WD Ultrastar DC HC580 24 TB Hard Drive — 3.5" Internal SAS CMR with OptiNAND

The WD Ultrastar DC HC580 24 TB hard drive is a purpose-built data center solution designed to power massive data growth with reliability, efficiency, and scalable performance. Built for enterprise environments, this 3.5-inch internal drive leverages SAS (12Gb/s) connectivity, Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR), and WD’s OptiNAND technology to deliver high-capacity storage that is both dense and dependable. Ideal for data centers, storage arrays, and back-end tiers, the DC HC580 is engineered to handle continuous workloads, data-intensive analytics, backup pipelines, and long-term archival needs with confidence. Whether deploying a new hyperscale rack or expanding an existing storage pool, this drive provides the density and consistency needed to maximize storage density per rack unit while maintaining predictable performance and endurance across multi-drive configurations.

• Massive 24 TB capacity for data-intensive workloads — Designed to scale data growth in enterprise storage, the DC HC580 consolidates petabytes of content in a single drive, reducing the number of spindles required in dense environments and helping to lower total cost of ownership while preserving performance for sequential and random I/O workloads.
• Enterprise-grade reliability with CMR — Conventional Magnetic Recording delivers stable, consistent throughput and endurance for 24x7 operations, even under heavy write-intensive workloads, making it suitable for archival storage, backup targets, and active data repositories in data centers.
• High-speed SAS 12Gb/s interface — The 12Gb/s SAS interface enables fast, reliable data transfer between the drive and storage controllers, backplanes, or host servers, supporting high-bandwidth transfer rates, efficient back-end connectivity, and smooth scaling in RAID or JBOD configurations.
• OptiNAND technology for improved efficiency — OptiNAND combines advanced NAND-enabled caching with traditional HDD architecture to optimize data placement, increase usable capacity, and enhance data integrity, helping to maximize usable storage density while maintaining strong reliability in mixed-workload environments.
• 3.5-inch form factor for broad compatibility — A standard enterprise drive form factor that fits most servers, storage arrays, and backplanes, enabling easy upgrades, straightforward field deployment, and consistent performance across multi-drive chassis in rack-mounted data centers.

Technical Details of WD Ultrastar DC HC580 24 TB Hard Drive

• Capacity: 24 TB
• Form Factor: 3.5-inch internal hard disk drive
• Interface: SAS 12Gb/s
• Recording Technology: Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR)
• Technology: OptiNAND storage optimization
• Application: Data center/enterprise storage, back-end storage tiers, archiving, backups, and analytics workloads
• Reliability: Designed for 24x7 operation in data center environments with enterprise-grade endurance and availability

How to install WD Ultrastar DC HC580 24 TB Hard Drive

Installing the WD Ultrastar DC HC580 is straightforward in any compatible data center environment. Begin by powering down the server or storage array and confirming chassis compatibility with a 3.5-inch enterprise drive. Remove the empty drive tray or slot, then insert the DC HC580 into the backplane, ensuring proper alignment and secure latching. Connect the SAS data cable and power connection to the drive, taking care to route cables to avoid strain or interference with fans and airflow. Reinstall the drive tray in the chassis and reseat any affected backplane connections. Power on the system and verify that the drive is detected by the storage controller or operating system. During initial deployment, initialize and format the drive according to your storage policy or RAID configuration, and run any necessary SMART checks or health assessments to confirm drive readiness. For optimal performance, update firmware to the recommended version and follow your vendor’s guidelines for drive rebuilds, parity checks, and hot-spare configuration in multi-drive arrays.

Frequently asked questions

• What is OptiNAND technology? OptiNAND is WD’s storage optimization approach that combines NAND-based caching with conventional HDD data paths to improve usable capacity, performance, and data integrity in enterprise drives.
• What workloads is the DC HC580 best suited for? It is designed for data centers requiring high-capacity, reliable storage for archival, backups, large-scale analytics, virtualized environments, and dense storage tiers in RAID or JBOD configurations.
• What interface does this drive use? The drive uses a SAS 12Gb/s interface, providing high-speed connectivity to enterprise controllers and backplanes.
• Is this drive CMR or SMR? This drive uses Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR), offering steady performance and reliability for enterprise workloads.
• What is the form factor? It is a 3.5-inch internal drive, designed for standard enterprise drive trays, backplanes, and storage arrays.
• Is this drive suitable for always-on workloads? Yes—built for data center environments, the DC HC580 is designed to maintain performance and reliability under continuous operation and heavy I/O requirements.