Before the era of affordable SSDs, WD’s 1TB, 10,000 RPM VelociRaptor internal hard drive line was the storage solution enthusiasts coveted. Now that SSDs have fully supplanted it’s place as the most powerful consumer-level storage option, it’s still a fast hard drive that’s much more affordable than it used to be. So if you need a lot of space for cheap, or are perhaps just a little nostalgic, today’s Newegg deal- which slashes the VelociRaptor down to $45.99, is for you.
Normally selling for $59.99, the WD1000CHTZ VelociRaptor Internal HDD offers 1TB of storage with a 10,000 RPM spin speed and a 64MB cache. These are the same specs as the more expensive WD1000DTHZ that we reviewed way back in 2012, although the WD1000CHTZ doesn’t include the icepack heat sink of its more expensive brother. For that trade off, though, this version of the VelociRaptor is an inch thinner at 2.5 inches x 15mm.
Even the best SSDs that offer 1TB of storage still cost at least twice as much as the VelociRaptor, giving it a space in the market even years later. For instance, it’s not uncommon to have one SSD for programs that need to boot fast, and 1 HDD for data that doesn’t require speed. At 10,000 RPM, though, the VelociRaptor still continues to be faster than other hard drives- most other 1TB HDDs in this price range have a spin speed of 7,200 RPM.
So, if you’re looking for cheap, bulk storage that still doesn’t lose on speed, the VelociRaptor continues to be relevant despite its prehistoric age.
