This article covers Western Digital (ウエスタンデジタル) 16TB WD Red Pro NAS 内蔵型 ハードドライブ HDD.
Overview
The Western Digital WD161KFGX is a 16TB internal hard drive from the WD Red Pro series, designed specifically for network-attached storage (NAS) environments. It spins at 7,200 RPM and features 256MB cache with CMR recording technology, ensuring consistent and reliable performance. The interface is SATA 6Gb/s, and it uses the standard 3.5-inch form factor.
This drive targets small-to-medium business NAS systems with up to 24 drive bays, offering an annualized workload rate of 300TB. It sits above the consumer-grade WD Red line, providing higher durability for 24/7 operation. For users who need to store large datasets securely and access them over a network, the WD161KFGX is a solid choice.
Compatibility Guide
- Form factor: 3.5-inch internal drive bay. Fits most NAS enclosures and PC cases with a 3.5-inch slot.
- Interface: SATA 6Gb/s, backward compatible with SATA 3Gb/s.
- Power: Standard SATA power connector. Power draw is low (idle ~4.6W, active ~6.9W), making it suitable for multi-drive configurations without stressing the PSU.
- RAID support: Works with all common RAID levels. Ensure your RAID controller or NAS OS supports drives larger than 2TB (GPT partitioning required).
- OS compatibility: Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, and all major NAS operating systems (Synology DSM, QNAP QTS, TrueNAS). Use GPT for initialization.
Product Info
The WD161KFGX was released in late 2020 and remains a current model. It is priced around ¥124,563 (approx. $850 USD) at major retailers. Western Digital offers a 5-year limited warranty. In the market, this drive occupies a mid-to-high tier position, offering enterprise-grade reliability at a cost-per-terabyte that beats SSDs for bulk storage. It is ideal for NAS environments where uptime and data integrity are critical.
Best Use Cases
- Small business file servers: For offices with multiple concurrent users accessing shared folders, the WD Red Pro’s high workload rating and CMR technology ensure smooth performance even under load. Pair with RAID 5 or 6 for redundancy.
- Video surveillance DVR/NVR: 24/7 recording requires drives that can handle constant writes. The 300TB/year workload rating makes this drive a perfect fit for security camera systems.
- Media archive and cold storage: Content creators who need to store large video projects (4K/8K) will appreciate the low cost per terabyte. Sequential read speeds up to 259 MB/s are adequate for occasional retrieval.
Things to Consider
- This is a CMR drive; while reliable for sequential workloads, random write performance is not as high as enterprise SSD arrays. Avoid using it for heavy database transaction logs.
- At 16TB, the drive requires GPT partitioning. Legacy BIOS systems or older NAS devices may not recognize the full capacity without a UEFI update.
- The WD Red Pro is optimized for NAS workloads. Using it as a boot drive in a desktop PC may result in suboptimal performance compared to a standard desktop HDD.
- Compared to Seagate IronWolf Pro, the WD drive often has better error recovery controls in RAID, but it can be slightly more expensive.
FAQ
Q: Can this drive be used as an internal drive in a Windows PC?
A: Yes, it works as a standard SATA HDD. Format it with GPT in Disk Management for full 16TB capacity. It’s best used for data storage, not as a boot drive.
Q: Is it compatible with Synology NAS?
A: Yes. The WD Red Pro series is on Synology’s compatibility list. Ensure your DSM version is 6.2 or higher to support drives over 16TB.
Q: What does the 300TB/year workload rating mean for daily use?
A: It allows about 820GB of data transfer per day. Home users will rarely hit this limit, but in a busy office or surveillance system with continuous recording, this headroom is valuable for long-term reliability.
Product Disclosure (Amazon)
- Manufacturer: ウエスタンデジタル(Western Digital)
- Seller: Amazon US
- Fulfilled by: Amazon US
- ASIN: B08K3VVKSW
- Note: This article covers a manufacturer-made product based on Amazon listing details.
