Western Digital 18TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 512 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD181KFGX

I recently added the Western Digital 14TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive to my home NAS system, and it has proven to be a stellar addition to my storage setup. The drive lives up to the "Pro" in its name, providing reliable performance and ample storage capacity for my needs.First and foremost, the drive itself operates quietly, a feature that is appreciated in any home setup. While the housing I chose for the drive could use a bit of improvement, the internal workings of the WD Red Pro drive are where it truly shines. It seamlessly integrates into my NAS system, delivering consistent and efficient performance.Setting up a home NAS system with these drives was a breeze, even for someone with basic knowledge of storage systems. The user-friendly nature of the WD Red Pro series makes it accessible for those looking to establish emergency backups for crucial family information or simply expand their storage capabilities.Having opted for a total of 4 drives for my NAS, the storage capacity has proven more than sufficient for my data needs. The reliability and consistency of WD drives have been a constant in all my systems over the years, and the WD Red Pro series is no exception. It's a trusted brand that excels in the field of storage solutions.In conclusion, the Western Digital 14TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a high-capacity, reliable storage solution. With the ease of setup and the brand's proven track record for quality products, it's a solid investment for both enthusiasts and those looking to secure their family's crucial information. I highly recommend WD Red Pro drives for anyone in need of professional-grade storage performance.

Awesome drive, almost at 700gb in media (Blue ray / DVD RIPS ) with zero issues, running as a network drive (NON-RAID).

These took under a minute each to install into my Synology DS920+ NAS. Since it was all new gear, I let it do a through drive check as part of initializing which took a long time. I think it may ave been about two days. In theory, I could have used it during this time, but I just started it and ignored it.During installation, the 920 whines about any accessories (memory, drives) that aren't Synology's own and that included these. On the 922, they change from whining to much more obnoxious contrived incompatibilities, but this combination was chosen because exactly once, during insteallation, it warns you that its not a supported combination and that's that. Probably if there were a support issue involving data loss, they'd remind you of that oath you took to not complain, but in reality this is a very common combination that works quite well.Fan and normal noise is quite minimal. There was a noticeable clunk during a head seek. I reduced this by offlining the unit so I could remove power then applying the fuzzy half of a hook-and-loop fastener to the bottom of the bottom rail. That gave it support and a little bit of padding so the metal cage didn't serve as a drum skin for the oh-so-tiny motion that got amplified when transferred to the sheet metal.I'm looking forward to getting many, many years from these drives, like I did from the 4TB WD these are replacing. Those drives have no reading errors. Size grows and no drives are infallible, so I opted to replace them on my schedule (OK, and on Amazon Day special. :-) ) instead of letting the drive pick its own replacement day, taking my data with it.

Good drive for managing larger backups and image files. I did a 48 hour burn in and a laborious 2-day backup of an old system drive. The drive performed without issue and checked out as working perfectly.

Drive APPEARS to be USED but was sold as NEW.I've been buying WD HDD's since 1993 and have since talked to many WD employees on the phone. They've said that from the factory all HDD's are packed in anti-static bags with their logo on the bag and a very distinctive clean and straight heat seal mark. They also used to include a desiccant pouch in the bag to ensure any moisture that may have gotten in was absorbed, currently though they're not included. Also they have rules on how they must and must not be packaged for shipment. Amazon, as seller and shipper, have always packaged HDD's as per Western Digitals specifications. The sellers to be wary of, are Marketplace sellers.I started computing in 1983 with a Commodore 64. Back then I was in the United States Navy and for a time attached to the Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) which supported The multi-million dollar aircraft 'Lockheed Orion P3C update 2&3'. I talked to Electronics Technicians (ET's) in the Micro-Min shop where they removed and replaced chips on Printed Circuit Boards (PCB's) and was made aware of ESD which today stands for Electrostatic-Discharge, but many of the Techs used 'Electrostatic Sensitive Device' for the acronym, which is just as true. As it turns out some chips, CMOS and smaller tech devices, can be destroyed by static electricity much lower in voltage/amperage than can be felt by humans walking across a carpet in the winter and touching a door knob and other such situations, so less than a human can sense. Which is why all HDD's are shipped from the factory in anti-static bags, because touching the drives PCB or the electrical connection pins could damage the drive. This is actually true of all computer components.This is an edit:You should always use a proper ESD safe wrist-strap when handling any computer component. You attach it to ground and should have jumper wires attached to all component grounding areas that you are currently working on. This is to ensure that all grounds are at the same electrical potential. Only handle cards (PCB's) on the edge, never on the contacts. Never touch any of the semiconductors on the PCB. Most modern HDD's have a relatively thin top made of stainless steel that has been stamped out of sheet SS with dented areas so as to make it more rigid. But you still don't want to handle them in that area. The infamous 'click of death' is due to unequal torqued pressure on the screws that afix the top to the cast/milled main body. The cast metal portion is the only portion that you should ever handle during installation whether it be a case drive bay or a quick release sled (docking bay). Apparently you can buy a mini torque device to re-torque the screws to the proper value, however note that the specification can change between different manufactures and models. So it's best not to not chance disturbing the torqued value from the factory.I only ever touch the cast portions (sides) of the drives, and have never had any problems with WD Drives, accept for a few DOA's that just wouldn't run. I've never had a clicking drive. I've been buying WD drives Exclusively since 1994. To give you an example of how many drives I've purchased, I have 15 computers running daily and 4 are either multi drive NAS's or NAS backups. Even though modern drives park the heads during shut down they should always be handled with kid-gloves, especially don't bump the case while the computer is running, though their arms are relatively stiff, the 'flying' heads can be made to impact the disks thus creating HARD errors on the surface. You'll probably never recover that data.Everyone building computers must be made aware of these facts, because manufacturers should not end up responsible for the mistakes of computer builders due to ignorance. It can only serve to drive up prices for their products and the cost to Amazon for logistics pertaining to unnecessary returns. Not to mention the down time of the builders awaiting a replacement part.I use these facts to ensure a HDD is in fact New and undamaged.The drive in question, that I'm reviewing, came in a generic Anti-Static bag and was sealed by a cheap heat sealer. The question everyone must ask themselves, that believe in data security, accuracy and reliability and their warranty, is: "why would anyone remove a HDD from it's original factory anti-static bag, then buy a generic anti-static bag and a cheap heat-sealer, then re-package it and sell it as NEW?" While these facts don't necessarily mean conclusively that the drive is used, one has to wonder why anyone would do all that. Probability? Possibility? Who want's to be sure? I would say a smart buyer would.I returned this drive to the seller, which cost me time, fuel and unnecessary wear and tear on my vehicle. Not to mention the cost to Amazon and the seller. Sellers have to remain honest!I bought this drive from "ALL4COMPUTERS," The UPS RETURN "proof of delivery" page said returned to "RESIDENTIAL".As I'm sure, everyone wants to get what they pay for. And no one likes scams or people that will try and cheat them. Always ensure that you are indeed getting NEW products when in fact that is what you've been told they are. As if not sure, you could end up as an ignorant loser.Ignorant: MW Definition: "lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified". It's not derogatory as some believe. I'm ignorant of a great many things. Knowledge is power, so seek it and you shall learn and never be fooled again.Of course these facts are only being said for those that are unaware, for those 'in-the-know', ignore all the above advice. And please don't be offended, this has been for all those that are affected.