[SOLVED] Does 256MB cache automatically indicate the HDD is SMR?

[Pextaxmx]

or there are HDDs with 256MB cache but still non-SMR (aka CMR) ?

I am wondering the WD8001FZBX (WD black 8TB) I am looking at is whether CMR or SMR. It is amazing to see WD still being so vague about the SMR specification after all those headlines and lawsuits. Still impossible to find any written confirmation for most of their HDD models, including their "Black" products. Why can't they just print SMR on the label with a big bold font?

 

[Lutfij]

Have a read through these;

How to tell a difference between DM-SMR and non-SMR (CMR) drives (HDD) - compare

Your story on WD using SMR in some drives without mentioning it on the spec sheets was eye opening. The WD representative's wording about the suitability of SMR for archival purposes brings up the question of the WD "White" drives that are included in external USB storage offerings. There are many Y

nascompares.com

https://www.extremetech.com/computi...-comes-clean-shares-which-hard-drives-use-smr

 

[fzabkar]

https://hddscan.com/blog/2020/hdd-wd-smr.html

According to the label ...

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Bu096O95L._AC_SL1448_.jpg

... the R/N is "US7SAN8T0". This is also used by HGST Ultrastar 7K8 / DC HC320 models :

https://documents.westerndigital.co...t/cert-agency-approval-ultrastar-dc-hc320.pdf

The datasheet states that these HGST models use "conventional magnetic recording (CMR) technology".

https://inside.littlebit.ch/files/IN/Assets/Docs/DS_HGS_HGS-0B36400_01_ENU.pdf

Strangely, there is no mention of CMR in the product manual:

https://documents.westerndigital.co...t-manual-ultrastar-dc-hc320-sata-oem-spec.pdf

This is an air drive, not helium. There is a vent hole in the cover.