Seagate Exos M3+: HAMR hard drives finally for the general public? 54 comments
Image: Seagate
Apparently, Seagate hard drives with HAMR technology are finally ready to be marketed. While the Exos Mozaic 3+ series was previously listed with limited availability and without a manufacturer’s datasheet, it is now followed by the Exos M3+, on which there is more information.
Exos Mozaic M3+ spotted as a new series
On Seagate’s product pages, the Exos M3+ is no longer marked with limited availability, as is the case with the Exos Mozaic 3+. The changed model numbers also confirm that this is a new series. The limited edition is marked ST30TB00000 (30TB) and ST32TB00000 (32TB). For the new series, the numbers are ST30000NM004K (30TB) and ST32000NM003K (32TB).
The new Exos M (left) no longer has “limited availability” (Image: Seagate)
It remains to be seen whether HAMR technology will finally become available to everyone, instead of just surviving in small series as secret samples. Unlike the classic Exos models, HAMR hard drives cannot be ordered directly via the Seagate website and no prices are mentioned.
At least there are now data sheets with more detailed information. These read no differently from classic server hard drives in 3.5-inch format. The Exos M3+ operates at 7,200 RPM and is designed for continuous use. The average annual failure rate is estimated at 0.35 percent and an uncorrectable read error occurs after approximately 1 quadrillion bits are read.
Lower throughput than Exos without HAMR
According to the datasheet (PDF), an Exos throughput generally increases with higher data density, this is surprising.
Seagate Exos M3+ with 30TB specs sheet (Image: Seagate)
Power consumption of 6.9 watts in standby and 9.5 watts in random play is also higher than the X24 without HAMR, which requires 6.3 watts and 8.9 watts.
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