2.5" HDD Size Stagnation

[newtekie1]

Has anyone else noticed that the 2.5" Hard Drive sizes have pretty much not increased in what feels like several years now. I'm talking strictly 2.5" 7/9mm height drives. It seems like they just kind of went to 2TB a few years ago and then just stayed there. I know you can get up to 5TB drives in the 15mm height size, but that won't fit in a laptop.

With all the new hard drive storage technologies, I would have expected there to be some bigger 7/9mm height drives by now. I don't even see SMR 2.5" drives, they are still using CMR. I can't be the only one with machines that have an empty 2.5" bay that wants to use for a rather large amount of storage at a reasonable price. I know I could buy an 4TB SSD and put it in there, but I don't want to spend that kind of money for something I'm just going to be storing media on where the speed doesn't matter.

It just is unbelievable to me that with all the advancements in platter densities we are still just stuck at 2TB 2.5" drives.

 

[MIRTAZAPINE]

Yes I noticed that I always buy 2.5 inch external drives. I think the recent 9mm/7mm use SMR now at least for my external I have. But dues 9mm thinness it limited to 2 platters unlike the 4 platters at 15mm thick ones. Even for 15mm thick one size have been stagnant at 5TB at the most for 4 years now. It already at the limits of 2.5 inch technology. I guess they could try a 3TB at 9mm at best if the 5TB 4 platter is an indication with SMR.

All I am seeing here might be both a physical limit and also the economics not worth pushing the tech further. Just like how other smaller drive size like the ipod 1.8 inch hdd or the 1 inch microdrive that was superseeded by cf card.

Deskstop size 3.5 inch have more leaway to squeeze more platter in than 2.5 version to give more life to pushing capacity.

 

[Frick]

I have just assumed demand has dropped. Laptops with only one drive should have an SSD, and many (some anyway) laptops these days don't even have space for a 2.5" drive.

 

[Selaya]

[ ... ]I don't want to spend that kind of money [ ... ]

There's your problem, unfortunately.
The reason 3.5" densities get pushed generation after generation is because HDD manufacturers know that they can recoup their R&D spending on those devices by charging enterprise customers an arm and a leg. However, in a rather stagnating consumer market where people are looking for better price-efficiency there's little impetus for manufacturers to spend their R&D on these products.

Hell, the 8TB 870 QVO consistently has a worse $/TB than the 1TB; you could also easily cram in NAND chips worth 16TB even at TLC and not even QLC in a 2.5" form factor, but yeah ...

 

[newtekie1]

I have just assumed demand has dropped. Laptops with only one drive should have an SSD, and many (some anyway) laptops these days don't even have space for a 2.5" drive.

But isn't isn't just laptops. There are far too many SFF desktops that only take 2.5" drives.

 

[olstyle]

The SFF OEM boxes now also come with an SSD as standard. Laptops are nearly all SSD anyway. Big amount of data gets stored "in the cloud" on 3,5" drives. So yes, the market pretty much imploded which means it's only logical there isn't much investment done anymore.

 

[Solaris17]

Has anyone else noticed that the 2.5" Hard Drive sizes have pretty much not increased in what feels like several years now. I'm talking strictly 2.5" 7/9mm height drives. It seems like they just kind of went to 2TB a few years ago and then just stayed there. I know you can get up to 5TB drives in the 15mm height size, but that won't fit in a laptop.

With all the new hard drive storage technologies, I would have expected there to be some bigger 7/9mm height drives by now. I don't even see SMR 2.5" drives, they are still using CMR. I can't be the only one with machines that have an empty 2.5" bay that wants to use for a rather large amount of storage at a reasonable price. I know I could buy an 4TB SSD and put it in there, but I don't want to spend that kind of money for something I'm just going to be storing media on where the speed doesn't matter.

It just is unbelievable to me that with all the advancements in platter densities we are still just stuck at 2TB 2.5" drives.

I agree, my only speculation is that, with laptop manufacturers trying to get lower power and perceivably "fast" machines they are turning to SSDs.

This allows them to retain some of the performance feel in there bread and butter models for joe consumer, without making the entire segment more performance orientated by actually bumping up the hardware specs on their mid and lower end.

