Move Over VelociRaptor: HGST Launches 1.2TB 10,000 RPM Hard Drive

About a year ago, WD ushered in its first 1TB 10,000RPM hard drive in the form of VelcoiRaptor. As we stated in our review, it’s quite a good option for those looking for a solid blend of performance and density – a drive perfect for gaming and “workstation” use. Though 1TB isn’t “large’ by any stretch anymore, it was one-of-a-kind where such a fast mechanical drive was concerned. With today’s announcement from HGST for its 1.2TB model, the VR drive gets pushed aside. There will be no angst from WD, however, as it owns HGST – a win/win all-around.

Hitachi’s 600GB C10K600

To be fair, though, HGST’s drive and the VelociRaptor are in different leagues, as C10K1200 is enterprise-only (as in, SAS-only), whereas the VelociRaptor targets the enthusiast with a standard SATA connection. It’d be nice if HGST’s drive came in a SATA flavor, but it’s not likely to ever happen given the company’s major enterprise focus with its speedy 10K-15K drives.

If 1.2TB seems like the strangest density to release a hard drive in, bear in mind that because this is an enterprise product, the idea is that many of them will be paired together in a server – and when that happens, the end density is always going to seem a bit unusual. In this drive’s case, a 24-bay 2U unit would deliver 28.8TB of storage. Though we’ve begun to see 128MB-equipped drives trickle out from Seagate, HGST is sticking with 64MB for its CK10K1200.

HGST’s press release states that the CK10K1200 has begun to make its way to partners, but no pricing has been mentioned. Drat.