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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Western Digital’s announced 40TB UltraSMR ePMR hard drive is aimed at hyperscale data centers, not confirmed as a consumer product. On February 3, 2026, WD said the drive was being qualified with two hyperscale customers and that volume production was planned for the second half of 2026. The company’s longer-term roadmap extends ePMR toward 60TB and targets 100TB with HAMR by 2029; those are company plans, not confirmation that the drives are already on sale.
What is Western Digital’s largest hard drive?
The largest drive WD has announced in this roadmap is a 40TB UltraSMR ePMR HDD. In its February 3, 2026 Innovation Day announcement, WD called it the world’s highest-capacity HDD and said it was in qualification with two hyperscale customers. That makes 40TB a qualification-stage product in the announcement, not a confirmed retail drive or proof of current availability.
WD planned volume production for the second half of 2026. As of September 30, 2026, the official announcements summarized here do not confirm whether that production milestone has been reached. The 60TB and 100TB capacities are future roadmap targets, not announced consumer models.
How do the 40TB, 60TB and 100TB plans differ?
WD describes two recording-technology paths: extending ePMR capacity and scaling HAMR. The company says both fit a common architecture intended to let customers choose when to transition.
#1 Best Overall
- Plug-and-play expandability
- SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)
| Roadmap milestone | Recording technology | Stage and timing stated by WD | Intended audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40TB | UltraSMR ePMR | In qualification with two hyperscale customers; volume production planned for the second half of 2026, per WD’s February 3, 2026 announcement. | Hyperscale customers |
| Up to 60TB | ePMR | WD says it intends to extend ePMR toward this capacity; a production date was not stated in the February 3, 2026 announcement. | Data-center customers; a more specific segment was not stated in the announcement. |
| Up to 100TB by 2029 | HAMR | WD’s roadmap target; the February 3, 2026 announcement does not establish a qualification or production date. | Data-center customers; a more specific segment was not stated in the announcement. |
These are forward-looking company statements and may change. WD CEO Irving Tan said the company’s plan is to deliver HAMR when it reaches “economic crossover for everyone.” That describes a business condition for broader adoption, not a date at which every customer or consumer should expect to be able to buy a HAMR drive.
Is the 40TB drive for consumers or data centers?
The stated customer is the hyperscale data center market. WD describes its broader HDD customers as hyperscalers, cloud service providers and enterprises that need scalable capacity. Its February 2026 announcement identified two hyperscale customers in qualification, not a retail launch.
Rank #2
- High capacity in a small enclosure – The small, lightweight design offers up to 6TB* capacity, making WD Elements portable hard drives the ideal companion for consumers on the go.
- Plug-and-play expandability
- Vast capacities up to 6TB[1] to store your photos, videos, music, important documents and more
- SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)
The official announcements summarized here do not name a consumer SKU, price or Amazon listing for the 40TB drive or the 60TB and 100TB roadmap products. A consumer should not treat the announced capacities as products available for an ordinary desktop or external-drive purchase.
Why are AI data centers still buying hard drives?
WD’s argument is that AI creates persistent data that organizations need to retain, and that HDDs can provide that storage economically at scale. This is a capacity-and-cost rationale from WD; the cited announcements do not give a direct HDD-versus-SSD price or performance comparison, so they do not establish that HDDs replace SSDs for every AI workload.
Rank #3
- Reliable everyday computing
- Western Digital quality and reliability
- Free Acronis True Image WD Edition cloning software
- Capacities up to 12TB
WD’s February 12, 2025 Investor Day release projected HDD exabyte shipments to grow at a 23% compound annual growth rate from 2024 through 2028. That is WD’s internal estimate, not a measured outcome. The same release cited IDC’s Global DataSphere Forecast, 2024–2028 (document US52076424, May 2024), which forecast threefold growth in worldwide generated data from 2023 to 2028.
A later IDC white paper sponsored by WD, cited in WD’s September 15, 2026 release, reported the following survey results:
- 61% of surveyed organizations said AI had contributed to at least 25% data growth in the prior year.
- 74% expected at least 25% data growth over the next three years.
- 85.4% reported data-lake growth in the prior 12 months.
These figures describe survey responses and expectations, not HDD sales or proof that every organization will store AI data on hard drives. They help explain the demand WD sees for economical storage capacity.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is confirmed, and what remains a target?
The February 3, 2026 announcement establishes WD’s stated 40TB qualification status and planned production window. It does not establish retail availability, pricing, or whether the planned production timing has been met. The 60TB ePMR extension and 100TB HAMR capacity by 2029 are roadmap goals, not current product specifications available to buyers. WD’s September 15, 2026 release cites survey data on data growth, while its capacity roadmap remains the company’s own forward-looking plan.
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