Western Digital Caviar Blue (500GB) review
in Hard disks
Verdict
Inconsistent performance and a high price - one to avoid.
Review Date: 29 Apr 2009
Reviewed By: Mike Jennings
Price when reviewed: £44 (£51 inc VAT)
Overall Rating
Features & Design
Value for Money
Performance
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Part Code | WD5000AAKS |
| Review Date | 29 Apr 2009 |
| Price ex VAT | £44 |
| Price inc VAT | £51 |
| Overall rating |
|
| Performance |
|
| Features & Design |
|
| Value for Money |
|
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 500GB |
| Hard disk usable capacity | 465GB |
| Hard disk type | Mechanical |
| Cache size | 16MB |
| Spindle speed | 7,200RPM |
| Seek time (ms) | 9ms |
| Cost per gigabyte | 9.4p |
| Noise and power | |
|---|---|
| Idle power consumption | 8W |
| Performance tests | |
|---|---|
| HD Tach burst speed | 101.0MB/sec |
| HD Tach random access speed | 9.2ms |
| HD Tach average sequential read speed | 47.0MB/sec |
From around the web
User comments
Never failed me yet!
Maybe it isnt the fastest or the cheapest but in my view and experience since 1992 WD are the only mechanical HD's that have never failed me so far! Unlike Samsung, Seagate, Maxtor, IBM/Hitachi all have failed me at some point usually within days of the warranty expiring and needing a system re-install! So I take reliability over speed any day and so far so good (last 5 years I've had my WD drives)
By Saurus on 29 Jul 2011 
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