Toshiba Unveils MK3233GSG: The Largest 320GB 1.8-inch Hard Drive

After successfully breaking the world’s record for 2.5-inch hard drive, Toshiba has broken another limit by introducing the largest 320GB capacity for 1.8-inch Hard drive.

This is a firm step taken by Toshiba after their first launch of 160GB 1.8-inch HDD on single platter. The 320GB should be using dual platters but there is no detail fact to back this assumption.

The 320GB 1.8-inch hard drive is also known as MK3233GSG, having a normal rotary speed at 5,400RPM, backed with 16MB buffer size, fast transfer rate with 3Gbps SATA connection, and according to Toshiba this model will have a 19% energy efficiency improvement.

Improvement of the MK3233GSG family’s perpendicular magnetic recording head and the disk’s magnetic layer secure an areal density of 801Mbit/mm2 (516Gbpsi), the industry’s highest[2] for 1.8-inch HDDs. The new drives position Toshiba to provide manufacturers of PCs and peripheral equipment with thin and light solutions offering the industry’s largest storage density in a 1.8-inch form factor. They also deliver highly efficient power consumption, high-level durability and quiet seek operation.

Equipped with a serial ATA interface, 5,400 RPM rotational speed and a large capacity 16MB buffer memory, Toshiba’s MK3233GSG HDDs are ideal for notebook PC applications that require high storage capacity and high speed processing. The areal density improvement allows MK3233GSG to boost internal data transfer rates by 15% from the MK2529GSG, the company’s earlier 250GB 1.8-inch HDD.

Up to date, there is no further news on the price tag and availability yet. But if I have to call a number, the price should be about $400 by judging on the price of 120GB 1.8-inch HDD.

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