Confusing Model Numbers!!

Chong Warrior · 11 Jul 2007 at 13:34

I've been looking at the Western Digital AAKS range as these seem to be the best. Thing is I've seen reviews of them and they are supposed to use the new perpendicular recording that the Seagates do. I don't think they're for sale yet, am I right?

Yet the 500gb AAKS is freely available and recommended as the fastest 500gb drive. I almost bought one yesterday but I couldn't find any mention of perpendicular recording and after having a read up I find out they don't use this! Yet the new models will. So is the current 500AAKS about to be replaced?

Why give them all the same model numbers? What's the point in having all these confusing numbers if they don't mean anything? :confused:

I'd class perpendicular recording as a pretty big difference and worthy of classing the drives differently surely? Or have I got it wrong and the new ones aren't AAKS? :confused:

Cheers for any help

semi-pro waster · 11 Jul 2007 at 17:24

Western Digital do tend to have confusing model numbers, is it possible you were looking at the KS series of drives? The AAKS drives should all use perpendicular recording that I know of.

Chong Warrior · 11 Jul 2007 at 22:21

semi-pro waster said:
Western Digital do tend to have confusing model numbers, is it possible you were looking at the KS series of drives? The AAKS drives should all use perpendicular recording that I know of.

That's what I thought, hence this post.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-120-WD

semi-pro waster · 11 Jul 2007 at 23:49

That drive has to have perpendicular recording as far as I am aware to be called an AAKS drive as per the WD website so I'd guess for whatever reason OcUK missed that part of the description out - odd though that may be. I'd suggest trying it and if it doesn't match up e.g. not average speed of 60mb/s+ under HDTach or HDTune then I'd think about returning it as it is meant to be capable of that.

Chong Warrior · 12 Jul 2007 at 00:02

Found this:

As for the WD5000AAKS' technology, Western Digital has used longitudinal recording technology (meaning it does not use perpendicular recording), which means that data is stored on the drive in a horizontal orientation (parallel to the disk), rather than vertically (as is the case in perpendicular recording). In any case, this drive improves on the company's previous 500GB models by using fewer disk platters to store its data (three as opposed to four)

Careful

Chong Warrior · 13 Jul 2007 at 12:49

Mod said:
Careful

Fair enough, I suppose that was a bit cheeky

Can anyone else confirm this about the 500AAKS? If it has the new recording tech then I'll go and buy one but I'm not buying into an old tech now with brand new drives just around the corner.

Can't believe it's so difficult to find out this info, there's just nothing out there and that site is only one that seems to mention it. Can't trust just one source.

Come OCUK are they or aren't they??

ByteJuggler · 13 Jul 2007 at 13:49

semi-pro waster said:
That drive has to have perpendicular recording as far as I am aware to be called an AAKS drive as per the WD website so I'd guess for whatever reason OcUK missed that part of the description out - odd though that may be. I'd suggest trying it and if it doesn't match up e.g. not average speed of 60mb/s+ under HDTach or HDTune then I'd think about returning it as it is meant to be capable of that.

That same page clearly states "Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) - The latest generation of WD Caviar SE16 drives employs PMR technology to achieve even greater areal density. (750 GB only) "

So, it's only the 750GB AAKS disks that use PMR at the moment, as per the website.

Slackworth · 13 Jul 2007 at 14:42

ByteJuggler said:
That same page clearly states "Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) - The latest generation of WD Caviar SE16 drives employs PMR technology to achieve even greater areal density. (750 GB only) "

So, it's only the 750GB AAKS disks that use PMR at the moment, as per the website.

Correct. Although the 5000AAKS doesn't use Perpendicular, you will find at the moment it is one of the most popular drives partly due to speed.

Chong Warrior · 13 Jul 2007 at 14:42

Thanks for that mate

Just confirms my thread title really. They surely do this on purpose? :rolleyes:

Slackworth · 13 Jul 2007 at 14:45

Chong Warrior said:
Thanks for that mate

Just confirms my thread title really. They surely do this on purpose?

You're not the only one who is confused believe me. At the minute WD have the following 500GB part codes:

WD5000AAKS - Desktop drive
WD5000AVJS - AV drive ideal for Sky boxes etc (considering bringing these into OcUK at the minute depending on the interest).
WD5000ABYS - Enterprise class with 1m hours MTBF
WD5000YS - Enterprise class with 1.2m hours MTBF

Even half the people we purchase from thought the YS was end of life but in the end it never was.

semi-pro waster · 13 Jul 2007 at 17:28

ByteJuggler said:
So, it's only the 750GB AAKS disks that use PMR at the moment, as per the website.

Ah, I really should learn to read more closely. That said the AAKS drives are still stupidly quick even with older technology.