Which drive reads which tape
This matters more than any speed or capacity figure when you choose a Quantum LTO-9 tape drive or move to LTO-10, because backup retention outlives drives. A seven-year archive written on LTO-8 today must still be readable by whatever drive you own in year seven. Quantum's LTO-9 web page still says LTO-9 “will be compatible with LTO-10 drives”[src]; its current Scalar datasheet and media datasheet say otherwise[src][src], and we follow the datasheets.
Six cartridge types, 6 TB to 40 TB native
Quantum rates its LTO media for up to 30 years of archival life, builds in a cartridge memory chip of up to 32 KB that libraries use for access and health reporting, and offers WORM cartridges for records that must not be altered; on LTO-10, WORM is only available on the 30 TB (LA) cartridge[src]. It will also pre-label cartridges with your barcode sequence and ship them in library packaging, which saves the unpacking and labelling when a large order arrives[src]. For an LTO-9 order, allow for the one-off calibration each new cartridge gets on first load[src].
Half-height or full-height?
| Half-height package | Suited to | Size (W × H × L, mm) | Weight | Connector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tabletop | Direct connect to a workstation or server | 213 × 58 × 332 | 4.3 kg | Mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644), AC power |
| 1U rackmount | Rack mounting, one or two half-height drives | 480 × 43 × 438 | 6.4 kg | Mini-SAS HD (SFF-8644), AC power |
| Internal | Fitting inside a third-party server | 146 × 41 × 205 | 1.61 kg | SFF-8482 SAS, integrated power |
From Quantum's LTO Tape Drives datasheet. LTO-9 half-height drives use 12 Gb SAS; LTO-8 and LTO-7 use 6 Gb SAS[src]. The 1U rackmount takes one or two drives. Every Quantum half-height drive includes DATASTOR backup software[src]. Quantum's web page lists SFF-8088 for external LTO-8 and LTO-7 drives; we confirm the cable for each SKU.
Keep reading the old tapes while you write the new ones
The Scalar i3 and the SuperLoader 3 take half-height drives, and neither lists an LTO-10 option. For them the move is a new library, and the existing unit can stay on as the LTO-9 restore device. Our LTO generations guide covers the wider roadmap, and the LTO-10 analysis covers when the larger cartridge pays.
Quantum half-height LTO drive specifications
| Specification | LTO-9 HH | LTO-8 HH | LTO-7 HH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media read/write | LTO-9, LTO-8 | LTO-8, LTO-7 M8, LTO-7 | LTO-7, LTO-6 (reads LTO-5) |
| Interface | 12 Gb SAS | 6 Gb SAS | 6 Gb SAS |
| Native / burst transfer | 300 / 1,200 MB/s | 300 / 600 MB/s | 300 / 600 MB/s |
| Power: idle / typical / peak | 11 / 33 / 42 W | 11 / 30 / 42 W | 11 / 31 / 42 W |
| MTBF | 250,000 power-on hours at 100% duty | 250,000 hours | 250,000 hours |
| Non-recoverable error rate | 1 in 10¹⁹ bits | 1 in 10¹⁹ bits | 1 in 10¹⁹ bits |
| Warranty | 3 years limited rapid exchange | 3 years | 3 years |
From Quantum's LTO Tape Drives datasheet, DS00457A-v13[src]. Full-height drives for Scalar libraries are specified in the Scalar datasheet: 400 MB/s native for LTO-10 and LTO-9, 360 MB/s for LTO-8[src].
Buying notes
LTO-9 and LTO-10 want 15–25 °C
Check the SAS port and HBA
DATASTOR is Windows-only
Get LTO drives or media quoted
- We check which of your existing tapes the new drive can still read before you order.
- We quote LTO-10 or LTO-9 media, WORM cartridges, pre-labelling and cleaning cartridges.
- We match tabletop, rackmount or internal drives to your server, with an HBA if needed.
- We plan the partition layout for a move to LTO-10 inside a Scalar library.
Quantum LTO drives and media: common questions
Can an LTO-10 drive read LTO-9 tapes?