I also imagine the actual sale of laptops is pretty high right now, which I assume makes the market a good target for new storage manufacturers that want to get a foot hold, so peddle their SSDs to wholesale mobile manufacturers on the cheap. Also probably pretty good for seasoned storage providers that want to get a certain market saturation with a specific model on release.

idk tho.

 

[olstyle]

Adding an SSD IS bumping up the HW spec for better real life performance. @Solaris17 You make it sound like it's some kind of ripoff but it's quite the opposite. It's a real improvement where e.g. more CPU cores often would have done nothing at all.

 

[Solaris17]

Adding an SSD IS bumping up the HW spec for better real life performance. @Solaris17 You make it sound like it's some kind of ripoff but it's quite the opposite. It's a real improvement where e.g. more CPU cores often would have done nothing at all.

huh? I dont think I came off that way, but yeah it makes the machines more responsive.

 

[olstyle]

This allows them to retain some of the performance feel in there bread and butter models for joe consumer, without making the entire segment more performance orientated by actually bumping up the hardware specs on their mid and lower end.

Maybe you where missing a comma behind orientated? That sounded to me like you implied adding an SSD is not improving the spec. But never mind , I now understand we are on the same page anyhow .

 

[SL2]

There are far too many SFF desktops that only take 2.5" drives.

How many of them have a 9.5 mm height limit?

 

[newtekie1]

How many of them have a 9.5 mm height limit?

Tons. I own 5.

 

[Blue4130]

It's all because of enterprises switching to ssd. They were the driving force of 2.5 innovation. After they largely made the switch to flash, 2.5 r&d stopped.

 

[Hachi_Roku256563]

Its cause everyone who wants a hard drive now a days is fine with a 3.5 inch
they are faster cheaper and better in every way

 

[newtekie1]

Its cause everyone who wants a hard drive now a days is fine with a 3.5 inch
they are faster cheaper and better in every way

You'll have to tell me your magic secret to fit a 3.5" drive in a computer that can only take a 2.5" 9.5mm.

 

[Hachi_Roku256563]

You'll have to tell me your magic secret to fit a 3.5" drive in a computer that can only take a 2.5" 9.5mm.

their is no magic
but computers that only take 2.5 inchs ship with ssds
as i said the people who need hds have 3.5 drives and bays

 

[newtekie1]

but computers that only take 2.5 inchs ship with ssds

Mine didn't.

 

[Hachi_Roku256563]

Mine didn't.

ok but most do
the average person dont need much storage and would rather fast but small

 

[newtekie1]

ok but most do

Not in my experience with desktop SFFs and AIOs. The manufacturers still love to put 1TB HDDs as the standard. The average consumer sees 240GB SSD in the specs and immediately asks how they are going to save all their cat pictures on that small of a drive.

 

[Hachi_Roku256563]

Not in my experience with desktop SFFs and AIOs. The manufacturers still love to put 1TB HDDs as the standard. The average consumer sees 240GB SSD in the specs and immediately asks how they are going to save all their cat pictures on that small of a drive.

1tb 2.5 inch drives still exsit
also ever single oem ssf pc i have seen still has a dvd drive
meaning it can fit a 3.5inch

 

[newtekie1]

1tb 2.5 inch drives still exsit
also ever single oem ssf pc i have seen still has a dvd drive
meaning it can fit a 3.5inch

Yeah, if you want to lose the DVD drive...
You're arguing solutions that aren't solutions.

But, please, tell me how to fit a 3.5" hard drive in a Dell Optiplex 3080 Micro. I'll wait.

 

[olstyle]

I can not even configure a magnetic HDD for that one at Dell at all -> an average customer will never know that the 2,5" option ever existed. To where to save all the cat pictures I already answered: "In the cloud'.
You clearly don't like the situation, but the combination SSD + Network/Internet Storage is what all offices now use (and I am very glad that's the case) and what is also marketed as the standard solution for private use.

 

[Hachi_Roku256563]

duck tape

Yeah, if you want to lose the DVD drive...
You're arguing solutions that aren't solutions.

But, please, tell me how to fit a 3.5" hard drive in a Dell Optiplex 3080 Micro. I'll wait.

tell me what size hd your going to fit in their that does not have a 2,5 inch format equivlent
also saw stickytape and glue

 

[SL2]

Tons. I own 5.

Just curious, which cases do you own?

 

[chrcoluk]

I feel drives are stagnated in general. You can buy high capacities but they expensive, the cost per gig has stopped going down.