The all new Seagate Exos X16 sets a new standard for performance in hard disk drive technology. No matter if you are interested in large sequential read or write performance, small 4K file performance, or even just random IOPS performance the Exos X16 is the new model to own for those who truly have a need for speed. We are not precisely sure which was most impressive. Seeing the first 900GB or so staying in the 260 to 270 MB/s range. The fact that it stays above 200MB/s for nearly 9TB(!) of its capacity. The fact that even at 90 percent capacity it still ticks along at above 150MB/s. The fact that its small file performance was higher than some older RAID’ed hard drives… or just the fact that in RAID it scales at 100 percent and sometimes better (thanks to MTC and high-performance controllers). Maybe it is was the fact that this drive does all that and still only costs 3.9 cents per Gigabyte. All set a new gold standard in their perspective benchmarks. All were gobsmackingly impressive. It is just unfortunate few outside large corporations will be able to justify the asking price considering how less expensive other Seagate 16TB models go for these days.
The one silver lining for those who do lust after all this technology is that Seagate has historically ‘trickled down’ their cutting-edge technology to their more frugally priced series over time. The key word is over time. While we do have doubts about hardware level encryption with zero performance impact trickling down any time soon, it is quite possible that in a few generations’ things such as PowerChoice or Raid Recovery will make their way to lower tier models. Models which are orientated more towards mid-size enterprise builds. It may even eventually make its way to SOHO series… as ‘green’ technology is becoming a bigger and bigger priority every year.
The same holds true of the shear brute performance this series has to offer. A lot of this performance is because of the low-level tuning that goes into its firmware, but a good portion is also in the choice of controller used. As time goes by the performance the multi-core controller the Exos X16 uses will become the norm… not the exception. It will just take time.
Even the robustness and durability will eventually make its way down the line-up. Not that many generations ago having entry level NAS drives come equipped dual-plane balancing and anti-vibration sensors was a pipe dream. Now they are standard features on even the entry level SOHO NAS IronWolf models with asking prices of as little as 3 cents per GB.
So while few will actually purchase the Exos X16 outside its market niche that does not diminish the importance of this new ‘Western Digital killer’ hard drive. It will force the competition to step up their A-game. It will cause more and more ‘enterprise grade’ tech to be included for free on more frugally prices drive series. So even if you lust after this drive with the burning passion of a hundred white hot suns… fear not. In a few generations most of what it has to offer will be common place. All because the Exos X16 was there first blazing a trail for the lower teir models to follow.
The Review
Seagate Exos X16
If you are looking for a new monster sized hard disk drive whose only compromise is in its asking price the Seagate Exos X16 16TB capacity hard drive is the drive you want. Its performance, its durability, and even its customization is nearly unmatched. As long as you can afford the slightly, but still reasonable all things considered, asking price it is the series want.
