- Western Digital unveils 26TB Red Pro NAS drive, priced at $569.99
- Built for RAID-optimized systems it promises 6Gb/s and 287MB/s transfer speeds
- Supports 550TB/year workloads and has a 5-year warranty
Although some companies believe the end is nigh for hard disk drives, makers like Seagate and Western Digital disagree. In February 2025, we reported on WD’s roadmap to the future of HDD technology which includes targeting over 100TB capacities in the not-so distant future.
Western Digital says that by 2026, its HDD capacity will reach 36TB–44TB thanks to HAMR, but before we see those drives arriving, the company has launched a new 26TB model at a surprisingly affordable price.
Designed to address the growing storage demands of NAS environments, the 26TB WD Red Pro HDD promises improved performance, scalability, and reliability in multi-bay RAID-optimized systems. The company is pricing the new NAS drive at $569.99 – for context, the same as it’s charging for the 26TB WD Gold Enterprise Class model.
Capacity and reliability
“At Western Digital, we are constantly redefining what’s possible to meet the evolving storage demands of creatives and professionals, from 4K and 8K video production to AI analytics and critical workload storage,” said Nitin Kachhwaha, Director of Product Management at Western Digital.
“With the introduction of our expanded 26TB-based Professional lineup and WD Red Pro HDDs, we’re offering the capacity and reliability that today’s consumers and businesses need to stay ahead in an increasingly data-driven world. These solutions represent our ongoing commitment to delivering innovative storage solutions that empower creativity and drive digital transformation.”
The 26TB WD Red Pro HDD (WD260KFGX) helium-based CMR drive is designed specifically for NAS environments and promises a maximum interface transfer rate of 6Gb/s and an internal transfer rate of 287MB/s. It’s rated for up to 550TB/year workloads and boasts 2.5 million hours MTBF.
The drive comes with OptiNAND technology (which uses integrated iNAND embedded flash to perform key housekeeping functions) for improved data tracking and efficiency, and WD says the new model is built for 24/7 multi-user environments, supporting everything from creative workflows to enterprise-level NAS systems.
It comes with a whopping five-year warranty, but still no free data recovery, unfortunately.
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waynewilliams@onmail.com (Wayne Williams)
