[SOLVED] WD Black 6TB two different specs 128 MB vs 256 MB cache, both CMR

[MKBL]

I found two different specs for WD Black 6TB HDD.

WD6004FZWX with 128 MB cache and WD6003FZBX with 256 MB cache. They are both listed as CMR. What is the effect of the different cache sizes? Any real world pros and cons?

 

[fzabkar]

Wow, you've opened a can of worms.

The short answer is that one is a native WD model, the other is a native HGST model. The HGST model comes in two flavours, one with 8 heads, the other with 10 heads. The WD model has 8 heads.


The long story:

I found two versions of the WD6003FZBX -- WD6003FZBX-00K5WB0 and WD6003FZBX-00GXAB0. These are from two different families, WDVL6 and WDVL8. Both drives are based on HGST's firmware architecture, and both have a WWN that begins with 5000CCA. One has 8 heads, the other has 10.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Name

This info comes from WD's warranty checker:

https://support-en.wd.com/app/warrantystatusweb

Serial Number    Warranty Status     Model Number    Description    Warranty Expiration Date*
V8KG6NXR    IN LIMITED WARRANTY    WD6003FZBX-00K5WB0    WDVL6 7200 256M SATA3 6GB/S 6.0 TB 8HD STD HGST    20-Mar-2025
V8KGSNXR    IN LIMITED WARRANTY    WD6003FZBX-00K5WB0    WDVL6 7200 256M SATA3 6GB/S 6.0 TB 8HD STD HGST    24-Mar-2025
VAJVNNYL    IN LIMITED WARRANTY    WD6003FZBX-00GXAB0    WDVL8 7200 256M SATA3 6GB/S 6.0 TB 10HD STD HGST 21-Dec-2024

PC HA710
R/N US7SAN8T0
WWN 5000CCA099E84E45

Two examples:

https://image.made-in-china.com/155...pm-Internal-Hard-Drive-Wd6003fzbx-SSD-HDD.jpg

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sKMAAOSwQRNg~aS9/s-l1600.jpg

The WD6004FZWX-00BKVA0 belongs to the AvalonC family. It has native WD firmware architecture. The PCB is a WD PCB, 2060-810032. It is labelled as a "gaming hard drive". It has 8 heads. The WWN begins with 50014EE.

Serial Number    Warranty Status     Model Number    Description    Warranty Expiration Date*
AD01YR6L    IN LIMITED WARRANTY    WD6004FZWX-00BKVA0    AVALONC 7200 128M SATA3 6GB/S 6.0 TB 8HD STD    8-Dec-2027

PC HA710
R/N 810032
gaming HDD
WWN 50014EE26A66E483

Here is one example:

https://scontent.fsyd4-1.fna.fbcdn....i_EIUWuL5mP287N6WtB7s56_NZGFZ-hEg&oe=64057204

 

[MKBL]

Wow, you've opened a can of worms.

The short answer is that one is a native WD model, the other is a native HGST model. The HGST model comes in two flavours, one with 8 heads, the other with 10 heads. The WD model has 8 heads.


The long story:

I found two versions of the WD6003FZBX -- WD6003FZBX-00K5WB0 and WD6003FZBX-00GXAB0. These are from two different families, WDVL6 and WDVL8. Both drives are based on HGST's firmware architecture, and both have a WWN that begins with 5000CCA. One has 8 heads, the other has 10.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Name

This info comes from WD's warranty checker:

https://support-en.wd.com/app/warrantystatusweb

Serial Number    Warranty Status     Model Number    Description    Warranty Expiration Date*
V8KG6NXR    IN LIMITED WARRANTY    WD6003FZBX-00K5WB0    WDVL6 7200 256M SATA3 6GB/S 6.0 TB 8HD STD HGST    20-Mar-2025
V8KGSNXR    IN LIMITED WARRANTY    WD6003FZBX-00K5WB0    WDVL6 7200 256M SATA3 6GB/S 6.0 TB 8HD STD HGST    24-Mar-2025
VAJVNNYL    IN LIMITED WARRANTY    WD6003FZBX-00GXAB0    WDVL8 7200 256M SATA3 6GB/S 6.0 TB 10HD STD HGST 21-Dec-2024

PC HA710
R/N US7SAN8T0
WWN 5000CCA099E84E45

Two examples:

https://image.made-in-china.com/155...pm-Internal-Hard-Drive-Wd6003fzbx-SSD-HDD.jpg

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sKMAAOSwQRNg~aS9/s-l1600.jpg

The WD6004FZWX-00BKVA0 belongs to the AvalonC family. It has native WD firmware architecture. The PCB is a WD PCB, 2060-810032. It is labelled as a "gaming hard drive". It has 8 heads. The WWN begins with 50014EE.

Serial Number    Warranty Status     Model Number    Description    Warranty Expiration Date*
AD01YR6L    IN LIMITED WARRANTY    WD6004FZWX-00BKVA0    AVALONC 7200 128M SATA3 6GB/S 6.0 TB 8HD STD    8-Dec-2027

PC HA710
R/N 810032
gaming HDD
WWN 50014EE26A66E483

Here is one example:

https://scontent.fsyd4-1.fna.fbcdn....i_EIUWuL5mP287N6WtB7s56_NZGFZ-hEg&oe=64057204

Thank you for the thorough information. I wouldn't be able to discover this on my own.

 

[falcon291]

2 years of warranty? For WD Blacks? Years ago it was 6 years of warranty for Blacks, if they limited it for 2 years, it seems fishy at least.

 

[Rokinamerica]

I found two different specs for WD Black 6TB HDD.

WD6004FZWX with 128 MB cache and WD6003FZBX with 256 MB cache. They are both listed as CMR. What is the effect of the different cache sizes? Any real world pros and cons?

The simplest way I can describe it is: More cache means it can store more in the cache so it can access more data faster. More cache is always better.