Mechanical hard drives (HDDs) remain an essential solution for mass storage, especially in data centers, cloud servers, and backup systems. Despite the rise of SSDs, which have significantly dropped in price and improved in performance, HDDs still offer a crucial advantage: high capacity at a much lower cost.
As it does every year, Backblaze has released its 2024 Hard Drive Reliability Report, an analysis based on more than 300,000 drives in operation within its data centers. This report provides valuable insights into failure rates for various models and manufacturers, helping businesses and consumers make informed decisions about storage solutions.
The Most Reliable Hard Drives of 2024
During the fourth quarter of 2024, Backblaze monitored 301,120 hard drives in operation, excluding models that did not meet the required service time and data volume criteria. Out of all the models analyzed, five stood out for having zero recorded failures during the quarter:
- HGST 4 TB (HMS5C4040ALE640)
- Seagate 8 TB (ST8000NM000A)
- Seagate 14 TB (ST14000NM000J)
- Seagate 16 TB (ST16000NM002J)
- Seagate 24 TB (ST24000NM002H)
These models have proven to be highly reliable and could be considered safe choices for those looking for large-capacity storage with a low failure rate.
Hard Drives with the Highest Failure Rates
Not all models performed as well. According to the report, the hard drives with the highest annualized failure rates (AFR) in 2024 were:
- Seagate ST12000M007 (12 TB) with an 8.72% AFR
- Seagate ST1000NM0086 (10 TB) with a 5.72% AFR
- Seagate 14 TB (unspecified model) with a 5.95% AFR
These models exhibited significantly higher failure rates than the overall 1.57% AFR recorded for all drives analyzed.
Reliability Comparison by Manufacturer
Beyond individual model assessments, Backblaze also analyzed drive reliability by manufacturer. The failure rates by brand for Q4 2024 were:
- Western Digital (WDC): 0.58% AFR
- Toshiba: 1.08% AFR
- Seagate: 1.51% AFR
- HGST: 3.12% AFR
Western Digital and Toshiba emerged as the most reliable brands, while Seagate continues to dominate in terms of volume of deployed drives in data centers. Notably, HGST, which had previously been one of the most reliable manufacturers, saw an increase in failure rates, particularly in its 12 TB models.
Trends and Predictions for 2025
The Backblaze report highlights several key trends that are likely to shape the future of storage in the coming years:
- Transition to Higher-Capacity Drives: 4 TB hard drives are gradually being phased out and are expected to be replaced by 20 TB, 22 TB, and 24 TB models by 2025.
- Declining Failure Rates: The overall AFR decreased from 1.70% in 2023 to 1.57% in 2024. This trend is expected to continue in 2025 as more advanced and efficient HDDs enter the market.
- Improved Reliability in High-Capacity Drives: As 8 TB and 12 TB drives age, their failure rates have increased, while 16 TB and 20 TB models have demonstrated greater stability.
- Increased Demand for Mass Storage: While SSDs dominate the consumer market, HDDs will remain essential in cloud storage, backup systems, and data centers due to their cost-efficiency for large-scale storage.
Best Hard Drive Choices for 2024
For those looking for reliable storage solutions, Backblaze’s report suggests the following models as the best choices:
- HGST 4 TB: Ideal for users seeking a long-lasting, low-failure drive.
- Seagate 16 TB: One of the most stable choices for data centers.
- Seagate 24 TB: A new entry with no reported failures so far.
On the other hand, models with high failure rates—such as Seagate’s 12 TB and 10 TB drives—should be avoided, especially for critical data storage.
Conclusion
Despite the increasing popularity of SSDs, mechanical hard drives remain crucial for large-scale storage needs. Thanks to reports like Backblaze’s, businesses and consumers can make informed decisions when selecting storage solutions that balance capacity, durability, and reliability.
While higher-capacity HDDs are showing improved reliability, continued progress in manufacturing technology and proper maintenance will determine whether failure rates continue to decline. Ultimately, choosing the right hard drive in 2024 will depend on its intended use and how crucial reliability is in each specific case.
Source: Noticias Cloud
