RayLopez99 wrote:
On Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 6:18:47 PM UTC-4, Paul wrote:
Lynn McGuire wrote:
"Backblaze Hard Drive Stats Q1 2019"
https://www.backblaze.com/blog/backb...stats-q1-2019/

"As of March 31, 2019, Backblaze had 106,238 spinning hard drives in our
://microless.com/cdn/products/f18e4964c96110fb07f12102f30fdde8-hi.jpg

Based on design, it's a helium drive. If it was air-filled,
there would be a breather hole. Those platters would also be
"thinner that regular platters"

The more platters = more trouble.

Paul

What is the advantage of helium, other than less air resistance and I guess less heat transfer?

RL

It has reduced air resistance.

And heat transfer is improved.

"The thermal conductivity of gases.

The value of thermal conductivity for most gases and vapors
range between 0.01 and 0.03 W/mK at room temperature. Notable
exceptions are Helium (0.15) and Hydrogen (0.18)"

I don't think there is any plan to switch to Hydrogen.

If you get a datasheet for drives, you can kinda tell which
drives have Helium, just from the operating power numbers.

Reads MTBF

12TB 7.0W 2,500,000
10TB 7.1W 2,500,000
8TB 7.1W 2,500,000
---- ---- ---------
6TB 9.3W 2,000,000
4TB 9.0W 2,000,000
2TB 7.4W 2,000,000
1TB 7.4W 2,000,000

I've not read any descriptions of what happens
when the drive runs out of Helium. It's guaranteed to
have Helium for five years. I presume the flying height
changes.

Paul