by 6 reviews.
Western Digital 2TB WD Blue PC Internal Hard Drive HDD Review: A Reliable Storage Solution?
When it comes to internal hard drives, Western Digital (WD) has long been a trusted name in the industry. The Western Digital 2TB WD Blue PC Internal Hard Drive HDD is no exception, offering a blend of reliability, performance, and value. With a 5400 RPM speed, SATA 6 Gb/s interface, and 64 MB cache, this 3.5-inch drive is designed for everyday computing needs, whether you're upgrading your desktop or building a new PC. But how does it hold up in real-world use? Let’s dive into the details based on customer feedback.
Pros and Cons: What Customers Are Saying
Storage Capacity and Performance
The 2TB storage capacity is one of the standout features of this drive, offering ample space for files, applications, and multimedia. Customers have praised its ability to handle large amounts of data without breaking a sweat. One reviewer mentioned, "Storage is huge. So far working great." Another user highlighted its suitability for passive backup storage, stating, "I highly recommend these WD Blue drives for passive backup storage."
However, some users reported performance issues. One customer noted that their high-end workstation PC booted significantly slower after installing the drive, taking about a minute instead of the usual 5-20 seconds. They also experienced lag when running GPU-intensive programs like Blender and Substance Painter. While this might not be a dealbreaker for average users, power users might find it frustrating.
Durability and Reliability
Western Digital is known for its durable products, and the WD Blue is no exception. One long-time WD customer shared their experience, saying, "I've been buying Western Digital hard drives for storage for about twenty years now... I've never had a single WD drive die on me in my life." Another user recounted how their WD drives survived extreme conditions, including high heat, freezing temperatures, and even earthquakes.
That said, a few customers received defective units. One reviewer detailed their struggle with a faulty drive that only showed 8GB of capacity despite multiple formatting attempts. Fortunately, Amazon’s quick replacement policy saved the day, and the replacement unit worked flawlessly. Another user reported receiving a dead-on-arrival (DoA) drive but appreciated the vendor’s prompt replacement service.
Ease of Use and Compatibility
The WD Blue is designed for seamless integration with desktop PCs, and most users found it easy to install and set up. One reviewer mentioned, "Installed fine and reads exactly as it should." However, some users encountered challenges with formatting. A customer explained that the drive must be initialized as a GPT drive to access the full 2TB capacity. If formatted as an MBR drive, it only shows up as 2TB due to MBR limitations. This is a technical detail that might trip up less experienced users.
The inclusion of Acronis True Image WD Edition Software is a nice touch, allowing users to clone their data effortlessly. One user appreciated this feature, saying, "The free cloning software made the transition to the new drive seamless."
Final Verdict: Is the WD Blue Worth It?
The Western Digital 2TB WD Blue PC Internal Hard Drive HDD is a solid choice for everyday computing and backup storage. Its 2TB capacity, durability, and ease of use make it a reliable option for most users. However, it’s not without its flaws. Some customers reported performance bottlenecks and occasional defective units, though these issues were quickly resolved through replacements.
For power users or those needing faster speeds for gaming or intensive tasks, the WD Black series might be a better fit. But if you’re looking for a dependable, budget-friendly drive for general use, the WD Blue is hard to beat. As one satisfied customer put it, "Excelente calidad, precio y tiempo de entrega."
In conclusion, the WD Blue delivers on its promise of reliability and value, making it a worthy addition to your desktop setup. Just be prepared for the occasional hiccup, and you’ll likely be as pleased as the majority of its users.
Specification Western Digital 2TB WD Blue PC Internal Hard Drive HDD - 5400 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD20EARZ:
Comments from Amazon:
I ordered this a few days back and it came yesterday. I installed it as soon as I got home from work, created a partition in the same way I've done a million times before, but something either went wrong there, which I don't think happened. I've been installing and partitioning drives since I was like 10. I'm not saying it's impossible I screwed up, I'm saying it's very unlikely. The computer I installed it in also booted slow which it shouldn't because it's a brand new, high end workstation PC booting from an M.2 that I built myself to perform very specific tasks. It normally takes 5-20 seconds to boot from dead cold. With that drive installed it took about a minute, which your average PC user probably wouldn't even notice. But I'm not an average user, and I certainly did. It also gave me issues when trying to render with Blender or open CC4, Substance Painter, or any GPU intensive program. Even Halo CE was laggy and that's hardly a dent on my GPUs at max settings. I can play Halo and Render animations at the same time most nights. I'm not sure what that was about, some sort of bottleneck in my machine somwhere, because when I removed the drive and wiped the partition, everything worked fine again. I'm fairly sure there was a fault with the drive itself. I first noticed when it only showed 8gbs of capacity. I've seen USB sticks do this, but it's almost universally because that portion of the memory is unallocated. This was not unallocated, it was simply not present. I tried every formatting and recovery trick I know to no avail. Even tried a few paid recovery programs with no luck. At first I thought I just screwed up, but with each recovery and formatting methods I tried that failed, the more I was convinced I didn't screw up. Finally around 11 or so at night, after hours of trying I gave up and submitted a request for a replacement which came already today. I just installed said replacement moments ago. No issues what-so-ever. Installed fine and reads exactly as it should. So, yeah. I did apparently receive a dud on the first go, but Amazon was quick to replace it and the new one has no issues thus far. WD has always made good equipment and I stand by their HDDs even still. This was the first problem I've had with WD drives in many years, over a decade. I've had VERY old ones become corrupted, but never had one not work right out of the box. Again, I want to stress that this was last night it all happened. Amazon got a replacement to me in less than 24 hours, so yeah. No complaints from me. Everything is working and I'm happy. Would buy again.
I've been buying Western Digital hard drives for storage for about twenty years now, generally all fairly similar to this one. I tend to keep them for about 5-7 years of nearly 24/7 uptime before replacing them (normally because by then I've filled the drive and need a larger one). I've had these drives half-screwed into computer cases bouncing around between the backseat and passenger seat of my car on long moves across the country, rattling around through high magnitude earthquakes, and suffering through high heat and freezing cold temperatures. I've never had a single WD drive die on me in my life, and haven't come across any lemons, although I'm positive they exist. WD has my business for life.
I ordered 4 drives and one was DoA, vendor did a quick return and the new drive was delivered pretty quick Put them in my NAS and they are a great value for the price.
Purchased two of these WD Blue 8 TB drives recently. The second one took almost a month to get here but it finally arrived. Both drives are working flawless so far. I don't intend to use these for gaming or consistent drive activities. Only purchased as storage drives where I can free up my NVMe SSD drives for mission critical operations. The drives must be formatted as GPT drives so you can access the full drive capacity. If you format it as an MBR drive it will only show up as a 2 TB because that's the limitations imposed upon you by the MBR standard. Once you initialize the drive as GPT, you should format it as required. These WD Blue drives yields 7.28 TB of drive space total after it's formatted in it's entirety. Don't forget to assign a drive letter or it may not show up on your screen. I purchased the "ORICO 3.5 USB C 3.1 Hard Drive Enclosure" for the secondary drive so I can use it as an external backup drive. It allows the WD Blue drive to work at it's maximum potential speed of 6Gbps via a 3.1 USB port. Most of the other drive enclosures operate at 3.0 speeds and would make drive backups slower than necessary on a 5640 RPM drive. With that said, I highly recommend these WD Blue drives for passive backup storage. Don't know if you should be using these for gaming and such. There is a reason they offer a WD Black drive for such activities.
product was as decribed, would buy again!
Excelente calidad, precio y tiempo de entrega
Nice hard drive. Storage is huge. So far working great.