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In the market for drives and computer memory storage, Western Digital (WD) has long been a dominant force. The drives in their color series are some of the best on the market. For gaming, video surveillance, data backups, RAID storage arrays, servers, and data centers, high-end users rely on WD Red drives, Gold drives, and other colored alternatives. Both WD Red and WD Gold provide valuable features for a variety of applications, but there are clear and important distinctions between the two.
Let’s compare the well-known WD Red vs. Gold drives from Western Digital to see how they differ and compare to one another. You can decide which drive is the greatest fit for your application after reading our comparison. Before purchasing a WD Red or Gold hard drive, be aware of the following main differences.
WD Red vs. Gold: Side-by-Side Comparison
| WD Red | WD Gold | |
|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | 2.5 and 3.5 inches | 3.5 inches |
| Storage | 2-6TB | 1-22TB |
| RPM | 5400 | 7200 |
| Cache | 256MB | 128-512MB |
| MTBF | 1 million hours | 2.5 million hours |
| Transfer Rate | 128MB per second | 269MB per second |
| Power Consumption | 4.8 watts | 7 watts |
| Price | $59.99-$300.00 | $50-$1,000 |
| Warranty | 3 years | 5 years |
| Designed Use | Storage and file sharing | Enterprise servers and data centers |
Western Digital Red vs. Gold: What s the Difference?
Despite the fact that there are many different brands and sizes of computer drives, they may all appear to have the same features. When additional storage or backup capacity is required, it is becoming more and more common to use portable SSDs rather than internal hard drives. For corporate users, this can be a major error.Another well-liked method for fast increasing storage capacity is external hard drives.
Here, we compare WD Red and Gold so that you can understand the main differences before making a purchase. The WD Red and WD Gold both come in a number of newer variants, as discerning consumers will see. When possible, our evaluation includes a variety of features from the available alternatives and contrasts the basic items.
Form Factor
The physical size of the drive is known as the form factor. This decides what size disk you need to install in the drive bay of your computer. WD Red comes in 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch capacities since it is frequently used in laptops and home computers. WD Gold is only offered in 3.5-inch diameters and is frequently utilized in larger frames.
Storage Options
Several storage choices are available for Western Digital drives. Storage sizes for WD Red include 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, and 6TB. WD Gold comes in storage capacities of 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB, 16TB, 18TB, 20TB, and 22TB because it is employed in much larger and more complicated applications.
RPM
RPM, which stands for revolutions per minute, counts how many times the drive itself revolves in a minute. More rapid RPM rates equate to quicker data access and processing. The rotational speeds of WD Red and Gold are 5400 and 7200, respectively.
Cache
The cache on your drive enables it to keep frequently used data nearby for quicker processing. The disk runs faster and more smoothly when the cache is larger. Caches on the WD Gold hard drive range from 128 to 512 MB, depending on the capacity you select. The WD Red can easily handle the majority of common tasks because to its 256MB cache.
MTBF Rating
Mean Time Between Failures is referred to as MTBF. This rating evaluates a drive’s construction, functionality, and anticipated lifespan. Your workplace network will be up and running for longer with fewer problems if you choose WD Gold drives, which have a higher MTBF factor than Red (2.5 million hours) and can support up to a staggering 550TB per year in sustained operation. For personal PCs or small enterprises, WD Red still offers a decent rating of 1 million hours.
Data Transfer Rate
Actually, the transfer rate of a disk is what indicates how fast and how hard it is working. The drive’s best-use alternatives are also determined by the transfer rate. The WD Gold can execute more and more quickly operations on an enterprise level because to its data transfer rate of up to 269MB per second. With more downtime in between, lighter loads are better suited to WD Red’s slower rate of 128MB per second.
Power Consumption
How hard a hard drive must work will determine how much electricity it uses. WD Red and Gold drives operate at cool temperatures under typical loads and are not power hogs. Gold draws 7W while Red draws 4.8W. Gold’s greater capacity and transfer rate for larger, more complicated jobs are thought to be the cause of the discrepancy.
Price
Most home computer builders or small enterprises may easily afford the pricing for the whole line of WD Red drives. The price range for the entry-level WD Red is $50–110, while that for the Plus and Pro is $200–300.
Users receive what they pay for with WD Gold drives, which are more expensive than Red drives. Gold drives come in a variety of capacities, ranging from 1TB for roughly $50 to 22TB for over $1000.
Warranty
Western Digital is a top-notch, trustworthy business that stands behind its goods. Under normal use circumstances, the WD Red and Gold guarantees correspond to their estimated lifetimes. The warranties for Red and Gold are three and five years, respectively.
Designed Use
The WD Red offers a wide range of capacities and exceptional reliability. On network devices, it works best for file storage and backups. They are frequently seen in Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Redundant Array of Independent Discs (RAID) arrays for secure backups. There is a WD Red drive accessible for your needs thanks to its low power consumption and a respectable selection of various capacities.
Hard drives made by WD Red work well for home computers and small enterprises. Due to their decent operating cache and write speed, they can handle the average workload and storage demands without overheating. The Red Plus and the Red Pro are further WD Red variants. Upgrade to these for larger businesses with higher network demands.
It is an enterprise drive, the WD Gold. For servers operating in demanding conditions, this more expensive drive is the ideal option. It is offered in large capacity to provide higher sustained transfer speeds and continuous computing commands. The faster transfer speed and higher RPM do not require significantly more power than the Red.
The drive’s operations are made easier by WD Opti NAND technology, and an additional layer of data loss prevention is provided by the Armor Cache. Additional Vibration Protection Technology also enhances performance and lengthens the life of the drive.
