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DATABASE

WD Black 4TB - 4TB Storage Goes Mainstream

5/7/2013 6:41:15 PM

Hot on the heels of the enterprise-class RE SATA 4TB (WD4000FYYZ) hard drive’s release, WD came out with another 4TB HDD offering. November last year saw the launch of the WD Black 4TB (WD4001FAEX) which is targeted at non-enterprise users. Like the RE SATA 4TB, the Black 4TB is a 3.5-inch internal hard drive that makes use of the current SATA 6Gbps interface and has a standard rotational speed of 7200RPM.

WD Black 4TB

WD Black 4TB

Some technologies that are highlighted on the Black 4TB include the use of dual processors and dynamic cache, both of which are working to speed up the hard drive’s overall performance. With the help of dynamic cache, the hard drive automatically adjusts the balance between read and write traffics to prevent performance bottlenecks. The Black 4TB also features StableTrac which helps in reducing vibration and stabilizing the HDD’s platters. This setup results in accurate tracking during HDD’s operation and improved performance. For data protection and durability, the Black 4TB also employs No Touch ramp load technology. With this feature, the recording head never touches the disk media and reduces wear and tear of the involved delicate components.

By dismantling the Black 4TB’s printed circuit board, we discovered that it makes use of the Marvell 88i9346-TFJ2 chip, the same controller found on the RE SATA 4TB and the VelociRaptor 1TB (WD1000DHTZ). Coupled with it is a Samsung K4T511630J-BCE7 which serves as the hard drive’s 64MB buffer.

WD is selling for a more affordable price point of $362

WD is selling for a more affordable price point of $362

We began testing the Black 4TB by running CrystalDiskMark on it, where it recorded read and write speeds higher than those of the RE SATA 4TB. These readings are consistent with the HDD’s overall score in PCMark Vantage. However, in AS SSD and PCMark 7, the RE SATA 4TB noticeably dominated in these test categories, registering a better overall score and faster speeds than the Black 4TB. A closer look at the details of the Futuremark benchmarks, the Black 4TB dominated in certain tasks, but there were also times when it was left behind by the RE SATA 4TB.

While the WD Black 4TB is not the fastest, large-capacity hard drive in the market, the ample storage that it can offer is still its main selling point. A hard drive offering positioned toward consumers, WD is selling for a more affordable price point of $362. Given its vast space, decent performance, and reasonable price, we recommend the Black 4TB to those who are into content creation and gaming.

The Black 4TB is equipped with a Marvell 88i9346-TFJ2 chip, the same controller found on the RE SATA 4TB.

The Black 4TB is equipped with a Marvell 88i9346-TFJ2 chip, the same controller found on the RE SATA 4TB.

Coupled with the Marvell controller is a Samsung K4T511630J-BCE7 chip which serves as the HDD’s 64MB cache.

Coupled with the Marvell controller is a Samsung K4T511630J-BCE7 chip which serves as the HDD’s 64MB cache.

Benchmark

The Black 4TB dominated in certain tests, but there were also times when it was left behind by the RE SATA 4TB. Nevertheless, both 4TB HDDs are still outdone by the VelociRaptor 1TB, thanks to its 10,000RPM spindle speed.

Crystaldiskmark 3.0.1 (in MB/s)

WD Black 4TB

·         Read: 153.8

·         Write: 150.5

Seagate Barracuda 3TB

·         Read: 133

·         Write: 132.1

WD RE SATA 4TB

·         Read: 139

·         Write: 137.2

WD VelociRaptor 1TB

·         Read: 184.4

·         Write: 168.3

As SSD benchmarks (in MB/s)

WD Black 4TB

·         Read: 147.83

·         Write: 131.04

Seagate Barracuda 3TB

·         Read: 127.88

·         Write: 110.12

WD RE SATA 4TB

·         Read: 161.83

·         Write: 158.31

Futuremark benchmarks

·         Read: 193.04

·         Write: 188.63

Futuremark benchmarks

WD Black 4TB

·         PC Mark 7: 2159

·         PC Mark Vantage: 5829

Seagate Barracuda 3TB

·         PC Mark 7: 2184

·         PC Mark Vantage: 5316

WD RE SATA 4TB

·         PC Mark 7: 2432

·         PC Mark Vantage: 5630

WD VelociRaptor

·         PC Mark 7: 3420

·         PC Mark Vantage: 8915

Specifications

§  Load/ unload cycles: 300,000

§  User sectors per drive: 7,814,037,168

§  Operating shock: 65G, 2ms

§  Acoustics: 29dBA (Idle), 34dBA (Seek)

§  Operating temperature: 0°C to 60°C

§  Power dissipation: up to 10.4 Watts

§  Dimensions/ weight: 147 x 102 x 26mm / 780g

§  Website: www.wtd.com

At a glance

§  Storage capacity: 4TB

§  Buffer size: 64MB

§  Interface: SATA 6Gbps

§  Spindle speed: 7200RPM

§  Price: $362

Verdict: 8.5

§  Features: 8.5

§  Performance: 8.0

§  Value: 8.5

 

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