When new technology emerges, the previous generation is often discarded like cold soup, quickly making way for the latest advancements. This was the case when NAND flash revolutionized storage, leading to the rise of SSDs. The consensus was that SSDs would completely replace traditional hard drives due to their speed and compact form factor.
If you’ve been looking to build a PC and have asked for recommendations within the last 5 years, for storage you’ve probably been recommended an m.2 NVME drive or a standard SATA SSD.
I was among those who swore off hard drives after getting my first NVMe SSD. The idea of using an outdated 3.5-inch HDD seemed absurd. Even hybrid drives had their moment before being overshadowed by SSDs with larger capacities and faster speeds.
For years, I remained loyal to SSDs, purchasing NVMe for boot drives and SATA SSDs for bulk storage. Then one day, I came across a 10TB hard drive on sale. It was from a reputable brand, had great reviews, and was significantly cheaper than a comparable SSD. Initially, I was considering a 4TB SATA SSD, but for a fraction of the price, I could get more than double the storage. I decided to take the plunge, convincing myself that at worst, it could serve as an archival drive.
Once installed, I was surprised by how far HDD technology had come. It was more than fast enough for media storage, and even when I installed some games, the load times weren’t as bad as I had expected. This experience changed my perspective on hard drives entirely.
What is a Hard Drive?
A hard drive (HDD) is a traditional storage device that uses spinning magnetic disks to store and retrieve data. Unlike SSDs, which rely on flash memory, HDDs read and write data using mechanical arms and magnetic platters. While SSDs provide faster speeds, HDDs still offer an affordable solution for storing large amounts of data, making them a valuable option for budget-conscious PC builders, content creators, and businesses needing mass storage.
The Evolution of Hard Drive Technology
Hard drive technology is advancing rapidly, introducing several innovations that push the limits of storage capacity and efficiency. Here are some of the most exciting developments:
1. Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR)
HAMR technology utilizes a small laser diode attached to each recording head to heat a precise spot on the disk. This temporary reduction in coercivity allows data to be written at much higher densities. Western Digital plans to introduce its first HAMR-based HDDs in 2026, with initial capacities of 36TB for conventional magnetic recording (CMR) and 44TB for shingled UltraSMR recording. By 2030, we could see HDDs reaching 80TB to 100TB.
2. Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR)
MAMR technology uses a spin torque oscillator to generate microwaves that lower the magnetic coercivity at the write head’s location. This enhances data density by enabling more stable and precise tracks. Western Digital initially committed to MAMR in 2017, leading to the development of energy-assisted perpendicular magnetic recording (ePMR) for commercial products.
3. Energy-Assisted Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (ePMR)
ePMR builds upon traditional perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) by adding energy assistance to improve stability and recording density. This innovation serves as a stepping-stone toward more advanced technologies like HAMR and MAMR.
4. Heat Dot Magnetic Recording (HDMR)
HDMR combines heat-assisted writing with bit-patterned media (BPM), physically patterning disks to achieve uniform grain size and precise bit placement. This technology enables ultra-high storage densities, with the potential for 10-platter HDDs reaching 120TB or more.
These advancements are not just theoretical; they are actively being developed and tested. For example, Western Digital is already testing HAMR drives with major hyperscale customers. As these technologies mature, HDDs will continue to offer cost-effective, high-capacity storage solutions, making them ideal for workstations, cloud storage, and large-scale data management.
Hard Drives and Your Custom Gaming PC or Workstation PC
While SSDs are the go-to choice for speed in a custom gaming PC, hard drives still play an essential role for mass storage. If you need a reliable place for game libraries, media files, and backups, high-capacity HDDs provide an affordable option. Similarly, a workstation PC often benefits from large HDDs for storing extensive project files, including video footage, 3D assets, and databases.
Conclusion
While SSDs have transformed the storage landscape, HDDs are far from obsolete. Thanks to cutting-edge innovations, hard drives continue to evolve, offering massive storage capacities at a fraction of the cost of SSDs. Next time you’re upgrading your custom gaming PC or workstation PC, don’t overlook the humble HDD—it might just be the storage solution you need.
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