Skip to main content

Western Digital increased its helium-packed Ultrastar HDD storage limit to 12TB

Western Digital released a new hard drive for the enterprise market under its HGST umbrella: the Ultrastar He12. The drive packs 12TB of storage capacity using the company’s helium-based HelioSeal technology. This tech not only enables higher capacities than standard air-filled drives, but reduces power consumption in the process.

As a brief explanation, hard drives resemble enclosed record players where a needle/head reads the information from a spinning disc. In this case, data is stored on a magnetic disc, which typically has a physical limit to its storage amount. To increase the overall capacity of a hard drive, manufacturers stuff more spinning discs and readers into the drive. But all that high-speed spinning causes friction due to the “weight” of air, limiting the number of discs used in a 3.5-inch form factor.

Recommended Videos

But because helium is a lightweight gas (1/7 the density of air), there is less resistance as hard drive platters spin round and round like a record (baby). So not only can hard-drive makers cram in more magnetic platters, the motors spinning those platters meet less resistance, consuming less energy than the standard air-filled hard drive. The arms holding the read/write heads suffer less turbulence, too.

That said, Western Digital managed to cram eight platters into its new helium-filled hard drive, up from seven used in previous Ultrastar models. It’s a “world’s first,” indicating that each spinning magnetic platter can hold approximately 1.5TB of data. The platters are thinner than what’s found in air-filled drives, too, while “maintaining a stable recording interface.”

Here are the hardware specs of the new Ultrastar He12 drives:

Form factor: 3.5 inch
Number of platters: 8
Maximum areal density: 864Gbits per square inch
Sector sizes (SATA): 4Kn – 4,096
512e – 512
Sector sizes (SAS): 4Kn – 4096, 4112, 4160, 4224
512e – 512, 520, 528
Data buffer: 256MB
Rotational speed: 7,200RPM
Latency average: 4.16ms
Interface transfer rate: 600MB/s (SATA)
1,200MB/s (SAS)
Sustained transfer rate: 255MB/s (typical)
Seek time: 8.0ms read, 8.6ms write
Power rating (SATA): 5.3 watts idle, 7.2 watts operating
Power rating (SAS): 6.1 watts idle, 9.8 watts operating
MTBF: 2.5 million
Dimensions: 1.02 (H) x 4 (W) x 5.78 (D) inches
Weight: 1.45 pounds

Now here are the differences between all four variants:

Model Interface Type
HUH721212ALE60y 512e SATA 3 (6Gbps)
HUH721212ALN60y 4Kn SATA 3 (6Gbps)
HUH721212AL420y 4Kn SAS (12Gbps)
HUH721212AL520y 512e SAS (12Gbps)

Outside the 12TB storage capacity, some of the highlights include Instant Secure Erase (ISE) and Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) options, 24×7 continuous availability, and an annual fail rate of 0.35 percent. All four models ship with a five-year limited warranty.

“It encompasses a low-power design without compromising performance, which helps reduce overall cost of ownership,” the company said on Wednesday. “The Ultrastar He12 HDD is perfect for any application that requires massive amounts of cost-effective storage.”

Unfortunately, Western Digital did not release any pricing information, as the helium-filled drives are shipping to distributors now. Eventually they will make their way onto Amazon, Newegg, and other online retails and sit alongside Western Digital’s other Ultrastar products.

Kevin Parrish
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
Google’s AI agent ‘Big Sleep’ just stopped a cyberattack before it started
Sundar Pichai

Google's AI agent, dubbed Big Sleep, has achieved a cybersecurity milestone by detecting and blocking an imminent exploit in the wild—marking the first time an AI has proactively foiled a cyber threat. Developed by Google DeepMind and Project Zero, Big Sleep identified a critical vulnerability in SQLite (CVE-2025-6965), an open-source database engine, that was on the verge of being exploited by malicious actors, allowing Google to patch it before damage occurred. “We believe this is the first time an AI agent has been used to directly foil efforts to exploit a vulnerability in the wild,” the company said.

Why it matters: As cyberattacks surge—costing businesses trillions annually—this breakthrough shifts defense from reactive patching to AI-driven prediction and prevention. It gives security teams a powerful new tool to stay ahead of hackers, potentially saving devices and data worldwide. CEO Sundar Pichai called it "a first for an AI agent—definitely not the last" according to Live Mint.

Read more
Google confirms merging Chrome OS and Android into one platform
Google Chrome app on s8 screen.

Why it matters: Google's push to blend Chrome OS and Android could supercharge affordable laptops like Chromebooks, making them more versatile for work and play. This move echoes Apple's seamless ecosystem across iPadOS and macOS, potentially shaking up the PC market where Windows dominates but innovation lags.

What's happening: In a bombshell interview, Google's Android ecosystem president Sameer Samat outright confirmed the company is "combining Chrome OS and Android into a single platform. This follows months of rumors and aligns with Android 16's new desktop-friendly features, like proper windowing and external display support. But then Samat later clarified on X that it's not a full-on merger killing Chrome OS; instead, it's about weaving Android's tech stack deeper into Chrome for better app compatibility and hardware efficiency.

Read more
WeTransfer backlash highlights need for smarter AI practices
A pair of hands using a keyboard on a laptop.

A recent update to WeTransfer’s terms of service caused consternation after some of its customers feared that it meant content from files uploaded to the popular file-sharing service would automatically be used to train AI models.

But the Netherlands-based company insisted on Tuesday that this is not the case, saying in a statement that it "does not sell user content to third parties,” and nor does it "use AI in connection with customer content.”

Read more