Western Digital's new MAMR technology promises 40TB HDDs by 2025

[Shawn Knight]

Experts since the mid-2000s have forecasted that flash memory would eventually surpass traditional hard drives in the cost category, a vital metric in the enterprise space. Many believed that due to stagnation in hard drive density technology, the switch to flash in bulk storage environments was imminent.

Western Digital’s latest advancement, however, looks to prolong the transition by at least an additional decade.

At a recent event in San Jose, Western Digital announced a breakthrough in ultra-high capacity storage called microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR). One of two energy-assisted technologies that Western Digital has been working on for years, MAMR uses a “spin torque oscillator” to generate a microwave field that increases the ability to record data at high density without sacrificing reliability.

According to the company, the technology will enable hard drives with 40TB of capacity by 2025 and will offer over four terabits-per-square-inch over time.

MAMR technology was developed primarily in-house with help from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University. As a result, executives believe it’ll give them a two- to three-year lead over competitors like Toshiba and Seagate and help them gain valuable market share among major players that utilize loads of storage like Facebook, Google and Microsoft.

Western Digital said it expects to ship ultra-high capacity MAMR hard drives to datacenter clients beginning in 2019.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/71378-western-digital-new-mamr-technology-promises-40tb-hdds.html

 

[VitalyT]

By 2025 your typical SSD will be like M.3 / PCI-Express 4/5, with 10-20TB capacity and at least 10GB/s read/write speeds.

A 40TB HDD by then will make a very nice buggy whip, as explained in the video below...

 

[Theinsanegamer]

By 2025 your typical SSD will be like M.3 / PCI-Express 4/5, with 10-20TB capacity and at least 10GB/s read/write speeds.

A 40TB HDD by then will make a very nice buggy whip, as explained in the video below...

As if. We still havent had a consumer oriented 4TB SSD in any real capacity, and samsung has struggled quite hard to get the 2TB 960 pro m.2 out to market.

Also, we have already hit the diminishing returns at 2GB/s. For 99.9% of people, there is no appreciable speed difference between a good sata III SSD and a M.2 SSD.

It is highly unlikely we will see a 20TB HDD for anything close to a 40TB HDD. Remember, the 2TB SSDs have been over $600 for almost two year snow, and SSD prices have plateaued. Until that changes, HDDs will remain dominant in the server space.

 

[VitalyT]

As if. We still havent had a consumer oriented 4TB SSD in any real capacity, and samsung has struggled quite hard to get the 2TB 960 pro m.2 out to market.

Also, we have already hit the diminishing returns at 2GB/s. For 99.9% of people, there is no appreciable speed difference between a good sata III SSD and a M.2 SSD.

It is highly unlikely we will see a 20TB HDD for anything close to a 40TB HDD. Remember, the 2TB SSDs have been over $600 for almost two year snow, and SSD prices have plateaued. Until that changes, HDDs will remain dominant in the server space.

The prediction is for nearly 8 years into the future (2025). Have faith Or check what kind of SSD-s we had 8 years ago

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Predicting that far into the future in such a fast paced and volatile industry must mean they know something everyone else is unaware of.

 

[andy06shake]

Some games are running upwards of 100GB now like the new Middle Earth Shadow of War, so this is good news, although I don't see that many avid gamers being able to afford 40TB drives the trickle down price nature of the industry may make other drives more affordable.

 

[yRaz]

Some games are running upwards of 100GB now like the new Middle Earth Shadow of War, so this is good news, although I don't see that many avid gamers being able to afford 40TB drives the trickle down price nature of the industry may make other drives more affordable.

Holy f*ck! 100gb? I was gonna play it since my 1080ti came with a copy, but unless I want to install it on hard storage I have no where to put it!

 

[Reehahs]

By 2025 your typical SSD will be like M.3 / PCI-Express 4/5, with 10-20TB capacity and at least 10GB/s read/write speeds.

A 40TB HDD by then will make a very nice buggy whip, as explained in the video below...

2025 is relatively soon. 8 years at best, but we are almost at 2018.

The prediction is for nearly 8 years into the future (2025). Have faith Or check what kind of SSD-s we had 8 years ago

8 year ago where was HDDs at. Using my self as reference point and buying off the self generally close to best dollar per GB situations. I recalls getting 3.5" 500GB HDD and 64GB SSDs for general purpose PCs and servers. 8 years later, we are at 256 GB SSDs and 1TB 2.5" HDD, for the typical budget build or 4TB 3.5" for servers.

So since we are talking servers from WD's perspective. we are looking at 8x density increase for max size over 8 years. So since max size right now is 10TB, 8x that should be something like 80TB, so WD is actually sandbagging by estimating 40TB. Whereas going from 64GB to 256GB is only a 4x for SSD, another 4x will put your generic run of the mill budget SSD at about 1TB, and since max size SSD right now is like 2TB, 4x of that will be 8TB at ridiculous prices, just like current 2TB going for $2000 or more. As much as like low prices and more capacity, 10 to 20 TB SSD at and affordable prices will be a small miracle, the odds of that happening in 8 years is fairly low.

