WD Unveils 6TB HDDs for NAS

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 NAS makers Asustor, I/O Data Device, Qnap, Synology and Thecus.

Prices:

• Red 5TB – $249 (€239)

• Red 6TB – $299 (€289)

• Red Pro 2TB – $159 (€149)

• Red Pro 3TB – $199 (€179)

• Red Pro 4TB – $259 (€239)

Who is going to buy the 4TB unit, at the same price in euro and more expansive in US dollar than the 5TB device?