by 4 reviews.
Western Digital 2TB WD Black Performance Internal Hard Drive HDD Review: Speed, Reliability, and Noise
When it comes to high-performance internal hard drives, the Western Digital 2TB WD Black Performance Internal Hard Drive HDD stands out as a top contender. Designed for gamers, creative professionals, and system builders, this drive promises speed, reliability, and durability. With a 7200 RPM speed, SATA 6 Gb/s interface, and 64 MB cache, it’s built to handle demanding tasks like gaming, video editing, and large file storage. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s dive into the details based on real customer experiences.
Pros and Cons: What Customers Are Saying
1. Performance: Blazing Fast, But Noisy
The WD Black 2TB is a performance beast. Customers rave about its speed, especially when compared to slower HDDs or even some SSDs. One user mentioned that the drive’s 7200 RPM speed and Dynamic Cache Technology made a noticeable difference in their system’s performance, particularly when loading games and large files. Another customer highlighted its effectiveness as a boot drive, stating that it outperformed their expectations for an HDD.
However, the drive’s performance comes with a trade-off: noise. Several users noted that the WD Black can be quite loud during heavy read/write operations. One reviewer compared the noise to "old hard drives from the early 2000s," which might be a dealbreaker for those building a silent PC. If noise is a concern, this might not be the best choice for you.
2. Reliability: Built to Last
Reliability is where the WD Black truly shines. Many customers praised its durability, with one user sharing that their previous WD Black drive lasted over 9 years in a 24/7 operational environment before failing. Another reviewer mentioned that they’ve been using WD Black drives for years without any issues, even in RAID configurations. The 5-year limited warranty also provides peace of mind, making it a solid investment for long-term use.
That said, one user pointed out that the drive’s reliability depends on proper cooling. When installed in a high-airflow case, the drive performs flawlessly. However, packing multiple drives too closely together without adequate ventilation can lead to heat issues. So, if you’re planning to use this drive in a cramped setup, make sure to prioritize airflow.
3. Usability: Easy to Install, But Formatting Can Be Tricky
Most customers found the WD Black easy to install, with one user detailing their seamless experience of replacing an old drive with this one. They appreciated the straightforward process of formatting and transferring data, which took just a few hours. However, a few users noted that the drive’s initial setup can be confusing for those unfamiliar with formatting large-capacity drives. One reviewer mentioned that their 8TB drive initially showed up as 1.3 TB until they formatted it, suggesting that Western Digital could include clearer instructions for first-time users.
4. Value for Money: Worth the Investment
While the WD Black is more expensive than some competitors, customers agree that it’s worth the price. Its combination of speed, reliability, and warranty makes it a standout choice for those who need a high-performance HDD. One user even opted for the WD Black over a cheaper SSD and HDD combo, citing its balance of performance and storage capacity as the deciding factor.
Conclusion: Is the WD Black 2TB Worth It?
The Western Digital 2TB WD Black Performance Internal Hard Drive HDD is a powerhouse that delivers on its promises. Its blazing-fast speed, exceptional reliability, and 5-year warranty make it an excellent choice for gamers, professionals, and anyone who needs a dependable storage solution. However, its noise levels and heat sensitivity might be drawbacks for some users.
Final Verdict: If you’re looking for a high-performance HDD that can handle heavy workloads and last for years, the WD Black is a fantastic choice. Just be prepared for some noise and ensure proper cooling in your setup. For those prioritizing silence or working with limited space, you might want to explore quieter or more compact alternatives. Overall, the WD Black earns its reputation as a top-tier internal hard drive.
Specification Western Digital 2TB WD Black Performance Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD2003FZEX:
Comments from Amazon:
I have had this drive for a couple months now and honestly couldn't be more satisfied. I settled on this as a compromise since i was originally going to get a cheap SSD for a boot drive and a Seagate Barracuda 2TB for mass storage but decided that a WD Black 2TB would be a good blend between reliability, performance, storage, and overall cheaper rather than the SSD route. The moment i fired my new build up with this thing in it the increase in speed was very much noticeable and welcoming. If i was to complain about anything it would have to be how loud this thing gets in heavy read/write situations. This thing is very loud so if you are making a computer with silence as a priority then you should steer clear of this drive but if you don't mind a bit of noise this thing will do everything you ask of it and the noise i feel is a more than acceptable trade off for the performance and reliability you get with this HDD. Great for reliable mass storage and a fantastic boot drive for an HDD in this day and age. Definitely worth the money 10/10
Has worked well for over a year.
