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Manufacturer Warranty
Beyond any applicable Newegg return policy, this item is warranted independently by the product's Manufacturer. Below is a summary provided for convenience only and may not be accurate or current.
Use this link for full details.
- Manufacturer Limited Warranty period (parts): 5 years
- Manufacturer Limited Warranty period (labor): 5 years
Manufacturer Contact Info
Return Policies
This item is covered by Newegg.com's Standard Return Policy.
- Return for refund within: 30 days
- Return for replacement within: 30 days
- Restocking Fee: Yes
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The Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB Hard Drive is top-of-the-line high-capacity drive for your PC, running at 7200 RPM. Its dual processors and breakthrough 32 MB cache is great for high-performance home and business computing, as it can handle high-end data-intensive and multimedia applications.
This hard drive incorporates WD’s Data Lifeguard, an exclusive set of data protection features, including shock protection, environmental protection, real-time embedded error detection and repair. Its mechanism ensures automatic discovery, isolation, and repair of problems which may develop in a hard drive.
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- 5
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- 83%
- 4
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- 7%
- 3
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- 2%
- 2
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- 2%
- 1
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- 6%
| Product Rating: |
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| Total Reviews: |
1115 |
Black vs. Blue
- Pros: Some are comparing this drive to the "Blue" WD6400AAKS, and though they are the same size there are differences. The Blue has 16MB cache vs. 32MB. In real life this actually doesn't make a big difference by itself. What the Black gives you to go along with double the cache is two microprocessors instead of one. The Black also has two motor mounts for stability, one on each end of the shaft, whereas the Blue has only one. All in all the differences in performance aren't going to be earth shattering for most every day use. Large transfers and mixed file access will favor the Black, but it isn't by a huge amount.
- Cons: None, mine is still running flawlessly.
- Other Thoughts: So what does the extra 15 bucks give you? For starters you get 5 years warranty rather than 3. The better construction should translate to longer life, but it is too new to know for sure at this point. If you think a better warranty, bigger cache, dual processors, and sturdier construction, and a little better performance is worth $15 then opt for this drive, otherwise get the WD6400AAKS which is a fine drive on its own merits.
Lightning in a Bottle
- Pros: Quiet
Cool
Lightning Fast
This drive is FASTER than my old WD Raptor WD1500ADFD and has the benchmark numbers from HD Tune 3.10 to prove it.
Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 (fresh install with all updates and drivers)
Intel D975XBX2 w/Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
FYI: this drive will format out to 596GB of usable space under NTFS
Minimum Transfer Rate
WD6401AALS: 59.4 MB/s
WD1500ADFD: 53.8 MB/s
Maximum Transfer Rate
WD6401AALS: 118.4 MB/s
WD1500ADFD: 83.9 MB/s
Average Transfer Rate
WD6401AALS: 98.0 MB/s
WD1500ADFD: 73.3 MB/s
Burst Transfer Rate
WD6401AALS: 125.4 MB/s
WD1500ADFD: 103.4 MB/s
From the end of my BIOS POST screen until I'm at my desktop with a functioning network connection is just over 40 seconds.
EXCELLENT!
Newegg now seems to be shipping this OEM drive wrapped in bubble wrap, so thank you Newegg for listening to your customers on how OEM drives should be shipped!
- Cons: None
- Other Thoughts: If you are looking for a very fast hard drive and don't have the budget for a Western Digital Velociraptor or a good SSD, then this drive is your only other rational choice.
This drive is much easier to live with than my previous second generation Raptor (quieter, cooler, and 4x the space) and feels just as fast, if not slightly faster.
This drive is a steal at this price point, so why not buy two?
| Model | WD6401AALS |
| Interface | SATA 3.0Gb/s |
| Capacity | 640GB |
| RPM | 7200 RPM |
| Cache | 32MB |
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- 5
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- 83%
- 4
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- 7%
- 3
-
- 2%
- 2
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- 2%
- 1
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- 6%
| Product Rating: |
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| Total Reviews: |
1115 |
Packaging
- Pros: I have in the past read a lot of complaints about the packaging of hard drives and I fully agreed with them!!!. This time, the packaging was excellent. The hard drives were packed in buble wrap in separate boxes, which in turn were packaged with foam peanuts in the main box. The drives worked perfectly.
- Cons: None
- Other Thoughts: I hope Neweg keeps it this way...
Perfection
- Pros: Works exactly as you would hope, but much faster than you'd expect. Boots Windows 7 very quickly. Noticeable improvement in seek and load times in gaming. This drive works so well I almost forgot to write a review.
- Cons: Windows XP didn't recognize it automatically, had to run the enclosed software, really no biggy.
- Other Thoughts: Runs very quietly and stays only 3 degrees above ambient. I have hearthstoned to Dalaran without seeing a load screen a few times.
works fine
- Pros: fairly quiet and cool
- Cons: seems fast
| Model |
| Brand |
Western Digital |
| Series |
Caviar Black |
| Model |
WD6401AALS |
| Packaging |
Bare Drive |
| Performance |
| Interface |
SATA 3.0Gb/s |
| Capacity |
640GB |
| RPM |
7200 RPM |
| Cache |
32MB |
| Physical Spec |
| Form Factor |
3.5" |
| Manufacturer Warranty |
| Parts |
5 years limited |
| Labor |
5 years limited |
Introduction
The Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB Hard Drive is top-of-the-line high-capacity drive for your PC, running at 7200 RPM. Its dual processors and breakthrough 32 MB cache is great for high-performance home and business computing, as it can handle high-end data-intensive and multimedia applications.
This hard drive incorporates WD’s Data Lifeguard, an exclusive set of data protection features, including shock protection, environmental protection, real-time embedded error detection and repair. Its mechanism ensures automatic discovery, isolation, and repair of problems which may develop in a hard drive.
Highlights
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High Performance Electronics Architecture
The Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS boasts dual processors and 32MB cache to deliver ultra fast read/write performance.
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SATA 3.0 Gb/s Interface
The Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS features the SATA II interface supporting up to 3.0 Gb/s data transfer rates, Native Command Queuing (NCQ) and hot-pluggable point-to-point connections for optimum performance, efficiency, convenience and flexibility.
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WD Data Lifeguard Technology
Exclusive Data Lifeguard data protection features include shock protection, an environmental protection system and real-time embedded error detection and repair. WD's Data Lifeguard technology automatically finds, isolates and repairs problems that may develop over the life of a hard drive.
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WD ShockGuard Technology
ShockGuard technology instantaneously protects the hard drive against damage from bumps and vibrations during operation. This technology enables WD Caviar drives to achieve industry-leading shock specifications.
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Quick Specs
| Brand | Western Digital |
| Cache | 32MB |
| Capacity | 640GB |
| Form Factor | 3.5" |
| Interface | SATA 3.0Gb/s |
| RPM | 7200 RPM |
| Series | Caviar Black |
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1x Winner of Customer Choice Award - Internal Hard Drives
Reviewed By: Driving Along on 11/26/2008
Tech Level: high - Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
