On its Web site, WD proudly proclaims that the new Caviar SE16 attains the maximum value for the Windows Vista Experience index: 5.9 points. Until this drive came along, to the best of our knowledge the only drive that qualified for this rating was the 10,000 RPM Raptor. All the other 7,200 RPM hard disks top out at 5.8 points (though even power users would have a hard time noticing any difference in actual everyday use).

The WD7500AAKS runs slightly cooler than the Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 or the Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000. Drive noise is sufficiently quiet that the WD7500AAKS is only loud from inside a well-constructed case when working at sustained peak activity levels. That said, the drive's four platters also mean that it produces sufficient sound to be heard at any time, unless an alarm is sounding somewhere in your immediate vicinity.