Western Digital (WD) - names of hard drive lines. Western Digital Red: special HDDs for NAS What is the difference between wd hard drives of different colors

WD is one of the pioneers and long-time leaders in the storage market.
The company designs and manufactures reliable, high-speed hard drives and solid-state drives to help users keep their data close at hand and protect it from loss.

The consumer often faces difficulties when choosing and making the right decision; he has to compare up to two dozen significant characteristics of products of the same class.

Western Digital (WD) has decided to change the name of its popular lines of embedded hard drives for desktops, laptops and mobile devices and assign a specific color to each hard drive family.

Simple color differentiation allows you to clearly link a set of product characteristics to a visual image, minimize the time spent searching for the required product and simplify the selection of hard drives.

The drives are now called WD Blue, WD Green, WD Black and WD Red, each family still has unique characteristics and a corresponding color label.

WD currently offers the following color-coded solutions in the PC storage segment:

WD Blue, versatile drives optimized for everyday tasks;
- WD Green, drives characterized by low operating temperature and noiselessness, which makes these drives ideal for storing archives;
- WD Black, high-performance drives recommended for use in powerful gaming systems and other PCs that require performance;
- WD Red, drives specifically designed to work in NAS systems for home and small offices.
- WD Purple, specially designed for round-the-clock operation in high-definition video surveillance systems.
- WD Gold, drives intended for use in servers and data centers.

At the end of 2015, WD officially announced the unification of the WD Green and WD Blue hard drive lines.
Now WD Blue remains the only family of drives for non-specialty PCs.

There has been no announcement of a change in the labeling and it is currently as follows:

Example: WD20EARX

1.
WD - Western Digital.

2.
2 - 2 terabytes.

From one to three digits, used to determine the disk capacity.
The unit of measurement is determined by clause 4.

3.
0 - parallel.

Recording method.
1 - perpendicular.

4.
E - terabyte/form factor - 3.5".

Unit of measurement and form factor.
A - GB/3.5"
B - GB/3.5" or GB/2.5"
C - 3.5"
F - 10 GB/3.5"
G/H - GB/3.5".

5.
A - Desktop/Caviar.

The market segment for which the drive is intended and the family to which it belongs.
B - Enterprise/RE2 (3-plate)/RE2-GP;
D - Enterprise/Raptor;
E, P - Mobile/Scorpio Blue;
G - Enthusiast/Raptor X;
J - Mobile/Scorpio Black;
L - Enterprise/VelociRaptor;
V - Audio-Video (Audio and Video Equipment);
Y - Enterprise/RE2 (4-plate)/RE2-GP/RE3/RE4.

6.
R - from 5400 rpm to 7200 rpm (IntelliPower - depending on the load on the HDD)/64 MB cache.

Spindle speed and cache size.
B - 7200 rpm and 2 MB cache;
C - from 5400 rpm to 7200 rpm (IntelliPower) and 16 MB cache;
D - from 5400 rpm to 7200 rpm (IntelliPower) and 32 MB cache;
F - 10,000 rpm and 16 MB cache;
G - 10000 rpm and 8 MB cache;
H - 10000 rpm and 32 MB cache;
J - 7200 rpm and 8 MB cache;
K - 7200 rpm and 16 MB cache;
L - 7200 rpm and 32 MB cache;
P - from 5400 rpm to 7200 rpm (RE2/RE4-GP GreenPower) and 16 MB-64 MB cache;
Y - 7200 rpm and 16 MB-64 MB cache;
S/E - 7200 rpm and 64 MB cache;
V - 5400 rpm and 8 MB cache.

7.
X - SATA 6 Gb/s.

Interface.
B - PATA-100;
G - SAS 6 Gbit/s;
E - PATA-133;
D - SATA 1.5 Gbit/s;
S - SATA 3 Gb/s.

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 19.9.2 Optional Driver

The new AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 19.9.2 Optional driver improves performance in Borderlands 3 and adds support for Radeon Image Sharpening technology.

Windows 10 Cumulative Update 1903 KB4515384 (Added)

On September 10, 2019, Microsoft released a cumulative update for Windows 10 version 1903 - KB4515384 with a number of security improvements and a fix for a bug that broke Windows Search and caused high CPU usage.

Driver Game Ready GeForce 436.30 WHQL

NVIDIA has released a Game Ready GeForce 436.30 WHQL driver package, which is designed for optimization in the games: Gears 5, Borderlands 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, FIFA 20, The Surge 2 and Code Vein" fixes a number of bugs seen in previous releases and expands the list of G-Sync Compatible displays.

