I received a WDC WD10EZEX-21WN4A0 by mistake, so I thought to make the most of it and post a brief review.
Pros:
- It works.
Cons:
- Constant resonance, running hum.
- Faint head chatter, like an old Maxtor or Seagate Barracuda (new NAS 'cudas have aggressive heads, too).
- Easily confused with a low-RPM Blue due to identical looks.
I would not recommend this drive. Even as a single-platter version, it is not particularly quiet, with the resonating hum being the worst culprit. My case is heavy, insulated, grommeted and suspended under a heavy desk, yet the drive can still make the structure resonate.
The whole story
I ordered a WD10EZRZ to replace an old WD10EARS Green that was on its way out, having a power-on time approaching five years with close to 4,000 power cycles. Both BIOS and Windows threw up warnings before critical failure. A very good drive that I will remember fondly for both reliable service and silent operation.
Instead of receiving the rebranded Blue-Green EZRZ that I had ordered, I received the EZEX. I installed it by mistake, as one Blue 1 TB drive looks much like another from the outside.
I did notice a louder operating noise immediately, but thought it might be just how the rebranded Blue-Greens are, or my ears being too sensitive to the change. There is a constant hum and resonance from the drive, and I can hear faint chattering from the heads any time they operate, both of which were absent in the previous Green. It was most nostalgic, a throwback to the bad old days of Barracudas and Maxtors' equivalent.
Only after starting to troubleshoot the noise today did I spot in the hardware details that I had been sent the wrong drive. The resonance made sense immediately - 7200 RPM. I returned the drive without a second thought.
I will post a review of the EZRZ once I get it.
WD10EZEX, Western Digital Blue 1 TB 7200 RPM
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