Seagate introduces several new local external storage solutions, with highlights reaching up to 256 TB.
Seagate is launching new storage solutions. The LaCie 8big Pro5 is the most notable, featuring a direct-attached enclosure with room for eight hard drives. Seagate offers the LaCie 8big Pro5 with 32 TB, 64 TB, 128 TB, 192 TB, or 256 TB of storage. In the largest model, Seagate includes drives with a capacity of 32 TB each.
RAID
Users can utilize the full storage capacity or configure the drives in a RAID setup. This can be done for redundancy or in RAID 0 if speed is the primary factor. In such a RAID 0 configuration, Seagate states that sequential transfer speeds of up to 2,800 MB/s are possible.
The LaCie 8big Pro5 connects via Thunderbolt 5. The manufacturer also includes a power cable, which is necessary as the device requires 140 watts. Furthermore, Seagate provides a five-year limited warranty and five years of access to the company’s Rescue Data Recovery Services. If a hard drive crashes and you want to recover data, Seagate engineers will work on the drive.
The device is aimed at creative professionals and comes with a hefty price tag. The entry-level model with 32 TB of storage costs €4,932 excl. VAT. VAT. If you want the full 256 TB, you can expect to pay €11,626 excl. VAT.
Seagate One Touch
Seagate is also launching the Seagate One Touch. This is a more accessible external storage device, geared more toward traditional backups. The One Touch is a more conventional external hard drive. The device is available with capacities of 8 TB, 20 TB, and 24 TB. The 8 TB entry-level model is available starting from €299 incl. VAT. VAT.
None of these solutions are cheap. Like all other components, hard drives are rising in price. This is because AI providers are buying up stock for their data centers, assuming they will grow so rapidly that they will need the capacity. The result of this imbalance between supply and demand is being felt in the wallet.