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[HUELEN10]

Saw On MacRumors, but here is the article from Computer World which links to the PR, and contains more info too. Here's a snippet.

While Seagate is not using helium in its new 8TB drive, it's also not releasing details about how it has been able to increase the areal density on the disk platters. A spokesman said that information will be "shared shortly."

Last year, Seagate began using a technology called shingled magnetic recording (SMR) to increase the capacity of its drives beyond 4TB. Seagate has said SMR holds the promise of creating 20TB drives by 2020.

With SMR technology, Seagate has been able to increase bit density on its platters by 25% or more. Unlike standard perpendicular magnetic recording, where data tracks rest side by side, SMR overlaps the tracks on a platter like shingles on a roof, thereby allowing Seagate to squeeze more tracks together on a platter.

conventional writes graphicSeagate How data tracks are aligned with conventional perpendicular magnetic recording trimmed track graphic 1 How tracks are spaced using Shingled Magnetic Recording. Notice tracks are overlapped like the shingles on a roof, affording greater density.
Seagate’s 6TB hard drive, announced in April, used SMR and increased areal density from 831 bits per square inch in the previous 4TB drive to 1,000.

With SMR technology, Seagate has been able to increase bit density on its platters by 25% or more. Unlike standard perpendicular magnetic recording, where data tracks rest side by side, SMR overlaps the tracks on a platter like shingles on a roof, thereby allowing Seagate to squeeze more tracks together on a platter.

Seagate did say its new 8TB Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD increases system capacity using fewer components at lower power costs.

So no helium. How the heck are they doing it then?!?! Can't wait to see it in action, and even though, time and again, Seagate is last in reliability in tests and articles, we must put this product to the test; perhaps this will be the one!

Imagine putting these bad boys in a DROBO!

 

[The_Inquisitor]

The helium elimination is a huge cost reduction for Seagate. Most semi/electronic companies are rapidly moving away from the resource due to rising costs.

With SSD prices continuing to drop per GB it will interesting to see how local storage continues to develop.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

Seagate has had a bad lifespan reputation for some of their harddrives, but I have no idea if this would be relateable to their business enterprise drives?

 

[SwiftDeath]

So this is kind of OT I guess but what's the reasoning that consumer-facing SSD seem to be capped at 1TB?

 

[HUELEN10]

Yep, helium is going the way of the dodo, so it makes sense to adapt to other things as soon as possible. You bring up a good point though The_Inquisitor, the development of local storage over the next decade will be an interesting thing to see unfold!

 

[sonikokaruto]

helium is cheap as hell!? yo can fill 1000 or more ballons for less than 15 bucks ://

 

[The_Inquisitor]

helium is cheap as hell!? yo can fill 1000 or more ballons for less than 15 bucks ://

You don't put balloon helium in drives/semiconductor doping. The helium has to be incredibly pure without many impurities. This costs a lot of money.

 

[HUELEN10]

helium is cheap as hell!? yo can fill 1000 or more ballons for less than 15 bucks ://

Costs add up, and we are expected to run out of Helium in the largest reserve by 2018 last I checked.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

helium is cheap as hell!? yo can fill 1000 or more ballons for less than 15 bucks ://

Helium supply is running out in the world.

The US government established a national helium reserve in 1925, and today a billion cubic metres of the gas are stored in a facility near Amarillo, Texas. In 1996 Congress passed an act requiring that this strategic reserve, which represents half the Earth's helium stocks, be sold off by 2015. As a result, helium is far too cheap and is not treated as a precious resource.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Costs add up, and we are expected to run out of Helium in the largest reserve by 2018 last I checked.

Helium supply is running out in the world.

The refinement is what costs a lot. Only a few companies have the capability.

 

[Branduil]

So are helium balloons not going to be a thing for our grandchildren?

 

[Ty4on]

So this is kind of OT I guess but what's the reasoning that consumer-facing SSD seem to be capped at 1TB?

Limited space on m2/PCI drives that they probably sell the most of? Maybe also not worth it as the market is too small. There is space inside the 850 Pro.

 

[Tertullian]

It works, it just has a day-one failure rate of 100%.

 

[dLMN8R]

http://arstechnica.com/information-...ty-to-the-test-shows-not-all-disks-are-equal/

 

[SwiftDeath]

Limited space on m2/PCI drives that they probably sell the most of? Maybe also not worth it as the market is too small. There is space inside the 850 Pro.