No. Quantum’s Scalar datasheet states that LTO-10 does not support reading or writing LTO-9 or earlier generation media. An LTO-10 drive cannot read even the previous generation, so anyone moving to LTO-10 needs a plan for the LTO-9 and LTO-8 tapes they may still have to restore. (Quantum’s own LTO-9 web page still says LTO-9 “will be compatible with LTO-10 drives”; the newer datasheet is the one to follow.)
Which LTO tapes can a Quantum LTO-9 drive use?
LTO-9 and LTO-8 cartridges, read and write. It cannot use LTO-7 Type M (M8) cartridges, and it cannot read LTO-7 or older. If you hold LTO-7 archives, keep an LTO-8 or LTO-7 drive available to restore them.
Does Quantum sell a standalone LTO-10 drive?
Quantum’s standalone half-height range is LTO-9, LTO-8 and LTO-7 in tabletop, 1U rackmount and internal packages. It offers LTO-10 as a full-height drive with 32 Gb Fibre Channel or 12 Gb SAS, which goes in the Scalar i6, i6000 and i7 RAPTOR libraries.
What is the difference between LTO-10 (PA) and LTO-10 (LA) media?
Capacity, and WORM. Quantum lists LTO-10 (PA) at 40 TB native, 100 TB compressed, and LTO-10 (LA) at 30 TB native, 75 TB compressed. Both are LTO-10 cartridges for LTO-10 drives, and the 40 TB cartridge gives a library a third more capacity in the same slots. But Quantum’s media datasheet says WORM is only available on the 30 TB cartridge, so a WORM retention copy on LTO-10 means LA media.
Is a full-height LTO-9 drive worth it over half-height?
In a busy library, usually. Quantum’s LTO-9 brief rates the full-height drive for 300,000 load/unload cycles against 80,000 for half-height, with faster acceleration (10 against 5 m/s²), a shorter back hitch (3.6 s against 5.2 s), more shock tolerance, 400 MB/s native against 300, and Open Recommended Access Order (oRAO), which half-height LTO-9 drives do not have. For one server writing a few tapes a week, half-height is fine.
Why does a new LTO-9 cartridge take longer on first load?
LTO-9 introduced cartridge calibration. On first load the drive spools the tape to bring it into equilibrium with the temperature and humidity inside the drive, then measures its width from beginning to end of tape and stores the result in the cartridge memory, which later reads and writes use to position tracks. Quantum recommends calibrating in the operating environment. Separately, Quantum offers to pre-label cartridges and ship them in library packaging.
Can Servnet supply Quantum LTO drives and media in the UK?
Yes. We can supply and quote Quantum half-height LTO drives, full-height drives for Scalar libraries, LTO-10, LTO-9 and earlier media including WORM cartridges, pre-labelled media and cleaning cartridges, and check which drive you need to keep for your older tapes.
More Quantum products we supply and quote
Related Servnet guides, tools and hardware
Sources
Every specification on this page comes from Quantum's own product pages, datasheets and tech briefs, listed below with their dates. Where Quantum's web copy and a datasheet differ, we use the datasheet. Figures are confirmed against the current revision when we quote.
- Quantum LTO Half-Height Drives · web page, read 29 Oct 2026
- LTO Tape Drives datasheet (DS00457A-v13) · PDF dated 12 Jun 2025
- Quantum LTO-10 · web page, read 29 Oct 2026
- Quantum LTO-9 · web page, read 29 Oct 2026
- Quantum LTO Media · web page, read 29 Oct 2026
- LTO Ultrium media datasheet (DS00383A) · PDF dated 31 Aug 2026
- Scalar Tape Libraries datasheet (DS00559A-v15) · PDF dated 21 Oct 2026
- LTO-9: Raising the Bar Again, tech brief (TB00068A) · PDF dated 29 Jun 2023
Quantum, Scalar, SuperLoader, DXi, ActiveScale and iLayer are trademarks of Quantum Corporation. Linear Tape-Open, LTO and Ultrium are trademarks of HPE, IBM and Quantum. Servnet is an independent UK IT reseller; this page is our own guide to the range.
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