select partners. But before launching HAMR-based products, Western Digital intends to offer a 36TB HDD featuring its UltraSMR technology and a lower capacity CMR HDD featuring energy-assisted perpendicular magnetic recording (ePMR 2) technology sometime next year.

Since HAMR is a brand-new technology both for Western Digital and for its partners, it is going to take a while before its partners fully qualify the new drives. These products are scheduled to complete validation with cloud service providers by the end of 2026, after which large-scale production will begin in 2027. Two hyperscale clients are already evaluating prototype units, though Western Digital has not disclosed their configuration details.

Latest Videos From Tom's Hardware
0 seconds of 1 minute, 32 secondsVolume 0%
 
PLAY SOUND

Western Digital’s journey to HAMR has been lengthy. While its competitor Seagate, backed this approach early on, Western Digital initially focused on an alternative technique using microwave energy in 2017. However, Western Digital eventually abandoned its MAMR technique in 2019 after redirecting its efforts toward energy-assisted perpendicular recording, which is now the basis for its high-capacity products.

Western Digital hopes that HAMR technology will provide enough potential to increase HDD capacities to 80TB (CMR) – 100TB (UltraSMR) by 2030, which suggests a pretty aggressive capacity increase starting in 2027.

Seagate’s bet on HAMR seems to have paid off. The company is shipping its HAMR-based HDDs to partners (albeit not to everyone) and its lineup already includes a 36TB shingled HAMR hard drive. By now, only Toshiba — the world’s third maker of hard drives — has not formally announced its HAMR transition timeframe.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Starlink is only for the rich or for big offices!" — that’s what many people think

  "Starlink is only for the rich or for big offices!" — that’s what many people think. But actually, that’s not true. With a little effort and some smart planning, even ordinary people in villages — shopkeepers, rickshaw pullers — can use this high-speed internet if they come together as a group. How is it possible at such a low cost? Let’s break it down: Starlink’s monthly bill is around 4,200 to 6,000 BDT. That may seem expensive for one person, but if 20 to 25 people share the cost, it becomes very affordable: Monthly cost per person (if 20 people share): 4,200 ÷ 20 = just 210 BDT! One-time setup cost (dish, router, etc.): Around 50,000 BDT (only paid once) So even a rickshaw puller could use high-speed Wi-Fi by paying just 200–250 BDT per month! Here’s how it works, in simple steps: 1. Install the Starlink dish in an open space with a clear view of the sky. 2. A cable runs from the dish to the Starlink modem. 3. The modem is connected to a Wi-Fi router. 4. The ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Level Up Your Code: Discover 2025's 10 Leading AI Assistants for Coders

  In 2025, testing software isn't just about finding bugs — it's about working smarter. With the rise of powerful and accessible AI tools, Vibe coders now have the opportunity to test faster, more efficiently, and with fewer headaches. AI testing tools are driving this transformation. These tools go beyond basic automation — they can detect edge cases, write test scripts, debug in real time, and even suggest fixes or improvements. In this list, we’ll explore the top 10 AI testing tools every modern developer should know. Whether you're coding a quick prototype or managing a large-scale project, having the right AI assistant in your workflow can make a huge difference. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 20 must-try AI coding agents. From full-stack builders to browser automators and IDE companions, these tools are shaping the future of development and you’ll want to know about them. Build APIs Faster with  Apidog  Say goodbye to tab-switching. If you are working wi...
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Great Linux Utilities to Monitor Your System Resources in the Terminal

  Although the standard Linux utilities have served us well over the years, in some scenarios they fall short. If you've ever found yourself writing a one-liner to poll a command or struggling to parse a badly formatted table, then it's a clear sign that the tools at hand are lacking. What you need are better tools; what I have are better tools—five that will make your Linux life easier. 1 NCurses Disk Usage (ncdu) To view the sizes of directories, du is a solid choice, and it's generally the first pick for most people. However, it lacks exploratory capabilities. A few times a year, my system complains to me that it's running low on disk space, and I find myself exploring the file system to manually delete large directories of accumulated garbage. This is where du lacks, and where ncdu shines. With its simple interface,  ncdu provides blazing-fast exploration to size up directories . Those familiar with Vim will feel at home because it uses Vim keys for navigation; tho...
Post a Comment
Read more