WD Caviar Green

[Carlosinfl]

I was looking for some new drives for my workstation and noticed WD has a 'Green' edition. Initially I when I saw that because it seemed like they (WD) were jumping on the trend wagon but I was wondering if it's really that much more efficient to use a 'Green' HDD compared to a Seagate 1TB drive or similar speed and storage?

Anyone have any comments and or recommendations?

I am looking for 1TB drives. I would love them to be as low consumption as possible and quiet.

Thanks all!

 

[willyspuddle]

The WD Green HD's are purpose built. The one model is 5400RPM and the other is variable 5400-7200RPM. They are quite, generate very little heat, and use less power than the Blue and Black series. The also park the read/write head when not in use to extend life.

For use as a USB storage device they are excellent. Not the fastest of drives mind you.

Perhaps not what you want as a main drive in a pc, but perfect for NAS storage.

Cheers!

 

[nitrobass24]

Still plenty fast for storage, but i wouldnt install an OS it. because of the lower RPM and parking heads your access times will take longer.

Heres a good thread on power consumption.
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1442303

I have a few and they run cool to the touch.
On my 7200.11 Seagate 1.5TB i burned my self when i pulled it out of my server.

So there is a huge difference in heat produced.
And if those numbers in the power consumption thread are accurate then there is a big difference in watts used. Especially when using multiple drives 24/7

 

[Kenworth]

I have a couple of the 1tb's in my WHS. They work great, are quiet, but I have never measured the power consumption. I left that to the experts and they seem to sip even when they are being used. If you time it right, and live near a Fry's, I bought mine when they were on sale for $59.99. It was a one per customer limit and they were advertised as "Major Name Brand!" but once the word got out what they were, they went quickly. Just a hint.

 

[PC_User]

The Green drives are ideal for storage. While they are relatively slower at 5400rpm, they do run quieter, cooler, and consume less power. This is very good if you plan to use the drive mainly for storage or to stream music/movies. If this drive will house your main applications/games/programs, then perhaps it would be better to go with a Western Digital Black drive.