WD Unveils 6TB HDDs for NAS
First internal one with only five platters and also for desktop
WD announced new additions to its NAS-dedicated line of HDDs.
The RED solution will now be available in capacity
of up to 5TB and 6TB and will also be tailored for NAS with 1 to 8 bays. The
company is pushing larger capacity HDDs to answer the need of enterprise but
also to respond to the consumer’s growing capacity need in a mobile centric way
of life. The company is seeing a future where the NAS becomes the central part
of all storage needs, the personal center taking the place of the PC.
That's the first time WD reveals this 6Gb SATA 6TB HDD with 5
rotating platters of 1.2TB each - a record in the industry - with a leading
areal density for 3.5-inch drives, a 64MB cache, and apparently largely the
cheapest one on the market at $299, and without SMR or HAMR or helium. It's not
the same as the 6TB helium device with 7 disks from its HGST subsidiary. The
most recent 6TB Seagate Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD v4 is equipped with 6
platters. A 6TB unit is now described on WD web site as WD Green WD60EZRX model
for desktop (WD Red WD60EFRX for NAS). But Seagate recently announced it was
beginnng to ship 8TB HDDs.
The new drives are touted as more reliable, more
powerful, less energy-wasting and more broadly compatible. They will also ship
with the new version of the in-house firmware, NasWare 3.0. Each model will come
with a 3-year limited warranty.
WD also expanded its line with Pro versions of their
HDDs. Available in capacity of 2 to 4TB, these disks aim the medium to large
enterprise market. They are compatible with tower and rack solutions and boast a
little extra hardware compared to the consumer-grade lineup. An accelerometer is
implemented to handle hardware vibrations. They run at 7,200rpm and are
compatible with systems with up to 16 bays. They are backed by a 5-year
warranty.
The prosumer version of the RED HDDs is a response
to the needs for long-term reliable and not necessarily large storage solutions.
WD Red 6TB drives have already been adopted by
several NAS manufacturers.