WD, a Western Digital company and a world leader in storage, today announced a new 3.5-inch SAS hard drive solution for legacy datacenter storage systems with the release of the WD XE, 2.5-inch, 10,000 RPM SAS hard drive, now available mounted in a 3.5-inch WD performance adapter. Shipping immediately, the WD XE hard drives provide best-in-class performance, low power consumption, and an easier upgrade path for existing 3.5-inch storage systems.

While demand for 3.5-inch, high-performance enterprise-class hard drives slows, a need remains for an alternate high-performance storage device as a transitional solution for legacy systems. WD XE hard drives offer best-in-class sequential performance and provide a compelling upgrade for datacenters migrating away from legacy drives nearing end-of-life."Delivering up to 50 percent higher capacity, similar or better maximum sequential performance, higher reliability and up to 67 percent lower power consumption versus 3.5-inch, 15,000 RPM drives, the new WD XE drives are the answer for data center server and storage solutions needing a transition strategy," said Rich Rutledge , senior vice president of WD's datacenters business unit. "IT managers now have a worry-free migration path to the latest enterprise performance drives from WD, while preserving their chassis and solution investments."

WD XE 2.5-inch SAS hard drives in 3.5-inch performance adapters feature:

Highest performance in its class - WD XE delivers ultra-fast 6 Gb/s transfer rates, best-in-class sequential data rate of 204 MB/s, and outstanding random I/O performance;

Low power consumption - This 3.5-inch SAS drive delivers up to 67 percent lower power versus 3.5-inch 15,000 RPM drives, which can result in substantially lower total cost of ownership (TCO) while increasing capacity and reliability;

Form factor - 2.5-inch drive mounted in 3.5-inch performance adapter for ease of upgrade and ultra-cool operation;

Dual port, full duplex connectivity - Offers higher reliability, performance and data availability by eliminating single points of failure, designed for high-availability datacenter systems;

NoTouch ramp load technology -The recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear to the recording head and media as well as better drive protection in transit; and

Industry's highest reliability rating - 2 million hours MTBF.

Price and Availability

The WD XE SAS enterprise hard drives in 3.5-inch performance adapters, shipping in capacities ranging from 300 GB to 900 GB, (models: WD3001HKHG, WD6001HKHG, and WD9001HKHG); are available through select distributors and resellers. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the WD XE hard drives in performance adapters range from $229.99 to $599.99 USD. WD XE drives are covered by a five-year limited warranty. More information about WD XE enterprise hard drives and limited warranty terms may be found on the company's website at wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=10.