Western Digital Red 6TB NAS Consumer HDD Review (Page 1)

Introduction

In what seemed a matter of time, we had an idea WD was right around the corner from releasing their very own 6TB storage solution. While we did not think it would be from the WD Red lineup, it is here and I am sure others are right around the corner as well.

The new WD Red brings to market the very first 6TB purpose built for NAS storage solutions. With this, WD has also increased the bay count to a maximum of eight in a tower installation or 16 bays if you have the new WD Red Pro.

As with all WD Red solutions, the 6TB carries on the 24x7 reliability of the brand, and introduces NASware 3.0, further enhancing compatibility with NAS systems, while offering improved performance.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

Looking at the slide above, you can see the list of features for the new 6TB Red. WD has added StableTrac to the 5TB and 6TB Red models, while keeping with the IntelliPower scheme the Red has always enjoyed. This time around, NASware has been upgraded to version 3.0, as mentioned above, while WD has a focused manufacturing and testing process for the Red lineup.

The MSRP of the WD Red in the 6TB capacity is set at $299.99. In addition to this, WD has released a 5TB capacity for $249.99; both drives carry a three-year warranty.