Western Digital is now shipping the new WD VelociRaptor
1 TB hard drive, the largest capacity 10,000 RPM hard
drive on the market today.
Designed for high-performance PCs, Mac computers and
professional workstations, the WD VelociRaptor drive
will also come in capacities of 500 GB and 250 GB.
WD claims that the drive's enterprise-class mechanics
provide 24x7 durability under high-performance
workloads, and that the drive lacks the
"write-challenged" NAND memory found in SSD solutions.
The WD VelociRaptor 2.5-inch hard drive comes in the
IcePack enclosure, a 3.5-inch mounting frame with
built-in heat sink - a factory customization that fits
the drive into a standard 3.5-inch system bay and keeps
the drive extra cool when installed in a
high-performance desktop or workstation system.
Features of the WD VelociRaptor hard drives also include
a SATA 6 Gb/s interface and 64 MB cache, they employ
Advanced Format Technology to achieve capacities up to 1
TB and features such as the Rotary Acceleration Feed
Forward (RAFF) and NoTouch ramp load technology. RAFF
optimizes operation and performance when the drives are
used in vibration-prone, multi-drive chassis.
NoTouch ramp load technology ensures that the
recording head never touches the disk media for less
wear to the recording head and media as well as better
drive protection when in transit.
WD VelociRaptor hard drives are available now and come
with a five-year limited warranty. Manufacturer's
Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the WD VelociRaptor 1
TB (model #: WD1000DHTZ) is $319.99 USD, the 500 GB
version (model #: WD5000HHTZ) is $209.99 USD and the 250
GB version (model #: WD2500HHTZ) is $159.99 USD.