Western Digital Corp. announced it is shipping in volume high-capacity 750 GB Serial ATA (SATA) WD Caviar SE16 desktop-class hard drives ideal for data-intensive applications, high-performance computing and multimedia systems, that deliver high performance with 3 Gb/s transfer rate, 16 MB cache and Native Command Queuing (NCQ).
“Our new desktop hard drive brings together SecurePark for better shock characteristics, StableTrac for better vibration performance, and IntelliSeek to reduce power consumption. These proven features will further WD’s lead as the most reliable desktop products,†said
WD Caviar SE16 750 GB hard drives include the SecurePark technology, which parks the recording heads off the disk surface during spin up, spin down and when the drive is not operating. Unlike other drives, the feature improves non-operational shock tolerance by ensuring that the recording heads never touches the disk surface, reducing head and surface wear and enhancing long-term reliability.
Used on WD high-capacity hard drives and to further ensure reliability, the StableTrac technology was incorporated where the motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking, during read and write operations. Most current hard drive designs feature motors that are only attached on the bottom of the hard drive, which can cause missed read revolutions. StableTrac allows end-user data to be retrieved fast without missing revolutions.
Finally, WD’s IntelliSeek technology proactively calculates an optimum seek speed to eliminate hasty movement of the actuator that produces noise and requires power, which is common in other drives. With IntelliSeek, the actuator’s movement is controlled so the head reaches the next target sector just in time to read the next piece of information, rather than rapidly accelerating and waiting for the drive rotation to catch up. This smooth motion reduces power usage by more than 60% compared with standard drives, as well as quiets seek operation and lowers vibration. Lower power leads to a reduction in heat generation, resulting in greater long-term reliability.
WD Caviar SE16 750 GB hard drives may be ordered on the company’s online store (www.westerndigital.com) and will be available in the UAE, Saudi and Egyptian markets by end of June at all distributors for an estimated end-user price of $ 245.
