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HDDs still going strong: Western Digital announces 20 TB drives with OptiNAND flash memory

Despite the obvious advantages of the latest SSD models, HDDs are still prefered for cloud and enterprise solutions.(Image Source: Western Digital)
Despite the obvious advantages of the latest SSD models, HDDs are still prefered for cloud and enterprise solutions.(Image Source: Western Digital)
The new drives combine traditional platters with iNAND UFS memory to improve speeds and reliability. These drives are not similar to existing hybrid SSHDs since OptiNAND is not used to store user data. Instead, the NAND memory stores metadata from HDD operations and RRO defects, plus it can improve performance by buffering out more data, and also increase reliability allowing 50x more data to be flushed.
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Western Digital is revitalizing the HDD technology with a new type of ePMR drive that adds an undisclosed amount of iNAND UFS memory dubbed OptiNAND to the mix. This should not be confused with previous hybrid drives (SSHDs). The conventional platters can store 20 TB, but the OptiNAND memory is used to store metadata from HDD operations, thus improving overall speeds and reliability.

Additionally, WD specified that the new OptiNAND tech will become the norm for all of its upcoming 20+ TB HDD models. The first 20 TB model is integrating 9 platters and the OptiNAND memory is apparently enabling 2.2 TB capacity per platter. Besides metadata, the OptiNAND memory also stores the Repeatable Run Out (RRO) that usually occupies several gigabytes and is generated during the manufacturing process, plus it can buffer out more data so the write-cache almost becomes redundant. Unfortunately, WD did not provide any figures in regards to performance improvements. Reliability should also see a boost, as the NAND memory is said to allow for up to 50x more data to be flushed out.

WD is currently sampling the 20 TB OptiNAND drives to select customers, but there is no word on pricing. The addition of the NAND memory, as well as upping the capacities beyond 20 TB should, however prompt a considerable premium.

 

Buy the Western Digital 18 TB WD Gold Enterprise Class HDD on Amazon

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 09 > HDDs still going strong: Western Digital announces 20 TB drives with OptiNAND flash memory
Bogdan Solca, 2021-09- 1 (Update: 2021-09- 1)