Western Digital VelociRaptor VR200M review roundup: fast, capacious, but no SSD

While it’s only a matter of time before solid state storage becomes cheap and reliable enough to replace magnetic media for good, companies like Western Digital are still finding ways to keep those platters a’ spinning. Take this new WD VelociRaptor VR200M, for instance. Critics agree that while it doesn’t offer anywhere near SSD levels of performance, it’s certainly the fastest rotational SATA drive ever tested — 15 to 30 percent improved over the last generation of VelociRaptors, depending on the benchmark — and at roughly 50 cents per gigabyte for the three-platter, 600GB WD6000BLHX ($329), it offers more capacity than any SSD you could hope to buy without refinancing your third vacation home. Reviewers note that with a 15mm drive height, you still won’t be dropping one of these speed demons in your new laptop, and your desktop might be better off with a cheaper 7200RPM drive paired with a similarly inexpensive SSD, but if you’re looking for that single drive that does it all, the new VelociRaptor is your best bet. Hit the links below for the full skinny, and a deep, deep dive into the fascinating world of IOPS, read speeds and write times.

Read – TechReport
Read – AnandTech
Read – PC Perspective
Read – HotHardware
Read – Tom’s Hardware
Read – ExtremeTech
Read – LegitReviews
Read – StorageReview
Read – DesktopReview

Western Digital VelociRaptor VR200M review roundup: fast, capacious, but no SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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