* WD Caviar Black high performance 3.5-inch SATA hard drives combine 7200 RPM spin speed, 32 MB or 64 MB cache, and SATA 3 Gb/s interface for the ultimate in power computing. * High performance electronics architecture features dual processors and bigger, faster caches for maximum read and write speeds. * StableTrac ¿ The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking, during read and write operations. * 640 GB capacity holds up to 128,000 digital photos, 160,000 MP3 files, and up to 77 hours of HD video. * 5 year limited warranty.
Technical Details
* Brand Name: Western Digital * Model: WD6401AALS * Hard Disk Size: 640 GB * Warranty: 5 years warranty * Hardware Platform: PC * Hard Disk Description: Internal hard drive * Form Factor: 3.5" x 1/3H * Hard Disk Interface: Serial ATA * Hard Disk Rotational Speed: 7200 * Buffer Size: 32 MB
Driving Along said: The Blue has 16MB cache vs. 32MB. In real life this actually doesn't make a big difference by itself. What the Black gives you to go along with double the cache is two microprocessors instead of one. The Black also has two motor mounts for stability, one on each end of the shaft, whereas the Blue has only one. All in all the differences in performance aren't going to be earth shattering for most every day use. Large transfers and mixed file access will favor the Black, but it isn't by a huge amount. *** [With Black] you get 5 years warranty rather than 3. The better construction should translate to longer life, but it is too new to know for sure at this point. If you think a better warranty, bigger cache, dual processors, and sturdier construction, and a little better performance is worth $15 then opt for this drive, otherwise get the WD6400AAKS which is a fine drive on its own merits.
The Caviar Black is slightly faster than the Blue in most benchmarks I've seen, but not enough to notice either way. The Black has a better warranty and slightly better technology (two motor mounts, two processors, more cache, etc.). But the Blue is a very good drive, too. Either one should be fine.
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