Today there are four models on the agenda. The smaller capacity is only 1 TB, which is already a minimum in this class: so much fits on just one platter. But they are very different in characteristics, despite the fact that all four models “belong to the pen” of the same company. Let's get to know them better.

Western Digital Green WD10EZRX

A representative of the “green” series with all that it implies - after Seagate refused to produce low-speed models, these remained only in the WD range and in the form of only two families. Red is a completely different story: they are intended for use in NAS and similar equipment, so even on the company’s website they are listed outside the desktop models section. But Green is included in it, and sometimes they are even the main and only ones in the computer. However, as we already know, this is not entirely correct, since the platter rotation speed reduced to 5400 rpm has a disgusting effect on performance, but many are willing to do this for the sake of silence and low power consumption of such models. Moreover, this time we have a hard drive with a smaller capacity than in the previous article, but it has only one platter with a capacity of 1 TB, which has a positive effect on the characteristics mentioned above and increases performance. So let's see how much, taking this model as the base one.

Western Digital Blue WD10EALX

Although in fact the Green series is not the youngest in the WDC assortment. The Blue line claims this role, which can most accurately be described by a line from an old song: I made him out of what was:) In fact, this is true - in the blue family, for example, there are still models with a PATA interface, and the maximum capacity is only one terabyte. However, in the latest modifications (namely WD10EZEX), this volume is achieved using only one plate, so it differs from WD10EZRX only in the spindle rotation speed. But we took a slightly different model: lower density, but without Advanced Format. And let's try to see how a double-plate with a higher rotation speed will look against the background of a single-plate with a lower one.

Western Digital Black WD1002FAEX

If in the segment of laptop drives the “blue” and “black” lines differ very clearly in rotation speed, then in the desktop market there is no such thing. Formally, Black is faster, but today it’s difficult to understand why. Except that the cache capacity differed for a long time, but after the introduction of Advanced Format, 64 MB became the standard for everyone. WD1002FAEX, however, does not use it yet. In general, the technical characteristics of the mechanics are identical to the WD10EALX, but it is superior in cache and, possibly, firmware. So let’s compare these two hard drives in practice.

Western Digital VelociRaptor WD1000DHTZ

This drive appeared on the market quietly and unnoticed, which greatly distinguishes it from its predecessors. Although this is not surprising - circumstances have changed.

The highlight of all Western Digital (WD) drives is the free “Acronis True Image WD Edition” program, which allows you to backup your operating system and data. All WD hard drives are divided into series depending on their purpose.

Different series of WD disks have their own characteristics and are designed for different ways of using them, and to distinguish them they came up with color coding, which is quite convenient. The user can only determine the range of tasks for which the disk will be used.

WD Blue

If you use your hard drive to store travel photos, a wedding album, or a collection of your favorite TV series, then WD Blue is exactly what you need. WD Blue drives are designed and tested to suit your needs and come with a 2-year warranty. Enhanced data protection is based on contactless read technology, which ensures the recording head is securely positioned above the drive surface. This is the most popular low-cost series of WD hard drives with a standard spindle speed of 7200 rpm.

W.D. Green

A series of quiet and economical hard drives. They are also low-cost solutions like WD Blue, but have a reduced spindle speed of up to 5400 rpm. This ensures reduced noise and heating levels. Also, hard drives from the green series periodically turn off themselves to reduce power consumption. In general, they are more suitable for file storage that is accessed infrequently. They are not suitable as the main disk for the system or as a second disk for constant work throughout the day, since frequent starts and stops of the disk lead to increased wear.

WD Black

The WD Black line is designed for advanced users and is perfect for photographers, designers and, of course, gamers. Dynamic caching optimally distributes cache memory to achieve maximum performance regardless of disk usage scenario, even in such heavy tasks as video editing and modern cinematic games. High operating speed is also achieved due to the 2-core processor. The WD Black drive keeps your data safe and comes with a 5-year warranty. These drives are fast, reliable and perfect for use as the main or second drive for gaming and professional PCs.

WD Red

For stable operation of a NAS network drive, it is best to use the WD Red line. The scope of their application is very wide - from home storage or small offices to corporate sites. NAS Hard technology reduces power consumption, increases hard drive performance, and is optimized for NAS storage systems. Media in the Red line are designed for 24/7 load and have a 3-year warranty. They also use power-off technology when there is no activity, which is good for file archives in periodically used NAS, but bad for use as part of a PC.

