WD VelociRaptor 600 GB HDD

The VelociRaptor series of HDDs has matured from the earlier 300 GB capacity,

16 MB cache to the newer, improved 600 GB drive. Though it still operates at

10,000 RPM spindle speed, its cache has been bumped upto 32 MB which helps

faster processing as the disk does not need to keep accessing the main memory

for data frequently. The size of this 2.5 inch drive is actually 3.5 inches

because of the attached heat sink (ice mount as it is referred to) which is

designed to keep the drive cool even at high temperatures, the ones found in

data centers. The new disk operates through the SATA 6 Gbps interface which

helps faster operations.

We observed a marginal increase in the average transfer

speeds of the drive as compared to the previous model in this series, reviewed

in the September 2008 issue. The drive delivers 122 MB/sec with an access time

of 7.2ns. The burst rates achieved by the disk are around 176 MB/sec which is a

major high point in terms of performance. Overall, the improvements in the specs

and performance of the VelociRaptor, make it a worthy component for enterprises.

Bottomline: If you're only looking for performance, then look no further.