![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
Caviar Black vs RE4: Price diff £10, Support diff?
- Thread starter parityboy
- Start date
The Lurker
Fully [H]
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2001
- Messages
- 21,207
Its an enterprise class drive so you can assume it has improvement that are mostly reliability related. The RMA process will probably be no different but a call to WD will confirm otherwise.
Adidas4275
Supreme [H]ardness
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2006
- Messages
- 5,986
i had 2 RE4 drives fail that were in a 24/7 operation around 2-3 years on both (in a RAID 1)
WD's RMA process is the easiest from my experience. I have owned a couple of the 640gb Blacks and they were good. I got escalating back sectors after about 3 1/2 years and RMAed them both (they were in a raid 0)
WD's RMA process is the easiest from my experience. I have owned a couple of the 640gb Blacks and they were good. I got escalating back sectors after about 3 1/2 years and RMAed them both (they were in a raid 0)
The RE4 is the previous generation (with SATA 3gb/s connector). The RE (without the "4") is the current generation with a SATA 6gb/s connector (same as current Blacks), with larger sizes available than the 4. The connector is only difference between those two that I can see if you don't go for SAS (besides the sizes) and it has no significance. One noted size difference: the RE has a 3GB size available, but the Black doesn't.
Only two other noted differences between the RE/RE4 and Black that I can see: the RE4 has additional anti-vibration electronics & shock sensors. Not a big deal unless you have a ton of them in a giant NAS box or similar. Also, the current RE models (I have one) & possibly RE4s have Advanced Power Management capability (defaults to 128); the Blacks do not. As well as TLER in firmware as you've noted.
Other differences of questionable benefit are posted specs of <1 in 10^15 non-recoverable read errors per bits read, 600,000 load/unload cycles & 1,200,000 MTBF rated hours for the RE/RE4 vs. lower specs of <1 in 10^14 NRRE, 300000 load/unload & no rated MTBF for the Blacks.
Whether those amount to anything in real world usage or not is another question. The warranty is the same for both (5 years).
Only two other noted differences between the RE/RE4 and Black that I can see: the RE4 has additional anti-vibration electronics & shock sensors. Not a big deal unless you have a ton of them in a giant NAS box or similar. Also, the current RE models (I have one) & possibly RE4s have Advanced Power Management capability (defaults to 128); the Blacks do not. As well as TLER in firmware as you've noted.
Other differences of questionable benefit are posted specs of <1 in 10^15 non-recoverable read errors per bits read, 600,000 load/unload cycles & 1,200,000 MTBF rated hours for the RE/RE4 vs. lower specs of <1 in 10^14 NRRE, 300000 load/unload & no rated MTBF for the Blacks.
Whether those amount to anything in real world usage or not is another question. The warranty is the same for both (5 years).
Last edited: