List of Western Digital model number codes
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. Main model numbers prior to 2005 only use what is defined as the third and fourth letters in this article (for example, the "JS" in WD2500JS), but otherwise follow the same format, though Scorpio drives use different RPM and interface letters to distinguish them from their Caviar counterparts.[1]
Numbers: Capacity
The first two, three or four numbers contain the capacity, encoded as capacity divided by 10. There exist exceptions to this rule, especially where Black, Gold and Red Pro drives are concerned. Interpreting this capacity requires the first letter defined below.
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. The capacity is equal to the number in the model divided by 10 (rounded down in cases where the final digit of the capacity contains additional information, as is often the case in Black and other drives). For example, in the WD5000BEVT, , and the capacity letter, B, signifies GB, therefore the capacity is 500 GB. For the WDC WD101EDAZ-xxTA3Ax, TB, but since the trailing 1 carries revision information (about this drive being air-filled), the capacity must be rounded down to 10 TB.
| 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), uses four digit numbers equalling capacity divided by 1000. |
| 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) | 2.5" 12.5 mm (prior to 2015) |
| TB (since 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 (SSHDs) |
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 (most models) 512e (many 512e Western Digital Green drives, WDC WD80EAZZ-xxBKLBx) |
| B | Nearline (Re/Se) | No |
| C | Video (AV, soldered USB interface drives only) | 512e |
| D | Raptor (prior to 2008) | No (prior to 2008) |
| Self-encrypting drive (since 2008) | 512e (since 2008) | |
| E | Mobile PC (Scorpio/Blue/Green/Black) | No |
| F | NAS (Red) | 512e |
| J | Mobile PC (Scorpio Black) with free-fall sensor | No |
| Surveillance (Purple), China only | 512e | |
| G | Mobile surveillance (Purple) | Unknown |
| H | Raptor X (window special edition) | No |
| VelociRaptor | 512e | |
| K | Xe | No |
| L | VelociRaptor | No |
| M | Internal Use/WD Branded | No (prior to Firebird family) Yes (since Firebird family) |
| P | Mobile PC (Blue/Green/Black) | 512e |
| Q | Mobile PC (Blue/Black), extended availability | 512e |
| R | Nearline (Re/Se/Gold) | 512e |
| T | Mobile PC (Blue/Green/Black) with free-fall sensor | 512e |
| U | Video/Surveillance (AV/Purple) | 512e |
| V | Video (AV) | No |
| X | Nearline | 4Kn |
| Y | Nearline (<= 4 platters only) | No or 512e (varies with model) |
| Z | Desktop PC (Caviar/Blue/Green/Black) | 512e |
Third letter: Spindle speed and cache
The third letter indicates how fast a drive spins, as well as how much cache it has. Note that IntelliPower is understood to be equivalent to 5,400 RPM.
| 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 | 5,400 | 2 MB | Protégé models only. |
| 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 and/or 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 | |
| U | 5,400 | 2 | Used only on Scorpio models prior to the introduction of the first and second digits. |
| 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 (Desktop) |
| C | PATA (ZIF) | UDMA 100? |
| D | SATA | SATA-I/150 |
| E | PATA | UDMA 100 (Mobile) |
| F | SAS | 3/300 |
| G | SAS | 6/600 |
| K | SATA (SFF-8784) | SATA-III/600 |
| M | USB-C | USB 3.0/625 |
| P | SATA (Purple Pro) | SATA-III/600 |
| S | SATA | SATA-II/300 (Desktop) SATA-I/150 (Mobile) |
| T | SATA | SATA-II/300 |
| U | USB mini-B (prior to 2021) SATA (Purple) (since 2021) |
USB 2.0/- (prior to 2021) SATA-III/600 (since 2021) |
| V | USB micro-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.
