List of Western Digital model number codes
From Computing Classics Wiki
This is a list of the trailing letter codes in Western Digital main model number codes (for exampe, the "EZRZ" in WD30EZRZ), and their meanings. Models prior to 2005 only have the third and fourth letters (for example, the "JS" in WD2500JS), but otherwise follow the same format.[1]
First letter: Capacity and form factor
The first letter defines the unit of measurement for the capacity preceding it, as well as the form factor.
| Code | Unit | Form factor |
|---|---|---|
| A | GB | 3.5" |
| B | GB | 2.5" 9.5 mm |
| C | TB | 2.5" 12.5 mm (VelociRaptor only) |
| D | TB | 2.5" 12.5 mm (VelociRaptor with IcePak only) |
| E | TB | 3.5" |
| F | TB | 3.5" (Nearline/Red Pro/Black) |
| G | GB | 2.5" 12.5 mm (VelociRaptor with backplane-incompatible IcePak only) |
| H | GB | 2.5" 12.5 mm (VelociRaptor with IcePak only) |
| J | TB | 2.5" 9.5 mm |
| K | GB (prior to 2015) TB (since 2015) |
2.5" 12.5 mm (prior to 2015) 3.5" (Nearline/Red Pro/Black, >= 10 TB, since 2015) |
| L | GB | 2.5" 7 mm |
| M | GB | 2.5" 5 mm |
| N | TB | 2.5" 15 mm |
| P | TB | 3.5" (Purple) |
| S | TB | 2.5" 7 mm |
| T | TB | 2.5" 12.5 mm |
| X | TB | 2.5" 9.5 mm (not used) |
Second letter: Business unit
The second letter denotes the business unit of Western Digital that the drive is designed for. It also indicates whether the drive supports Advanced Format.
| Code | Business unit | Advanced Format? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Desktop PC (Caviar/Blue/Green/Black) | No |
| B | Nearline (Re/Se) | No |
| D | Raptor (prior to 2008) | No (prior to 2008) |
| Self-encrypting drive (since 2008) | Yes (since 2008) | |
| E | Mobile PC (Scorpio/Blue/Green/Black) | No |
| F | NAS (Red) | Yes |
| J | Mobile PC (Scorpio Black) with free-fall sensor | No |
| Surveillance (Purple), China only | Yes | |
| G | Mobile surveillance (Purple) | Unknown |
| H | VelociRaptor | Yes |
| K | Xe | No |
| H | VelociRaptor | No |
| M | Western Digital Internal Use | Yes |
| P | Mobile PC (Blue/Green/Black) | Yes |
| R | Nearline (Re/Se/Gold) | Yes |
| U | Video/Surveillance (AV/Purple) | Yes |
| V | Video (AV) | No |
| Y | Nearline (<= 4 platters only) | Either |
| Z | Desktop PC (Caviar/Blue/Green/Black) | Yes |
Third letter: Spindle speed and cache
The third letter indicates how fast a drive spins, as well as how much cache it has.
| Code | Speed (RPM) | Cache (MB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 5,400 | 2 | Prior to 2017. |
| 256 | Since 2017. | ||
| B | 7,200 | 2 | Prior to 2017. |
| 256 | Since 2017. | ||
| C | 5,400 | 16 | |
| D | 5,400 | 32 | |
| E | 7,200 | 64 | Only used on 3.5" models <= 2 TB. |
| F | 10,000 | 16 | Prior to 2018. |
| 5,400 | 512 | Since 2018. Most models with this letter under-reported their RPM. | |
| G | 10,000 | 8 | Prior to 2018. |
| 7,200 | 512 | Since 2018. | |
| H | 10,000 | 8 | Prior to 2018. |
| J | 7,200 | 8 | |
| K | 7,200 | 16 | |
| L | 7,200 | 32 | |
| P | 5,400 | EM | |
| R | 5,400 | 64 | Purple drives always report this letter, regardless of their actual spindle speed/cache. Instead, the last digit of the capacity carries revision information. |
| S | 7,200 | 64 | Used on 3.5" drives > 2 TB, or 2.5" drives. |
| T | 10,000 | EM | |
| V | 5,400 | 8 | |
| W | 7,200 | 128 | |
| Y | 7,200 | EM | |
| Z | 5,400 | 128 |
Fourth letter: Interface
The fourth letter defines the interface the drive uses.
| Code | Standard | Version/Speed (MB/s) |
|---|---|---|
| A | PATA | UDMA 66 |
| B | PATA | UDMA 100 |
| C | PATA (ZIF) | UDMA 100? |
| D | SATA | SATA-I/150 |
| E | PATA | UDMA 133 |
| F | SAS | 3/300 |
| G | SAS | 6/600 |
| K | SATA (SFF-8784) | SATA-III/600 |
| M | USB-C | USB 3.0/625 |
| S | SATA | SATA-II/300 (Desktop) SATA-I/150 (Mobile) |
| T | SATA | SATA-II/300 |
| V | USB B | USB 2.0/- |
| W | USB micro-B | USB 3.0/625 |
| X | SATA | SATA-III/600 |
| Z | SATA | SATA-III/600 |
See also
References
- ↑ Western Digital. "Model Numbers - WD Internal Drives". Retrieved 14 September 2021.