This is the world's first Thunderbolt 5 LTO tape drive and I can't understand why it exists in the first place

Date:
Sun, 30 Mar 2025 20:26:00 +0000

Description:
MagStor has launched the world's first Thunderbolt 5 LTO tape drive, but it wont be cheap.

FULL STORY ======================================================================MagStor' s Thunderbolt 5 LTO drive builds on its 2020 Thunderbolt 3 model TB5
certainly adds speed but what's the real-world benefit for tape? There's no word on pricing, but it's unlikely to be cheap

MagStor introduced the worlds first Thunderbolt 3 LTO tape drive back in
2020, blending traditional tape-based storage with modern connectivity, and now, the company has announced the worlds first Thunderbolt 5 LTO tape drive.

The company describes its latest product as the next step in offering flexible, high-speed backup and archival solutions for professionals working with large volumes of data.

Tape storage continues to be a standard for long-term archival needs due to its durability and capacity, and the Thunderbolt 5 LTO drive is designed for use in data-heavy environments such as media production and enterprise IT. By integrating Thunderbolt 5, MagStor hopes to offer a faster, more streamlined connection between tape hardware and modern computing systems. Increased
speed

The new drive works with both macOS and Windows and while Thunderbolt 5
offers higher bandwidth than previous versions, tape speeds remain limited by the format itself.

Although MagStor hasnt provided many technical specifications, its a given
the new product will support LTO-9 tapes (18TB native / 45TB compressed capacity), as its predecessor does.

There's no confirmation yet on compatibility with next-generation LTO-10 tapes, expected to arrive in the second quarter of 2025, which offer up to 36TB native and 90TB compressed capacity, but it would be a missed
opportunity if that support isnt included.

Thunderbolt 5 achieves data transfer rates of up to 80Gbps (10GB/s) bi-directionally in standard mode, and up to 120Gbps in one direction when using Bandwidth Boost mode.

LTO-10 is expected to deliver read speeds of around 472MB/s, which is a step up from LTO-8 at 360MB/s and LTO-9 at 400MB/s.

MagStor says the Thunderbolt 5 LTO drive will be released by the end of 2025. Pricing has not yet been announced, but it's unlikely to be cheap.

The companys LTO-9 Thunderbolt 3 drive retails for $6,299 and whether the added speed of Thunderbolt 5 will justify the inevitable price hike remains
to be seen.

At MagStor, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of whats possible in data storage, said Tim Gerhard, VP of Product at MagStor. After revolutionizing the market with the first-ever Thunderbolt 3 LTO drive, were excited to raise the bar again with Thunderbolt 5, ensuring our customers
have access to the most powerful and flexible storage solutions available.
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of technology



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/this-is-the-worlds-first-thunderbolt-5-lto-tape- drive-and-i-cant-understand-why-it-exists-in-the-first-place


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