Samsung has officially introduced the EcoGreen F4EG hard drive with storage capacities up to 2TB. This isn't a breakthrough maximum storage capacity, but this HDD impressively uses just 3 platters, making it the highest density HDD available for desktops.
The new 2TB drive packs on 667GB per platter, and has lower power usage due to the smaller number of platters operating. Samsung's new F4EG is also a 3Gbit/s SATA HDD using 32MB of buffer memory, Native Command Queuing, and Samsung's SilentSeek and NoiseGuard noise canceling solutions.
Using RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directive regulations, Samsung helped create a more eco-friendly 2TB HDD than previous EcoGreen models.
"Storage-hungry multimedia professionals, gamers and home PC users continue to increase the amount of video, music, photo and other personal data they store and back-up," said I.C. Park, Samsung VP of storage sales, in a statement. "The F4EG delivers all the benefits of a low-power drive yet features top performance quality and is environmentally friendly."
Compared to the four-platter EcoGreen HDDs, the new three-platter storage devices offer a 23 percent decrease in energy consumption. More HDDs are expected to use three-platter designs when beneficial, although two-platter HDDs also can be found.
Shipping is expected to begin in September, with pricing starting at $119.99 for the 1.5TB HDDs.
The South Korean company has shown an increased interest in HDDs and solid-state drives, with the company recently announcing several different new product lineups. Samsung has entered the market and taken proper steps to ensure it caters to consumers -- the company's current embrace of eco-friendly drives is ideal as consumers and companies look to go green and reduce power usage.
