Hard drives are not an anachronism, even in the age of AI
Why hard drives will continue to play an important role for a long time to come.
The renaissance of HDD with AI
Three reasons why we will continue to use HDDs.
Despite the growing use of flash memory, traditional hard drives will continue to play a central role in the age of AI and cloud computing.
The International Data Corporation (IDC), a global market research and analysis company, forecasts an increase from 173 zettabytes in 2024 to 527 zettabytes in 2029, representing a threefold increase within five years. At the same time, only a few percent of all data generated will actually be stored, underscoring the importance of efficient, scalable storage systems.
This is precisely where HDDs dominate: they provide around 80% of global data center capacity at a low price per terabyte and with high reliability.
HDDs cost around $50, while SSDs cost around $500. This means that semiconductor storage is around five to ten times more expensive per terabyte than hard drives, but offers only slightly better energy efficiency. This economic difference is the starting point for a tiered storage architecture.
In a 3-tier structure, it becomes clear that SSDs are only necessary for “hot data,” i.e., data that is needed particularly frequently, since access time is more important than price in this case. “Warm data,” however, continues to be stored on HDDs, which are significantly cheaper.
AI training runs 24/7 for weeks or months, and downtime is not tolerated. Several key technologies in modern hard drives are designed for this purpose: HelioSeal, OptiNAND, UltraSMR, and TSA. They have been tested in large data centers and offer high reliability and enormous capacities.
Their proven reliability and economic sustainability over the entire total cost of ownership make them ideal for hyperscale environments. HDDs are not only robust, but also offer scalable, cost-efficient capacities.
