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WD Red vs Gold: Which Western Digital is Better?

WD Red vs Gold

Data access and storage requirements differ across all industries and even among the many personal use cases that exist. Because of this came the necessity to produce many different types of internal hard drive solutions to meet the different user needs and requirements. Here we break down the Western Digital WD red vs gold internal hard drives to see which one is the best fit for your needs.

WD Family of Hard Drives and the Red series Videos

A good place to start is by viewing these two Western Digital videos for a quick overview of the WD family of hard drives and the red series.
The total run time is around two minutes to view both informative videos.

 

We will now look at what the WD Red and the WD Gold have in common.

WD Red vs Gold – Similarities

Quick Glance

Name
Western Digital 4TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD4003FFBX
Our Pick
Western Digital 4TB WD Gold Enterprise Class Internal Hard Drive - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD4003FRYZ
Image
Western Digital 4TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD4003FFBX
Western Digital 4TB WD Gold Enterprise Class Internal Hard Drive - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD4003FRYZ
Size
5.75 x 4 x 1.03 inches
5.75 x 4 x 1.03 inches
Weight
1.35lbs
1.76lbs
Form Factor
3.5 inches
3.5 inches
Storage Capacity
4 TB
4 TB
RPM
5,400RPM
7,200RPM
Cache
256MB
256MB
MTBF
1 million hours
2.5 million hours
Workload Rate
180 TB/yr.
550 TB/yr.
SATA 6.0 Gb/s
Warranty
5-year limited warranty
5-year limited warranty
Prime status
Amazon Prime
-
Price
Name
Western Digital 4TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD4003FFBX
Image
Western Digital 4TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD4003FFBX
Size
5.75 x 4 x 1.03 inches
Weight
1.35lbs
Form Factor
3.5 inches
Storage Capacity
4 TB
RPM
5,400RPM
Cache
256MB
MTBF
1 million hours
Workload Rate
180 TB/yr.
SATA 6.0 Gb/s
Warranty
5-year limited warranty
Prime status
Amazon Prime
Price
Our Pick
Name
Western Digital 4TB WD Gold Enterprise Class Internal Hard Drive - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD4003FRYZ
Image
Western Digital 4TB WD Gold Enterprise Class Internal Hard Drive - 7200 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD4003FRYZ
Size
5.75 x 4 x 1.03 inches
Weight
1.76lbs
Form Factor
3.5 inches
Storage Capacity
4 TB
RPM
7,200RPM
Cache
256MB
MTBF
2.5 million hours
Workload Rate
550 TB/yr.
SATA 6.0 Gb/s
Warranty
5-year limited warranty
Prime status
-
Price

Storage Capacity and Compatibility

Both the WD Red and the WD Gold come with a range of storage capacities. We will be focusing on the 4TB internal hard drive for PCs. They will work with Windows and with Mac, however, you may have to reformat them when using Mac.

For those needing a higher capacity WD hard drive, the WD Red Pro drives and the WD Gold HDD hold up to 18TB.

Interface

With the SATA 6.0 Gb/s interface supporting a bandwidth of up to 600MB, the WD Red and the WD Gold have the latest technology for connecting your hard drive to the motherboard of your computer. The SATA cable is not included.

Form Factor

The form factor is the size of the space that is required inside the PC. The WD Red and the WD Gold both have a form factor of 3.5 inches.

The Cache

The cache for the WD Red and the WD Gold is 256MB. This is an excellent size that will help with a smoother, faster transfer of data from your devices.

RoHS Compliant

The WD Red drive and the WD Gold drive are both ROHS compliant, meaning they have restricted use of hazardous substances. They are safer to use and better for the environment.

Now, we will turn to how the WD Red and the WD Gold are different.

Differences Between WD Red and WD Gold

Appearance

WD Red Review

Although this is not the most significant difference, and the difference is slight, it is still worth a mention.

