Western Digital
Western Digital WUH721816ALE6L4 16TB 7.2K SATA HDD
★★★★★
Unleash Enterprise-Class Storage with the Western Digital 16TB HDD The Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC550 series hard drive delivers exceptional storage capacity and reliability for demanding enterprise environments. Designed with advanced technologies like Energy-Assisted Magnetic Recording (EAM...
$744.45*
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jul 14, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.
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Overview
Unleash Enterprise-Class Storage with the Western Digital 16TB HDD
The Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC550 series hard drive delivers exceptional storage capacity and reliability for demanding enterprise environments. Designed with advanced technologies like Energy-Assisted Magnetic Recording (EAMR) and HelioSeal, this drive provides a robust and efficient solution for object storage implementations and other capacity-intensive applications.
Specifications:
- Capacity: 16TB
- Form Factor: 3.5-inch
- Interface: SATA 6Gb/s
- Rotational Speed: 7.2K RPM
- Cache: 512MB
- Technology: CMR (Conventional Magnetic Recording)
- Features: Energy-Assisted Magnetic Recording (EAMR), HelioSeal technology
- MTBF: 2.5 Million Hours (projected)
- Warranty: 5-Year Limited Warranty
- Hard Disk Description: Raid
Key Features
16TB capacity in a standard 3.5-inch form factor CMR technology works with all capacity enterprise applications & environments
The first HDD in the industry to harness Energy-Assisted Magnetic Recording (EAMR) technology improves writability and therefore increases areal density.
HelioSeal technology is the foundation for Western Digital’s high capacity HDDs and this is the 6th generation of HelioSeal product
With its massive capacity and 2.5M MTBF (projected) reliability rating, the Ultrastar DC HC550 is ideal for object storage implementations. Object storage systems with erasure coding provide better data durability compared to RAID systems, given their tolerance for simultaneous error conditions.
2.5M hours (projected) MTBF rating & 5-year limited warranty
Specifications
Capacity
16TB
Form Factor
3.5-inch
Technology
CMR (Conventional Magnetic Recording)
Recording Technology
Energy-Assisted Magnetic Recording (EAMR)
Sealing Technology
HelioSeal (6th generation)
MTBF (projected)
2.5 million hours
Warranty
5-year limited
Interface
SATA
Rotational Speed
7.2K RPM
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Check on Amazon →Pros & Cons
👍 Pros
- Offers a substantial 16TB capacity within a standard 3.5-inch form factor, suitable for extensive data storage needs.
- Utilizes CMR technology, ensuring compatibility with all capacity enterprise applications and environments.
- Features Energy-Assisted Magnetic Recording (EAMR) technology, which improves writability and increases areal density for enhanced performance.
- Incorporates 6th generation HelioSeal technology, providing a solid foundation for high-capacity HDDs from Western Digital.
- Boasts a projected 2.5 million hours MTBF rating and a 5-year limited warranty, indicating high reliability and durability.
👎 Cons
- Despite the massive capacity, it is still a hard disk drive, meaning access speeds will be slower than Solid State Drives (SSDs).
- The benefits of HelioSeal and EAMR technologies are primarily for enterprise applications, which might be an overspecification for smaller scale uses.
- While reliable, traditional HDDs are inherently more vulnerable to physical shock than SSDs.
- The 5-year limited warranty, while generous, may not cover all potential data loss scenarios or system failures.
- The focus on object storage implementations with erasure coding might suggest it's not optimized for certain traditional RAID setups.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the storage capacity of the Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC550?
The Western Digital WUH721816ALE6L4 offers a substantial 16TB of storage capacity, suitable for large data requirements.
What technology does this hard drive use for improved writability?
This hard drive is the first in the industry to harness Energy-Assisted Magnetic Recording (EAMR) technology, which enhances writability and increases areal density.
Is this HDD suitable for enterprise environments?
Yes, its CMR technology ensures compatibility with all capacity enterprise applications and environments.
What is the expected reliability of this drive?
The Ultrastar DC HC550 has a projected MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) rating of 2.5 million hours, indicating high reliability.
How long is the warranty for this Western Digital HDD?
This hard drive comes with a 5-year limited warranty, providing a long period of coverage for the product.
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