Toshiba Unveils Mx11 Hard Drives to Rival Seagate and Western Digital
Toshiba Unveils Mx11 Family of Hard Drives to Challenge Western Digital and Seagate
Toshiba has unveiled its new Mx11 family of hard disk drives to compete with industry giants Western Digital and Seagate in the high-capacity storage market. The Mx11 series includes the MG11, offering up to 24TB using conventional magnetic recording (CMR), and the MA11, which reaches 28TB with shingled magnetic recording (SMR). Both models are designed for data centers and enterprise environments, featuring a 10-disk, helium-sealed design and operating at 7,200rpm for improved storage density and energy efficiency.
The MG11 supports cloud, data center, and video applications with options for a 6Gbps SATA or 12Gbps SAS interface, and includes advanced security features like sanitize instant erase (SIE) and self-encrypting drives (SED). It boasts a 9% improvement in sustained transfer speeds, reaching up to 295MiB/s. The MA11, focused on higher capacity, uses SMR technology to achieve up to 28TB per disk, making it suitable for data centers with software optimized for SMR.
Toshiba faces stiff competition from Seagate, which offers the 25TB Exos X26z and the 30TB Exos Mozaic 3+, and from Western Digital, with its 24TB WD Gold Enterprise class SATA HDD and 28TB Ultrastar DC HC680. Shipments for the MG11 Series are set to start soon, with the MA11 expected to be available by the end of 2024.
Key Takeaways
- Toshiba introduces Mx11 family of hard disk drives, aiming to compete with Western Digital and Seagate in high-capacity storage.
- Mx11 series includes MG11 (24TB CMR) and MA11 (28TB SMR), designed for data centers and enterprise environments.
- Both models feature a 10-disk, helium-sealed design, 7,200rpm, and improved storage density and energy efficiency.
- MG11 offers cloud, data center, and video applications with advanced security features and a 9% speed boost.
- Toshiba faces competition from Seagate's 25TB and 30TB drives and Western Digital's 24TB and higher models.
Analysis
Toshiba's launch of the Mx11 series intensifies competition in the high-capacity storage market, directly challenging Western Digital and Seagate. Short-term, Toshiba gains market share and investor confidence, while competitors may face pricing pressures. Long-term, advancements in SMR and CMR could drive broader industry innovation, benefiting data centers and cloud providers. Financial instruments tied to storage tech stocks may see volatility, and countries with robust tech sectors, like the U.S. and Japan, could experience economic ripple effects.
Did You Know?
- Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR)
- SMR is a data recording technology that increases storage density by overlapping tracks on a disk, similar to shingles on a roof. This allows for higher capacity drives but can lead to slower write speeds and potential data integrity issues if not managed properly. Toshiba's MA11 uses SMR to achieve up to 28TB per disk, making it suitable for environments where read-heavy operations are predominant and software is optimized for SMR.
- Helium-Sealed Design
- A helium-sealed design involves filling the hard disk drive enclosure with helium gas instead of air. Helium is less dense than air, reducing turbulence and drag, which in turn reduces friction and heat generation. This allows for more disks to be packed into the same physical space, increasing storage density and improving energy efficiency. Toshiba's Mx11 series employs this design to achieve higher capacities and better performance in data centers and enterprise environments.
- Sanitize Instant Erase (SIE)
- SIE is a security feature that allows for the immediate and secure erasure of data on a hard disk drive. This is particularly important for data centers and enterprises that need to quickly and securely dispose of drives or repurpose them without the risk of data leakage. Toshiba's MG11 includes SIE as part of its advanced security features, ensuring that data can be wiped instantly and securely.