My limited and basic understanding of flash based storage would suggest that the flash chips they use could be made to hold larger amounts of data. Much like we just recently getting a 128gb micro SD card so I'm not sure why the same wouldn't be true for SSD's

That being said I actually googled a little after I made that post and I guess we're heading to 2TB drives soonish

http://techreport.com/news/26547/intel-first-nvm-express-ssds-go-up-to-2tb-2800mb-s

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8145/...o-ssds-power-banks-wireless-chargers-and-more

Newer HDD designs like these almost always are enterprise facing at first but the Adata one apparently has a consumer model for future production so here's hoping

 

[pinsomniac]

helium is cheap as hell!? yo can fill 1000 or more ballons for less than 15 bucks ://

Where do you source helium at that price? The last time I worked with hundreds of balloons, it cost a lot more than $15 to fill.

 

[HUELEN10]

http://arstechnica.com/information-...ty-to-the-test-shows-not-all-disks-are-equal/

Hence the lol in the title. You never know though, these have to be tested after all!

 

[RevoDS]

http://arstechnica.com/information-...ty-to-the-test-shows-not-all-disks-are-equal/

Maybe the failure rate downtrend as you increase capacity will continue? 4TB was almost at WD levels.

 

[jchap]

I went through 8 100L dewars of liquid helium last week

On topic: I know nothing about how hard drives are made only that their failure often ruins my life

 

[Shin Johnpv]

The external drive for my Wii U that I just had die on me was a Seagate, 1tb (laptop sized drive). I got it when the Wii U launched, so it lasted about 20 months. : ( I fall into the Seagate graphs up there.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

Limited space on m2/PCI drives that they probably sell the most of? Maybe also not worth it as the market is too small. There is space inside the 850 Pro.

possibly a heat issue?

 

[Deadbeat]

http://arstechnica.com/information-...ty-to-the-test-shows-not-all-disks-are-equal/

I had a raid 1 setup going and both seagate drives failed within a day of each other. Unfathomable amount of rage came over me.

 

[SneakyStephan]

http://arstechnica.com/information-...ty-to-the-test-shows-not-all-disks-are-equal/

lol 1/4 fails within 3 years? How do they even dare sell these things (talking about consumer seagate hdds)

 

[smokeandmirrors]

I had a raid 1 setup going and both seagate drives failed within a day of each other. Unfathomable amount of rage came over me.

oh god. i would have gone hulk on those fuckin drives. jesus.

 

[terrisus]

ITT: I learned we're running out of Helium

 

[Chanser]

Use to remember Seagate was the reliable brand, now it is Hitachi and WD.

 

[terrisus]

Use to remember Seagate was the reliable brand, now it is HitachiWD and WD.

ftfy

 

[Chanser]

Forgot WD bought Hitachi HDD business.

 

[OrlanisWorks]

The external drive for my Wii U that I just had die on me was a Seagate, 1tb (laptop sized drive). I got it when the Wii U launched, so it lasted about 20 months. : ( I fall into the Seagate graphs up there.

Seagate External died on my mum almost immediately after transferring an entire desktop worth of memory over. Years of family photos gone.

Never trust Seagate.

 

[BreakyBoy]

ITT: I learned we're running out of Helium

The helium we use here comes from the radioactive decay of rocks in the earth, which takes a long time to generate. Sure, the sun has a ready supply of helium being constantly generated via nuclear fusion, but good luck getting it back here.

I'm not sure how big of a problem this actually is mind you, but the sun producing helium has nothing to do with it.

 

[terrisus]

The helium we use here comes from the radioactive decay of rocks in the earth, which takes a long time to generate. Sure, the sun has a ready supply of helium being constantly generated via nuclear fusion, but good luck getting it back here.

I'm not sure how big of a problem this actually is mind you, but the sun producing helium has nothing to do with it.

Dyson Spheres for everyone!

 

[BreakyBoy]

Dyson Spheres for everyone!

One of the few reasons I'd like to be immortal is just to see if we ever do get that far.

 

[Slayer-33]

Holy shit at Hitachi drives. Incredible

 

[The_Inquisitor]

The helium we use here comes from the radioactive decay of rocks in the earth, which takes a long time to generate. Sure, the sun has a ready supply of helium being constantly generated via nuclear fusion, but good luck getting it back here.

I'm not sure how big of a problem this actually is mind you, but the sun producing helium has nothing to do with it.

Many of your electronics have chips doped with helium.

 

[sirap]

<3 Western Digital. Never let me down once.