Seagate Momentus 5400.3 160GB perpendicular recording notebook HDD launched

Seagate has begun shipping the industry's first 2.5-inch notebook PC disc drive built on perpendicular recording technology to the worldwide distribution channel. Delivering up to 160GB of capacity, the most available in a 2.5-inch disc drive, the Momentus family continues to close the capacity and performance gap between desktop and notebook PC hard drives to help meet growing demand for fast, high-capacity notebook computers.

Momentus 5400.3, a 5,400-rpm drive that operates with 4,200-rpm power efficiency to extend battery life, is Seagate's first to bring the higher capacities and performance of perpendicular recording to mainstream notebook PCs. With Momentus 5400.3, Seagate once again leads the industry in areal density, delivering 132 Gbits per square inch to provide the highest levels of drive capacity, reliability and performance. Seagate will also extend the advantages of perpendicular recording to its 7,200-rpm Momentus disc drives and to all of its 1- and 3.5-inch products.

Perpendicular recording stands data bits on end on the disc, rather than flat to the surface as with existing longitudinal recording, to deliver new levels of hard drive data density and capacity. The new data orientation also increases drive performance without increasing spin speed by allowing more bits to pass under the drive head in the same amount of time. The perpendicular recording performance boost comes without increases in power consumption or heat generation -- crucial as remote users look to work longer between battery charges and system builders seek to pack more performance in smaller notebooks. Perpendicular recording also improves drive reliability by enhancing data resistance to thermal decay.

The Momentus 5400.3 hard drive now shipping to the channel features the Ultra ATA 100 Mbyte/second interface. Seagate will begin shipping Momentus 5400.3 with the 1.5 Gbit/second Serial ATA interface later this year.

The Momentus family is built tough to withstand up to an industry-leading 350 Gs of operating shock and 900 Gs of non-operating shock to protect drive data, making the drives ideal for printers, copiers, non-mission critical blade servers, external storage arrays and other non-PC environments where systems are jarred or subject to a rugged operating environment. The hard drives are also lean on power, allowing notebook users to work longer between battery charges, and are virtually inaudible thanks to Seagate's innovative SoftSonic fluid-dynamic bearing motors and QuietStep ramp load technology.

Momentus - Delivering a Range of Solutions for System Builders Perpendicular recording is a key addition to the 2.5-inch Momentus family, allowing the drives to deliver higher capacity and performance without increasing spin speed, power consumption or heat dissipation. With Momentus, Seagate is redefining mobile computing by delivering rugged, power-thrifty hard drives that combine whisper-quiet operation with new levels of performance and capacity.

The Momentus family gives system builders a range of spin speeds (4,200-, 5,400- and 7,200-rpm), capacities (40GB to 160GB), and interfaces (Serial ATA and Ultra ATA), allowing them to offer a variety of differentiated systems ranging from low-cost and mainstream notebook PCs to high-performance mobile workstations, small form factor PCs and blade servers. The drives are covered by Seagate's industry-leading five-year warranty for customers that buy through authorized distribution.