
HPE LTO-10 Ultrium 75TB RW Data Cartridge – Q2080A
Tenth-generation LTO Ultrium media for enterprise backup and archival — 30 TB native / 75 TB compressed (2.5:1).
Quick Glance
Key Features
Design
Ultrium Form Factor — HPE Storage LTO-10 media uses Strontium Ferrite-doped Barium Ferrite tape in the standard Purple Ultrium shell: 1,035 m of 5.2-micron tape carrying 15,104 data tracks at 545 kb/inch, built for high-duty library use and 30-year archival retention.
Capacity & Throughput
30 TB Native, 75 TB Compressed — HPE specifies LTO-10 at 30 TB native and up to 75 TB at the standard 2.5:1 compression assumption, 400% more native capacity than LTO-7. Media read speed is up to 400 MB/sec native in full-height drives (300 MB/sec in half-height drives) and up to 1,000 MB/sec at 2.5:1 compression.
Compatibility & Data Protection
Drive & Library Support — Part number Q2080A is HPE's rewritable (RW) LTO-10 cartridge for HPE and compatible LTO-10 drives and libraries. LTO-10 drives read and write LTO-10 media only: HPE's compatibility matrix lists no read or write support for LTO-9 or earlier media in an LTO-10 drive, and no earlier-generation drive reads LTO-10 media. WORM & Encryption — WORM media is sold separately (Q2080W), and native AES 256-bit drive encryption (IEEE 1619.1, FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certified) is supported where implemented by the drive/library.
Detailed Specifications
HPE sources: HPE Store product page for Q2080A (compressed capacity, warranty, archival life, bit density, data tracks, media read speed, tape length, thickness and width, recording technology, media format, product colour, quantity per package); HPE Storage LTO Ultrium Cartridges QuickSpecs c04154430 v32 (native capacity, magnetic material, recording density, native and compressed transfer rates, read/write compatibility matrix, cartridge dimensions and weight, WORM part number). HPE's store page lists the base material as 'Strontium Ferrite' while its QuickSpecs technical table says 'Strontium Ferrite-doped Barium Ferrite'; the QuickSpecs wording is shown. Transfer rates are drive figures that HPE states jointly for LTO-9 and LTO-10.
Best For / Customer Benefits
Customer Benefits
- 30 TB / 75 TB per cartridge — 400% more native capacity than LTO-7, cutting media counts and backup windows.
- Offline, air-gapped medium with a 30-year archival life, keeping backup copies out of reach of ransomware.
- Open LTO Ultrium standard: usable in any LTO-10 drive that bears the LTO Ultrium logo, HPE or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Each cartridge provides 30 TB native and up to 75 TB assuming 2.5:1 compression — 400% more native capacity than LTO-7.
No. HPE's read/write compatibility matrix shows LTO-10 media is read and written only by LTO-10 drives. LTO-9 and earlier drives cannot read it, and an LTO-10 drive does not read or write LTO-9 or earlier media — keep an older-generation drive available if you still need to read older tapes.
Yes — write-once WORM media is available separately as Q2080W, and native AES 256-bit drive encryption (IEEE 1619.1, FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certified) is supported where implemented by the drive/library.
Yes. LTO Ultrium is an open standard, and HPE states its LTO Ultrium media may be used with any non-HPE tape device that bears the LTO Ultrium logo.
Still not sure? Reach out to us.
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