WD Red

We are very grateful to WD for keeping the names of their internal hard drives simple. This hard drive is red with 4TB clearly labeled. It measures 5.75 x 4 x 1.03 inches and weighs 1.30lbs.

WD Gold

Again, it’s a bold gold color with the 4TB well labeled. It measures the same at 5.75 x 4 x 1.03 inches but weighs a bit more at 1.76lbs.

The Winner Is- A Tie

Read next – WD Blue vs Black: Which Western Digital is Better?

Uses

They are interchangeable, so can be used for any situation where you need additional storage. But each hard drive has been designed to function in better environments.

WD Red

This is an internal hard drive for NAS environments. It is ideal for use in homes and in small businesses. It is designed to be used with up to 8 bays.

WD Red Comparison

WD Gold

This hard drive is more suited for enterprise use. It can also be used in NAS and data center environments.

WD Gold Review

The Winner Is- The WD Gold Hard Drives!

RPM

WD Gold Comparison

Inside the hard drives, there is a disc that spins. RPM is the number of revolutions per minute. The higher the number, the faster the hard drive.

WD Red

This has an RPM of 5,400.

WD Gold

Here, you can benefit from a higher RPM of 7,200.

Winner Is- The WD Gold Series!

Read Next – WD Red vs Black: Which Western Digital is Better?

Reliability

Western Digital Gold

Reliability can be measured in a number of ways, in particular, the workload rate and the MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure).

WD Red

This has a fairly average workload rate of 180TB per year. It has a 1 million-hour MTBF.

WD Gold

The numbers say a lot here. The workload rate is far higher at 550TB per year. The MTBF is also a lot longer at 2.5-million hours.

The Winner Is- The WD Gold

Read next – WD Elements vs My Book: Which Western Digital is Better?

Vibrations

Wester Digital Gold Review

Inside your PC, components tend to vibrate which can cause damage over time. It also contributes to the noise an internal hard drive makes.

WD Red

This comes with 3D Active Balance Plus, a dual-plane balance that reduces degradation over time by protecting the hard drive from excessive vibration and noise.

WD Gold

It has impressive monitoring electronics for enhanced vibration protection by correcting linear and rotational vibrations.

The Winner Is- A Tie

Pros and Cons

Just before our final verdict, we have some pros and cons of the WD Red and the WD Gold.

WD Red

WD Red

Pros:

  • The NASware 3.0 technology makes it easy to share and connect with other devices
  • Great heavy-duty hard drives
  • Installation is easy and doesn’t take long

Cons:

  • It doesn’t come with anything for the installation

WD Gold

WD Gold

  • Transfer speeds are excellent
  • The hard drive doesn’t overheat at all
  • Excellent value for money, especially with the 5-year limited warranty

Cons:

  • It’s louder than the WD Red

WD Red vs Gold Infographic: Similarities and Differences

Choosing the right hard drive is not simply a question of which hard drive is better, but which hard drive is best for your needs and budget. This infographic boils it down so that you can quickly make the decision that is best for you.

WD Red vs Gold

The Final Verdict

Today’s winner is WD Gold. That being said, if you are looking for an internal hard drive for a serious NAS system, the WD Red is the better choice as it is still a fantastic hard drive. Both of these hard drives have good technology to protect them from vibrations and both have SATA 6.0Gb/s. The cache of these hard drives is brilliant to improve your data transfer.

It shouldn’t matter, but the design is very attractive, and the gold does make it look like a high-class hard drive. The installation was just as straightforward as the WD Red, but it is more powerful. The higher RPM and workload make a serious difference for businesses. This isn’t just on paper either. You will notice the higher performance of the WD Gold. It is actually a little cheaper than the WD Red too, which adds to its value for money.

Important Warranty Information

Warranties can change and may become void under certain conditions. The best way to be properly informed is to submit a warranty question to Amazon customer service.
Click here.
This will always supersede the information that is displayed here.


Last update on 2024-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API