The 146 GB Savvio 15K.2 is a refresh of Seagate's 73 GB 15K drive. The latest drive is also available with 73 GB of storage, has a SAS interface, and runs at speeds of 6 Gbps. It is designed for RAID configurations and provides up to 115% greater system-level performance when compared to systems based on 3.5-inch server-class drives, according to Seagate.

The new drive follows by about four months the introduction of the 10,000 RPM drive called the Sawio 10K3, which is also a 2.5-inch model and is a refresh of the Savvio 10K.2. The smaller form factor makes it possible to integrate more drives into smaller chassis sizes.

The 15K.2, which is available with an optional self-encrypting drive, consumes 70% less power than competing 3.5-inch drives, the company said. The Savvio line is part of what Seagate calls its "unified storage architecture," which combines a serial attached SCSI interface, or SAS; a small form factor and self-encrypting capabilities in a drive. Seagate markets 2.5-inch drives as the better alternative to 3.5-inch models in terms of speed and capacity and reducing power consumption.

The speed rates of smaller drives, along with the ability to pack more of them in a server chassis, are luring companies away from 3.5-inch to 2.5-inch devices for enterprise storage systems. IDC predicts that shipments of the smaller drives will outnumber the larger models by 2010.

The 15K.2, along with the recently introduced 10K.3, is scheduled to begin shipping in December. Models featuring self-encrypted drives are expected to be available in the first quarter of next year. Pricing was not disclosed.