Western Digital is selling an HDD in Japan that uses the SATA 6.0 Gbps interface.
TechConnect reports that over in Japan, hard drive manufacturer Western Digital has introduced a new Caviar Black model that uses the speedy SATA 6.0 Gbps interface. Codenamed WD1002FAEX, the 3.5-inch, 1 TB drive has a 64 MB buffer memory, and operates at 7200 rotations per minute (RPM). The drive also features a sound output of 33 dBA while seeking.
Legit Reviews adds to the report, translating information provided by Japanese website Akiba. According to the site, WD's new drive has a maximum internal transfer rate of 126 MB/s. The drive also consumes 6.8 W of power during an active state, 0.7 W while in sleep mode.
Right now WD is selling the WD1002FAEX drive for 10,000 yen-- that's roughly around $111 USD, making it slightly more expensive than the SATA 3.0 Gbps model (WD1001FALS).
Currently there's no indication that the drive will hit the States, however this is a good indication that a new wave of SATA 6.0 Gbps drives from WD could be on the horizon soon.
I thought SSDs were the only things that could truly take advantage of the increased bandwidth.
It's not that I'm not happy that we keep pushing the envelope with technology, but I couldn't imagine spending more on a drive when I couldn't take advantage of it.
I thought SSDs were the only things that could truly take advantage of the increased bandwidth.
It's not that I'm not happy that we keep pushing the envelope with technology, but I couldn't imagine spending more on a drive when I couldn't take advantage of it.
+1. Well said. Hell some really high end SSDs in RAID could probably swamp up SATA III in a year or two.