Western Digital Velociraptor drives evolve into 450GB and 600GB capacities
If you're a hardware enthusiast then you will have no doubt come across Western Digital's Velociraptor range of high-performance hard drives. Well, these beasts have evolved!
These new Velociraptor drives come in 450GB and 600GB versions. These will be available in a 3.5-inch version that comes fitted to an IcePack cooler (WD4500HLHX and WD6000HLHX), while a 2.5-inch version (WD4500BLHX and WD6000BLHX) are under evaluation by OEMs and will only be available through selected outlets.
Killer speed
SATA 6 Gb/s interface and 32 MB cache enhance the next generation 10,000 RPM WD VelociRaptor making it up to 15% faster than the award-winning previous generation.
Monstrous capacity
WD VelociRaptor SATA drives are available in capacities up to 600 GB, double the capacity of the previous generation.
Rock-solid reliability
Designed and manufactured to mission-critical enterprise-class standards to provide enterprise reliability in high duty cycle environments. With 1.4 million hours MTBF, these drives have the highest available reliability rating on a high capacity SATA drive.
Ultra-cool operation
Consumes no more power than the previous generation WD VelociRaptor while offering double the capacity and higher performance.
IcePack mounting frame
The 2.5-inch WD VelociRaptor is enclosed in a backplane-ready 3.5-inch enterprise-class mounting frame with a built-in heat sink that keeps this powerful little drive extra cool when installed in high-performance desktop chassis.
Rotary Acceleration Feed Forward (RAFF)
Optimizes operation and performance when the drives are used in vibration-prone, multi-drive chassis.
NoTouch ramp load technology
The recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear to the recording head and media as well as better drive protection in transit.
Environmentally conscious
In addition to being ROHS compliant, this generation of WD VelociRaptor is also a halogen-free design.
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the VelociRaptor 450GB (model WD4500HLHX) is $299 and the 600GB (model WD6000HLHX) is $329.