TLDR, in short SSD capacity gains are coming slower than HDD gains, so it is unlikely to put HDDs out to pasture any time soon.

The SSD gains are slower due to market rather than technology limitations. SanDisk demonstrated world's first 1 TB micro SD card. You can stack quite a few of these in the 2.5" SSD form factor and given that the 40 TB hDD is likely to 3.5", even larger number of micro SD cards can be squeezed in that space.

 

[Darth Shiv]

By 2025 your typical SSD will be like M.3 / PCI-Express 4/5, with 10-20TB capacity and at least 10GB/s read/write speeds.

A 40TB HDD by then will make a very nice buggy whip, as explained in the video below...

As if. We still havent had a consumer oriented 4TB SSD in any real capacity, and samsung has struggled quite hard to get the 2TB 960 pro m.2 out to market.

Also, we have already hit the diminishing returns at 2GB/s. For 99.9% of people, there is no appreciable speed difference between a good sata III SSD and a M.2 SSD.

It is highly unlikely we will see a 20TB HDD for anything close to a 40TB HDD. Remember, the 2TB SSDs have been over $600 for almost two year snow, and SSD prices have plateaued. Until that changes, HDDs will remain dominant in the server space.

Samsung has an EVO 4TB. The cost though... the cost...

 

[Endarial]

Some games are running upwards of 100GB now like the new Middle Earth Shadow of War, so this is good news, although I don't see that many avid gamers being able to afford 40TB drives the trickle down price nature of the industry may make other drives more affordable.

Holy f*ck! 100gb? I was gonna play it since my 1080ti came with a copy, but unless I want to install it on hard storage I have no where to put it!

If you leave out the optional 4K Cinematic pack and High Resolution Texture pack, then it "only" takes up 67.4GB of space.

I like to put games on an SSD if possible, but didn't have the room for this game. To be honest, it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. Sure, it may take a few seconds longer to load, but other than that, the game runs fine.

 

[yRaz]

If you leave out the optional 4K Cinematic pack and High Resolution Texture pack, then it "only" takes up 67.4GB of space.

I like to put games on an SSD if possible, but didn't have the room for this game. To be honest, it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. Sure, it may take a few seconds longer to load, but other than that, the game runs fine.

well I didn't buy a 65" 4k TV to use as a monitor only to view low res d*ck picks over AIM taken on a Motorola Razor

 

[cliffordcooley]

well I didn't buy a 65" 4k TV to use as a monitor only to view low res d*ck picks over AIM taken on a Motorola Razor

What else is there for a Nigerian Prince to do?

 

[yRaz]

What else is there for a Nigerian Prince to do?

Give me your credit card info and I'll show you

 

[namesrejected]

(Throws HDD into microwave)

Hey! WD is lying, it doesn't work!

 

[Stark]

HDD will be here for way more than next decade.
With games/videos/content getting bigger over time say 4K textures, Ultra bluray, High Quality Photos users will always have a need for Low cost high capacity storage.
If anything the current RAM prices has shows the immense capacity of industry to manipulate price. A 30% increase or 2$ in whole sale price results in similar 30% or in real terms 100$ or more, price increase on product (just for example). SO SSD are not getting "cheaper" any day soon. They may have reduced in price some what due to the shift from SLC/MLC to TLC but that's it. So yeah HDD are here to stay.
(And not to say about the massive library of ahem* recreational videos content needed to be on demand access)

 

[andy06shake]

If you leave out the optional 4K Cinematic pack and High Resolution Texture pack, then it "only" takes up 67.4GB of space.

I like to put games on an SSD if possible, but didn't have the room for this game. To be honest, it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. Sure, it may take a few seconds longer to load, but other than that, the game runs fine.

Ah right, the version I have came with somewhat of a custom installer, if you know what I mean, don't think it had the option not to install hires stuff or boxes to uncheck.

67.4GB of space thought is still a kick in the teeth all the same.

I dont have an SSD that will be my next purchase, im still running games from the normal type hard drives.

 

[DaveBG]

20205? By that time most micro SD cards will be 40-60TB and people will complain that they are too small to be used in phone anymore...

 

[NahNood]

By 2025 your typical SSD will be like M.3 / PCI-Express 4/5, with 10-20TB capacity and at least 10GB/s read/write speeds.

Yeh but will they finally be cost effective by then??

 

[cliffordcooley]

Yeh but will they finally be cost effective by then??

Sure if we shoot the leaching investors.

 

[VitalyT]

Yeh but will they finally be cost effective by then??

Do you normally seek a warranty in a psychic reading shop?

I think they will be much more cost efficient than today. No warranty though.