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
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
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.
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
|
