In a move which marks a notable advance for disk technology, HGST – the former disk division of Hitachi – Thursday announced a new helium-filled hard disk drive (HDD) platform, which will not only give storage capacity a boost, but will also consume lesser energy.

According to the information shared by HGST, the helium-filled increased-capacity drives – which will likely be launched in 2013 – will allow for greater density in both platters and bits; thereby paving the way for cooler running and more energy-efficiency.

As per a statement by HGST – which was formerly called Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, till its March acquisition by Western Digital -, the new design of the helium-filled HDDs will bring about a significant reduction in “total cost of ownership."

Drawing attention to the fact that the design of the new storage products essentially pivots around helium-filled sealed drive enclosures, HGST has asserted that – with helium’s density being one-seventh of regular air’s density - the new technology helps reduce the required mechanical power by 23 percent, as less force is exerted on the spinning disks of the drive.

With the new HDDs capable of fitting seven platters into a typical 3.5-inch form factor, instead of the standard five platters, HGST claims that the increased storage capacity leads to a 45 percent improved power consumption on a watts-per-terabyte basis. In addition, the company also said that “less acoustic noise” will be emitted by the new helium-filled HDDs as compared to the existing models.