Seagate Exos M and IronWolf Pro – the first 30TB HAMR drives

Seagate has introduced new Exos M and IronWolf Pro hard drives with capacities up to 30 TB. These are the first mass-produced models on the Mozaic 3+ platform using thermal magnetic recording (HAMR) technology, which uses laser heating to increase storage density.

Seagate Exos M and IronWolf Pro Specifications

The new drives are built in a standard 3.5-inch form factor and operate at a speed of 7200 rpm. The cache capacity is 512 MB, the maximum data transfer rate is up to 275 MB/s, and the connection is made via a SATA 6 Gb/s interface.

HAMR involves local heating of the magnetic surface to 450°C, which allows you to place data more densely. For reading, the 7th generation Spintronic Reader multi-sensor system is used, which reduces crosstalk between adjacent tracks.

Seagate claims power consumption from 6.9 to 9.5 W, depending on the operating mode. Thanks to this, the drives are compatible with modern storage systems: one 4U server can accommodate up to 3 PB, and a 42U rack can accommodate up to 36 PB. The mean time between failures (MTBF) is indicated at 2.5 million hours.

Differences between Seagate HDD models

Despite similar characteristics, the purpose of the models is different.

• Exos M is focused on data centers and cloud storage. The drive is reinforced for large arrays and has built-in vibration sensors.
• IronWolf Pro is designed for NAS systems, including office and hybrid solutions. It supports 24/7 operation, multi-user access, and tasks such as video analytics, RAG processing, and response generation based on local data.

Performance

According to Seagate tests, both models demonstrate up to 275 MB/s in sequential read and write (128 KB blocks). Random write of small blocks is about 346 IOPS, which is typical for HAMR drives. Under mixed loads (write + read), the model showed improved results due to the updated cache architecture.

The Seagate IronWolf Pro 30 TB is slightly faster in sequential read, reaching 277 MB/s. However, there is a slight drop in random write performance: 311 IOPS versus 340 IOPS in the 24 TB version, which is due to the complicated write calibration on HAMR drives.

Availability

The Seagate Exos M and IronWolf Pro hard drives in 28 and 30 TB versions are already on sale. The cost depends only on the volume, not on the model – the pricing policy is unified.