WD Purple

WD Purple is perfect for working with video surveillance systems, with the ability to connect up to 64 HD cameras in some drive models. This type of drive is considered the best in solving problems with video surveillance, since it is designed on the basis of a network video recorder and allows you to simultaneously record a large number of data streams. Reduced power consumption is a huge plus for systems operating 365 days a year, and silence and minimal vibration are ensured thanks to the Intel SIK system. The manufacturer guarantees 3 years of continuous operation of the drive. The high reliability of WD Purple is ensured by its resistance to external factors and the ability to operate at high temperatures.

WD Gold

It is best to build a data center or server on a model from the WD Gold line. They are thoroughly tested for compatibility with all popular server storage systems and are perfect for both small companies and corporate giants. The dual-drive head positioning system provides faster and more accurate data search on the disk. These disks are designed for a huge number of simultaneous requests from the network.

WD Re

WD Re (RAID edition) drives are specially optimized for operation in large RAID arrays with hot-swappable and expandable capabilities. With this in mind, they are equipped with special RAFF vibration prevention technology and STABLETRAC vibration protection technology. They are not designed for use as the main server drive and many simultaneous accesses like drives from the Gold series, but are more suitable for backup data storage. They have an increased rewriting resource and MTBF, which is important for large data centers. They can also operate at high temperatures and do not cut off power.

W.D. Se

WD Se drives are also designed to work together, but in a small array of 6 to 12 drives. They are more focused on small corporate customers and work in the SMB (file access protocol) segment. These disks are not designed for such volumes of rewriting and time resource as disks from the Re series, i.e. are their simplified and cheaper version. However, they are equipped with TLER array error correction technology and come with a 5-year warranty. They have a lower operating temperature threshold, but they also do not use a power cut.

Hard drive WD WD4002FYYZ
WD WD20PURX Hard Drive
Hard drive WD WD10EZEX

What are the differences between Western Digital drive colors? In this short article we will tell you about all the product series of WD hard drives.

Quiet operation with low power consumption. The budget series of WD Green drives is designed for desktop computers. The disks have sufficient volumes and an attractive price; their rotation speed is in the range of 5400-5900 RPM. Now Western Digital has decided to rebrand the green series, combining it with the blue series (WD Blue). WD Green is no longer produced.

Stable performance and reliability for everyday PC use. WD Blue hard drives are available in capacities from 250 GB to 6 TB, with a rotation speed range from 5400 to 7200 RPM and a cache of 16, 32 and 64 MB. One of the most important innovations in this series was 1 TB magnetic platters, which increased the speed of the disk due to a higher recording density. Among the WD Blue series drives is the Blue SSHD (Solid State Hybrid Drive), which combines the large capacity of hard drives with the speed of a solid-state NAND flash drive. Blue SSHD comes in 2.5" format for laptops and 3.5" format for desktop computers. The former have a capacity of 1 TB, and the latter – 4 TB. The drives are equipped with 8GB of NAND flash memory and use a self-learning algorithm that stores frequently accessed data on the solid-state portion of the drive. Blue HDD and Blue SSHD are connected via SATA 6 Gb/s interface. WD Blue 5400 rpm hard drives WD Blue 7200 rpm hard drives WD Blue Hard Drive Tests

WD Black

Maximum desktop performance. The Black Series is Western Digital's high-end family of hard drives. These drives offer capacities from 1 TB to 6 TB. The black series of drives is known for its reliability and is suitable for both casual users and gamers or advanced users. The latest version of the drive of this family, WD Black 6 TB with 128 MB cache, shows much better results compared to the previous version, WD Black 4 TB. The rotation speed of all disks in this product line is 7200 RPM.

Black series HDDs are some of the most reliable on the desktop computer market. In our tests, the WD Black demonstrated a data transfer speed of 180 Mb/s and an access time of 8.5 ms.

WD Black Hard Drives WD Black hard drive tests

WD Purple

The purple series is intended for video surveillance systems. IntelliPower RPM technology allows Purple series drives to vary their rotation speed from 5400 to 7200 RPM, thereby reducing power consumption and increasing hard drive life. WD Purple Hard Drives WD Purple hard drive tests

WD Red Pro

Productivity and increased reliability. The WD Red Pro Series is designed for Network Attached Storage (NAS) but also works great for your desktop computer. Compared to WD Black, these drives are quieter and more reliable, but also significantly more expensive.