I've had a lot of hard drives over the years, but the reliability in performance of Western digital black drives stands above the rest. Yes you can spend less money on a drive the same size, but sometimes you get what you pay for. When you get a Western digital black you get a longer warranty and faster speeds. These drives are fast, quiet, and reliable. I bought this to replace a failed Western digital black 2 terabyte drive of the same model, that was part of a raid array. Mind you, when I say that that drive failed, it did so honorably after 9.27 years of uptime in computers that were left running 24/7. I still have three more identical drives that are the same age, and still working fine. That's well beyond the 5-year warranty. I say computers, with a plural, because when I upgraded to a new computer I continued to use my old, and still functioning WD black hard drives. So with any luck, this new drive will last as long as the old one did, or more. I don't have any heat issues with these, but then again I have a high air flow case, and the drives are installed with fans blowing over them. I did try it one point mounting several drives very close together and and enclosed space, and I did run into heat issues. As long as you have reasonable air flow and you don't pack them too close together, they're not going to get too hot. I know in this day and age still using hard drives is kind of antiquated, but depending on what you use them for and how you use them, they can still have some benefits. I use these in a raid configuration consisting of five identical drives that contain a raid 0 array and a raid 5 array. This way I have the benefit of speed over data protection for one volume, and the benefit of data protection over speed for the other.
It’s a great device, but the loud noise it makes when you’re using the hard drive is a bit distracting. It reminds me of the old hard drives from the early 2000s.
I needed a little more storage space for my gaming system and didn't want to reinstall the OS. I decided on this drive as I've had good luck with them in the pass. This time I selected the 2 TB Black drive mainly due to the 7200 rpm speed and it would go well to replace a 160 gig drive I had a few things on. (Turned out I had more on there than I thought.) Anyway, installation was a matter of pulling the SATA Blue Ray burner out and then moving the old drive to the slot the Blue Ray had been in, which I did after taking the system into my work table in the kitchen where I do all my in case work. I did the switch as the old drive had stuff on it I wanted moved to the new drive. Once I got the new drive installed, I laid the old drive on top of the new drive after placing some cardboard in between to make sure the old drive wouldn't contact the old one and possibly cause a short. I then plugged up everything (KB, mouse, monitor, etc..), and cranked up Windows to activate the new drive and format it. These two things went off without a hitch and after changing the drive letter on the old drive to F, as I had four drive on of the system, and changing the new drive's letter to E, as the old one had been, I proceeded to move all the folders one at a time from the old drive to the new drive. by using cut and paste. Since the old drive had a number of item that weren't installed but merely copied to the drive this went fairly speedily until I got to the Program Files (x86) folder which turned out to be 101 gigs in size. An hour later, I had it all moved without a single error being reported. After checking the new drive by running a few things from it and making sure that all had copied off OK, I formatted the old drive and powered down the system and removed it and reinstalled the Blue Ray burner again and cranked things up again. The system came up running without a problem and the new 2 TB drive is now running as drive E on a three HD with burner system. I moved the system back into the Computer Room and hooked it up and so far all's well. I have gotten good results with WD drives and if I have to replace a drive or upgrade one to a larger capacity I usual get WDs. An increase in storage space and well worth the price.
I've bought quite a few WD Black drives over the last several years & maybe I've been lucky, but they've all been genuine retail drives and had Warranties when I've check on WD's website. This 10TB drive is no exception, I checked WD's website as soon as it arrived and it shows a warranty until 9th Jan 2030. I have 6 of these of various sizes, between 4TB and 10TB and none of these have had any issues so far, they're mostly North of 30,000 hours now.
Note: 8TB HDD drives when you inltialize them show as a 1.3 TB or 1.4 TB its like that until you format it only then does is show up as a 8TB hdd on the PC. I don't normaly get drives this big. Manufacture should have a note in it about formatting in windows. It would save a lot on send backs on drives. Came on time, worked good, package was so-so. Seems Amazon's automatic bag sealer - it comes in will tear open very easy in shipment poor sealing needs some adjustments. Backup software worked great with this HDD, real fast.