Hitachi today announced the Ultrastar 15K450, the new PMR drive that delivers 450GB of storage spinning at 15,000 RPM. The Ultrastar 15K450 is a performance leader, with Hitachi tests indicating a 30 percent improvement in sequential throughput over its predecessor. The drive features average seek times as low as 3.3 milliseconds and the fast rotational speeds reduce average latency time to 2 milliseconds. The new drive will ship with either 3Gb/s Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) or 4Gb/s Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces.

Technologies such as fluid dynamic bearing motors deliver a low acoustic rating and improved data integrity, and Rotational Vibration Safeguard (RVS) technology anticipates disturbances that can occur in multi-drive configurations and counteracts them. In addition, the Ultrastar 15K450 uses Hitachi's patented head load/unload ramp to minimize integration induced drive damage.

The Ultrastar 15K450 will be shipping this quarter worldwide.

Technical Specifications:

capacity 450GB
183 billion bits per square inch maximum areal density
4 platters, 8 recording heads
2090 Mb/s max. media data rate
3.6 ms average seek time (with command overhead)
15,000 RPM, 2.0 ms average latency
3Gb/s SAS, 4Gb/s FCAL interfaces
16 MB data buffer
25.8 mm in height (max)
750 in weight (max)
250 G/2 ms pulse non-operating shock
SAS: 13.3 watt idle power
FCAL: 13.4 watt idle power
3.7 Bels typical idle acoustics
5 to 55 degrees C operating temperature