Why are Drive Manufacturers in BIG TROUBLE?
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Get a $20 Off Perk on the Massdrop x Sennheiser PC37X Gaming Headset at dro.ps Use code LINUS and get 25% off GlassWire at lmg.gg Hard drive companies have been caught secretly selling Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) hard drives with bad-to-unusable performance. But how bad is it really?
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The video begins by framing a high stakes legal and technological issue in the hard drive market. It opens with the claim that a class action has been filed against Western Digital over the alleged hidden use of Shingled Magnetic Recording SMR technology in drives, arguing that these drives can be far slower or even unusable for common storage tasks. The host explains SMR at a high level, contrasting it with conventional PMR/CMR drives, and outlines how SMR enables higher densities by overlapping tracks, which improves capacity but complicates write performance. He divides SMR implementations into three categories: host managed, host aware, and device managed, highlighting that the user experience can vary dramatically depending on how the drive and underlying firmware handle the overlapping tracks. Further, the video connects these technical details to real-world consequences for consumers and businesses, especially for NAS setups running ZFS or similar file systems, and emphasizes the importance of clear labeling and education to prevent mis purchasing. Finally, the host contextualizes the situation within industry dynamics, suggesting internal communication gaps at WD and expressing cautious optimism about labeling changes and vendor responses, while pointing to ongoing questions about why SMR was marketed for NAS use in the first place and what this means for future storage technology.
Topics · technology · storage · industry_trends · consumer_electronics · business_lawsuits
Questions answered
- What is SMR and why does it matter for consumer storage?
- SMR stands for shingled magnetic recording. It increases platter density by overlapping tracks, boosting capacity but potentially harming write performance and compatibility with certain file systems and workloads.
- Why is there a concern about WD Red SMR drives in NAS environments?
- In some NAS configurations using ZFS or similar, SMR drives can perform poorly during rebuilds or random writes, leading to long rebuild times and potential data vulnerability if another drive fails.
- What did the industry and WD do in response to the labeling concerns?
- Vendors including WD have committed to labeling SMR versus CMR technologies and to offering replacements for mislabeled drives, addressing consumer education and compatibility issues.