After demand for AI capacity already led to sky-high prices for Nvidia chips and memory, hard drives are now also becoming harder to find for an acceptable price. More than sixty years after the HDD was invented, this fundamentally outdated technology still proves to be sufficiently suitable for modern applications.
Let there be no doubt: the use of hard drives for AI is anything but obvious. In a domain where the lowest latency is required, HDD speeds are often ten times slower than those of SSDs. But to run AI models, HBM memory is needed that is placed directly next to the chip. Networks in particular struggle to deliver the required speed. SSDs themselves aren’t even up to par in that regard, but they offer scale. The same goes to a lesser extent for HDDs, meaning they’re the go-to alternative if solid state storage isn’t available for a fair price.
Avalanche effect
Either way, AI requires mountains of data, regardless of the storage medium on which it is stored. Hard drives are normally a cheap alternative to SSDs, for example for large-scale storage in data centers. However, DigiTimes now reports that organizations have to wait up to two years to receive hard drives for data center locations.
There seems to be an avalanche effect, as hyperscalers are also buying up virtually all stocks of QLC NAND SSDs. DigiTimes reports that the production capacity of various NAND suppliers is already fully booked until 2026.
Noticeable for consumers
The impact of AI on consumer product prices has so far been limited. Those who needed system memory could already see that the prices of DDR5 RAM had risen sharply. Now SSDs are also likely to increase in price, and even HDDs are being considered as a mass alternative.
Predictions that the hard disk drive is nearing its end suddenly seem much more debatable. Why say goodbye to the HDD when there is still demand for it? Despite the current shortages, it seems that the HDD will eventually no longer be profitable.
Tip: When will the HDD finally go extinct?
End still in sight
The technology, which first came onto the market in IBM’s 305 RAMDAC computer in 1956, is actually more complex than the way SSDs work. They have moving parts, are easily damaged, and require absurd precision for high capacities.
On top of that, they are only still around because there is not enough cheap SSD capacity; HDDs have no advantage whatsoever. Tape storage, even older than hard drives, can achieve higher storage density despite being slower. Furthermore, SSD technology is simply faster, more compact, more efficient, and ultimately cheaper. Currently, the HDD is experiencing a final resurgence, but the question is how long this will last. Experts maintain that we will be rid of the hard drive in about five years.