- WD 32TB Ultrastar marks a major step in mechanical storage capacity
- With speeds of 269 MB/s, the Ultrastar is designed for sustained data workloads
- Its Sanitize Erase feature ensures secure data destruction for high-security organizations
The world’s first 32TB hard drive has appeared for sale, but in an unlikely market.
The massive-capacity enterprise HDD surfaced on a Russian online server hardware store called ServerFlow.
Priced at 156,100 rubles (approximately $1,914), the WD Ultrastar DC HC690 is far from a typical consumer purchase, but its arrival marks an important step in large-scale data storage.
An enterprise-grade storage design
The WD Ultrastar DC HC690 features a 3.5-inch form factor with a SATA 6Gb/s interface and a spindle speed of 7200RPM.
It uses shingled magnetic recording (SMR) technology to achieve its enormous 32TB capacity, maintaining steady transfer rates of up to 269MB/s for both read and write operations.
A 512MB cache helps manage high-volume data streams, while an average access latency of 4.16ms indicates this drive is built for sustained workloads rather than quick random reads.
These specifications make it ideal for dense server environments, high-performance workstations, or in one of the best NAS drives for scalable data centers.
The Ultrastar DC HC690 includes an SE (Sanitize Erase) feature, designed to securely wipe data before the drive is reused or disposed of.
This level of data protection is especially critical for organizations handling sensitive information in regulated industries.
Western Digital markets its Ultrastar series as enterprise-class drives meant to prioritize reliability and endurance over cost, and it is one of the best HDD options available this year.
ServerFlow, the Russian vendor that listed this device, sells both new and refurbished server components.
The drive comes with a one-year warranty, though customers can pay extra for extended protection.
This limited availability suggests that large-scale commercial release outside Russia has yet to begin.
That raises questions about Western Digital’s global distribution strategy and whether the current offering represents a localized test market or an unofficial resale.
As solid-state drives continue to dominate high-speed applications, large-capacity HDDs like this may find their best foothold in archival and backup use rather than everyday workstation use.
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