Cheetah runs at 10,000 rpm
Seagate Technology plans to ship over the next few months the second generation of its 10,000-rpm Cheetah family. In comparison, most high-end drives top out at 7,200 rpm.
Available in low-profile or half-height versions, the drives store 4.5GB, 9.1GB, or 18.2GB. Seagate claims a seek time of less than 6msec, 2.99msec latency, and sustained transfer rates of more than 21MBps. In addition, the drives require 25% less power than Seagate`s first-generation Cheetahs. Interface options include Ultra2 SCSI or Fibre Channel.
OEM sampling began last month. Volume production is scheduled for the first quarter.
Also last month, Seagate announced a new line of Ultra SCSI drives that are positioned between the Barracuda and Cheetah families. Code-named "Big Bear," the drives rotate at 7,200 rpm and are available in 2/3/4-disk versions. Contact Seagate Technology at (408) 438-6550, www.seagate.com.