# Are there any SMR Western Digital 8TB drives?



## Johnny Danger (Dec 27, 2016)

Are there any SMR Western Digital 8TB drives?

The WD Blue and WD Black Series come in the 2.5" form factor. The WD Blue 2.5" HDD series that feature the SMR technology is the 1 TB drive, and the 2 TB drive while from the WD Black 2.5" HDD series only has a single drive that uses the SMR technology, which is the 1 TB drive. All other HDDs in these series use different recording technology called CMR or conventional magnetic recording.










It appears from this list that the SMR are limited to 6TB to lower for these colors of Western digital. However I don't know about other colors.

Does anyone know if Western digital makes any 8TB that are SMR?

Unfortunately the drive manufacturers do their best to hide this information for the most part refusing to publish these specs even if you know the exact model number.
The only reason they even have that is included in this picture is because someone blew the whistle on what they were doing and under enormous pressure published that information recently.

They have the areal density average is 1203 Gb/in2 and other info probably useless to the average joe but not if SMR tech is used which you would need to avoid in RAID NAS ,TIVO DVR, security NVR, etc...

I found a external Western digital 8TB that I may shuck and used for my TIVO but was hoping someone could verify that Western digital does not make any 8TB SMR drives?

Thanks.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

Why in the world would you want an SMR drive for a TiVo? They’re slower and have periodic delays. CMR is better.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

SMRs doesn't work properly in a Tivo.


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## kdmorse (Jan 29, 2001)

I don't think the OP is looking for a SMR drive. I think he wants to make sure there's *no* chance the 8TB he's thinking of shucking is SMR. 

(The larger problem is usually the 3v pin issue if the drive is a white label HGST under the covers, as that won't work unless you're up for a little drive pin surgery).

Regardless, I do not believe there are yet any known cases of shucked external WD 8TB drives that are SMR under the covers, or likely (WD or HGST) candidates to worry about that might be hiding under a white label. (But if WD does start doing SMR 8TBs's, you know the first place they're going to stealth them is in external enclosures)

ie, you're gambling and you know it. But I think the odds of finding a SMR drive in there are as close to zero as you can get.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

Johnny Danger said:


> Are there any SMR Western Digital 8TB drives?


As far as I know no, as of the time of this posting. The chart only lists regular consumer type drives though. They have Data Center type drives also, called Ultra Star. And there are two "types" of UltraStar, CMR and SMR. The SMR Ultrastars are the DC HC600 series. The CMR Ultrastars are the DC HC500 series. The HC600 series, smallest capacity is like 16TB so don't have to worry about an 8TB SMR 600 series. The HC500 series does have an 8TB model, it is the smallest capacity for that line, but it is CMR.

A final interesting note, if you compare R/N numbers on the drives it appears all 8TB and up Purples, Red Plus and Red Pro, are actually HC500 Ultrastar drives. With different firmwares (NAS for the Red Plus/Pro, AV for the Purples.) And some the RPM is somehow slowed down to 5400RPM from normal HC500 7200RPM. Just interesting, check those R/N numbers, they seem to be the same for corresponding size Ultrastar HC500s, Purples, Red Plus, and Red Pro.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

Johnny Danger said:


> I found a external Western digital 8TB that I may shuck and used for my TIVO but was hoping someone could verify that Western digital does not make any 8TB SMR drives?


Should be ok. But the 8TB drives in the Easystore enclosures now are different than they used to be. When I did a couple about 3 years ago I got white label WD80EMAZ. Which is a helium drive I believe (good.) Definitely CMR. R/N number US7SAL080. Currently there is a different drive in the 8TB Easystore. Still CMR from what I hear (probably one of those modified firmware/RPM Ultrastars I mentioned.) One other thing to keep in mind, the white label shucks, they will work in Tivo but some certain computers may not recognize after taken out of enclosure. Something with 3.3v pins. Have to tape some pins or use molex to Sata adapter. So do any tests etc on the drive before taking it out of the enclosure.

If you can find a new WD80EMAZ that someone shucked and has not used you should be good. Or whatever is currently in the Easystore 8TB but may not be AS good. Remember, no warranty on shucked drives.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

kdmorse said:


> (The larger problem is usually the 3v pin issue if the drive is a white label HGST under the covers, as that won't work unless you're up for a little drive pin surgery).


It will work in a TIVO with no mods, but some computers will not recognize without the mods (tape, molex to sata adapter). Once done with computer part of upgrade (if you use computer at all), can put into the Tivo as is, remove tape or don't use adapter.


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## Johnny Danger (Dec 27, 2016)

stevel said:


> Why in the world would you want an SMR drive for a TiVo? They're slower and have periodic delays. CMR is better.


What gave you the impression that I wanted an SMR in my TIVO?


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## Johnny Danger (Dec 27, 2016)

ThAbtO said:


> SMRs doesn't work properly in a Tivo.


Yeah? What else is new? Why do you think I'm trying to replace my current 8TB Seagate Barracuda which I just found out has SMR even though Seagate never disclosed this information on the drive, specs, manual, etc...

Maybe I will have better luck with the western digital 8TB drive but I am not going to do all that work if it turns out its a crypto SMR drive which is not disclosed.


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## Johnny Danger (Dec 27, 2016)

kdmorse said:


> I don't think the OP is looking for a SMR drive. I think he wants to make sure there's *no* chance the 8TB he's thinking of shucking is SMR.
> 
> (The larger problem is usually the 3v pin issue if the drive is a white label HGST under the covers, as that won't work unless you're up for a little drive pin surgery).
> 
> ...


Bingo! You got it right.

Manufacturers make these drives and do everything in their power to cover up that it has SMR inside. Its not on the box, SPECS or even the manual for the drive. When I contacted support and confronted them on it, they were like " Oh, we never said that it did not have them

I shucked a seagate 8TB, it was a barracuda ( not an archive drive), I figured it was a performance normal drive. However I just found out it was actually a SMR drive

I have a white labeled 8TB western digital drive in an external enclosure.

I have a software called crystal disk info which tell you a lot of data about the hard drive however not even this software will tell you if the drive is SMR or not.


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