According to test results, the WD Red Pro transfers data at a speed of 180 MB/s, and the access time is 8.5 ms - the same results as the Black series, but the Red Pro are much quieter thanks to the built-in vibration damping system.

Eight years ago, in the fall of 2007, Western Digital Corporation came up with color differentiation of hard drives. More precisely, she came up with a hard drive with Green Power technology, where a relatively low spindle speed (5400 rpm +/- a few revolutions) was combined with a cool disposition and silent operation. This made the drive the best option for storing various digital junk, which each of us has in abundance. WD GP differed from its analogues by its characteristic green label. And its instant recognition gave WD marketers the idea to paint the rest of the models as well. Soon everything became very convenient and transparent: a green label means slow and cool drives, a blue label means vigorous average ones, and a black label means maximum performance. Simple and clear even for those who are not very versed in these computers of yours.

The idea turned out to be so successful that “green” drives soon appeared among competitors. Their pride did not allow them to completely copy the color division, but since then they have at least begun to write on disks - for what needs the latter are intended. Not as simple as label color, but still more convenient than a long, faceless model index.

Years passed. The number of smart devices grew, and, accordingly, it was necessary to introduce additional colors for them. Have NAS become fashionable? WD has released the WD Red line of red-labeled drives that are certified for 24/7 operation. Have video surveillance systems proliferated? And they released WD Purple with a purple label.

Everything seems simple and logical, but in practice it became somehow confusing. For example, should I choose WD Red or WD Green for storage in a regular computer? Or – which color has more associations with coolness and silence, blue or green?

There are too many flowers. People started to get confused again. And WD decided to abandon green.

Here, of course, you can feel sad. How to store terabytes of watched and forgotten films and TV series in the system unit? Where to set up a photo warehouse? Do you really have to install Reds in your computer, which seem to be for NAS (even if, according to rumors, they differ only in firmware)?

Nothing like this. Yes, the green label is becoming a thing of the past. But all WD Green models are moving to the WD Blue family. And they will live and develop there.

Is such a move logical? I think so. For two reasons.

Firstly, there really were too many colors, and a good idea could get lost in the riot of colors.

Secondly, a lot has changed in HDD technologies over the past 8 years. There is no longer a gap in energy consumption, noise and heating between models with different spindle speeds. 7200 rpm can be quite cool and silent. And in terms of speed it differs little from models with 5400, which have a higher recording density. Therefore, the split into blues and greens became quite a stretch.

And now everything has fallen into place again:

WD Blue– this is acceptable speed and reliability.

WD Black– maximum productivity. Everything that can be squeezed out of modern HDDs, and this, I assure you, is quite a lot.

WD Red– NAS drives of various levels, certified for 24/7 operation.
The purple series can also, of course, be installed on a computer, but there is little point in this, there are too many overlaps with WD Red.

Inside WD Blue there are now hard drives with spindle speeds of 7200 and 5400 rpm. How to identify them? Very simple. All 7200 models have an X at the end of their name. All 5400 models have a Z. That is, if the disk is called WD60EZRZ, then it is a 5400, former Green. And if WD10EZEX, then 7200.

Thanks to the merger, the maximum capacity in the WD Blue family has increased sixfold, from one terabyte to six. This is currently the maximum volume for all WD lines, but I think not for long, there will be more.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the WD Blue mobile line. There, too, a similar merger took place, but the spindle speed is the same for all, 5400 rpm, and the differences between the models are in the area of the thickness and volume of the buffer. If you buy one, you should evaluate the space inside the case in advance. Those who choose 2.5-inch models usually advocate miniature, but a 15mm two-terabyte device may not fit into something very compact. I recently had this experience and didn’t like it.

The summary is simple. For us advanced guys who know that a hard drive has a buffer and don’t laugh at the word “spindle,” nothing changes at all. The beloved green models simply turned blue, and that's the only thing that happened to them.

It will become a little easier for normal people in a store (whether online or offline) to choose an HDD, because they won’t see double.

In general, I must say that, despite the popularity of various types of cloud services, the need for home storage is not decreasing at all. And as cloud startups cut out free space on their servers, you can’t help but think about your own cloud. Fortunately, there are enough solutions. I will write about this separately.

P.S. My . I will update it soon according to the new WD labeling.

It might be useful to read: