High-performance hard drives from Western Digital earned the highest score possible when tested with the Windows Experience Index utility, a new feature in Windows Vista, WD announced today. The results indicate that the new Windows Vista operating system will run optimally when installed on WD Caviar SE16 500 GB and WD Raptor 150 GB SATA hard drives. The Windows Experience Index measures performance capabilities of PCs and their components and calculates a score telling users how well the operating system will run using those components. WD also announced that all of WD's latest-generation hard drives now are certified to run Windows Vista.

The WD Raptor 150 GB hard drive, the world's only 10,000 RPM SATA drive, and the newest-generation WD Caviar SE16 500 GB SATA hard drive each received a perfect score - a 5.9 - on a scale of between 1 and 5.9. Computer systems receiving a 5.0 score or higher are defined by Microsoft as the highest performers and supporting high-end, graphics-intensive experiences such as multiplayer and 3D gaming and recording and playback of HDTV content.