Question Is There A Future For 2.5" High-capacity HDDs?

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm about to add a 2TB SK Hynix NVME stick to a computer that is already bursting with NVME storage and 2x 2TB 2.5" HDDs. I'm actually holding back a bit -- the drive, adapter and heat-sink put together and sitting on my table -- while I give it some more thought.

I wanted more in the way of HDDs for these systems than 2TB 2.5" HDD units. Up to 2TB, the laptop drives will only be 9mm thick. For 4 or 5TB disks, the drives are 15mm or 0.59 inches thick, and won't fit in laptops. They seem to be intended for desktop PCs, XBox or Playstation devices. My guess is that drives of this capacity are likely to have a greater failure rate, but I can risk that.

Of course, they spin at a 5,400 rpm rate as opposed to 7,200. In my particular case, I don't care, but I will defer expounding on the reasons.

What I want to know is this. What is the future of high-capacity 2.5" HDDs? I've found Seagate and Toshiba models of 4 and 5 TB. There is really not a wide choice of manufacturers and models. What sort of incentive might manufacturers have toward producing more 2.5" HDDs?

 

[igor_kavinski]

I've found Seagate and Toshiba models of 4 and 5 TB. There is really not a wide choice of manufacturers and models. What sort of incentive might manufacturers have toward producing more 2.5" HDDs?

Go with Toshiba. Wouldn't trust Seagate with anything important. As for 2.5 inch HDD capacity, the manufacturers have come to a mutual tacit understanding not to pursue any innovation in this area, especially after the advent and massive proliferation of SSDs. Unless WD releases an OptiNAND 2.5 inch sealed Helium HDD with 4TB or greater capacity utilizing their densest platter technology, I see no future. They will only do it if someone (like a console manufacturer) or a huge data center asks for this particular capacity increase (to fit more drives into limited space while using less power than 3.5 inch drives).

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Go with Toshiba. Wouldn't trust Seagate with anything important. As for 2.5 inch HDD capacity, the manufacturers have come to a mutual tacit understanding not to pursue any innovation in this area, especially after the advent and massive proliferation of SSDs. Unless WD releases an OptiNAND 2.5 inch sealed Helium HDD with 4TB or greater capacity utilizing their densest platter technology, I see no future. They will only do it if someone (like a console manufacturer) or a huge data center asks for this particular capacity increase (to fit more drives into limited space while using less power than 3.5 inch drives).

I DID have a Seagate 4TB drive die on me within 6 months a few years ago. The 2TB lappers sustained me until now. So, on the plus side, I picked up a couple Toshiba 4TB units, and thought I 'd also try a Seagate Barracuda 5TB. Time will prove the wisest of the two purchase orders.

After taking inventory of old, well-used small-capacity 3.5" HDDs in the parts locker, I either need to download that scrubber program and tie up my computer for hours, send them to my brother in Nevada so he can point his Weatherby .458 bolt-action at a stack of them, or buy myself a gun.

I think I'm going to call my brother. Cluttering up even a full-tower case with a bunch of old HDDs seems counterproductive and an unworthy attempt to squeeze value out of money spent years ago. Decades ago . . .

Still have to think about the shipping charges to Nevada. Maybe, after all, I'll just run the scrubber program and hike across town to the e-waste recycler.

 

[Micrornd]

After taking inventory of old, well-used small-capacity 3.5" HDDs in the parts locker, I either need to download that scrubber program and tie up my computer for hours, send them to my brother in Nevada so he can point his Weatherby .458 bolt-action at a stack of them, or buy myself a gun.

What, you forgot how to use a hammer??

 

[BonzaiDuck]

What, you forgot how to use a hammer??

Oh. I assume you mean that I should take a 12"-long chunk of 4x4 to put under each disk, get the largest nail I can find at Home Depot, and "nail" the drives?

I suppose that's a good idea . . . . Why didn't I think of it myself? I think I'm getting more stupid with the passing of each year . . .

 

[Insert_Nickname]

After taking inventory of old, well-used small-capacity 3.5" HDDs in the parts locker, I either need to download that scrubber program and tie up my computer for hours, send them to my brother in Nevada so he can point his Weatherby .458 bolt-action at a stack of them, or buy myself a gun.

Maybe make a trip out of it? I've never done so, since gun laws are very strict here, and the police will go ape if they find out. Like loosing firearms licence ape. But I imagine it'd be worth being around for.

At least get him to video the "event"...

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Maybe make a trip out of it? I've never done so, since gun laws are very strict here, and the police will go ape if they find out. Like loosing firearms licence ape. But I imagine it'd be worth being around for.

At least get him to video the "event"...

My Nevada brother is consulting me long-distance over the care of our 97-year-old Moms here at the house. I can't break away from here to make an 8-hour journey to Reno, stay overnight and then return the next day. Can't do it even with the in-home care people we pay for.

I've finally taken stock of my old HDD inventory. I'll just scrub them. Some may not have any information on them that could possibly represent compromise to identity or security, or never did.

Unless more than one of them develops problems, I've got more than enough 2.5" spinners and NVME drives to serve my needs into the foreseeable future. I've got a Win 2012 R2 server with a 12TB drive-pool of 3TB HDDs and I'm only using 30% of the pool. I can't beat up on myself for squandering money: the server HDDs were purchased 5 years ago and I don't believe they cost me more than $85 each. Heretofore, if I spent $500 to $1000 in a given year for cyber-parts, I would just chalk it up to "enthusiasm" -- a euphemism for "hobby". Some years I spend less than $500; "new-build" years can see outlays of up to $2,000. But the last "new" system in terms of the technology occurred 5 years ago.

Somebody will need to dispose of all my cyber-junk when I'm dead. I'm not sure I envy them.