WD®, a Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) company and a world leader in storage, today announced a new 3.5-inch SAS hard drive solution for legacy datacenter storage systems with the release of the WD XE™, 2.5-inch, 10,000 RPM SAS hard drive, now  available mounted in a 3.5-inch WD performance adapter. Shipping immediately,  the WD XE hard drives provide best-in-class performance, low power consumption,  and an easier upgrade path for existing 3.5-inch storage systems.
 
  While  demand for 3.5-inch, high-performance enterprise-class hard drives slows, a  need remains for an alternate high-performance storage device as a transitional  solution for legacy systems. WD XE hard drives offer best-in-class sequential  performance and provide a compelling upgrade for datacenters migrating away  from legacy drives nearing end-of-life.
 
  “Delivering up to 50 percent higher capacity, similar  or better maximum sequential performance, higher  reliability and up to 67 percent lower power consumption versus 3.5-inch,15,000  RPM drives, the new WD XE drives are the answer for data center server and  storage solutions needing  a transition  strategy,” said Rich Rutledge, senior vice president of WD’s datacenters  business unit. “IT managers now have a worry-free migration path to the latest enterprise  performance drives from WD, while preserving their chassis and solution  investments.”
 
  WD XE 2.5-inch SAS hard drives in 3.5-inch  performance adapters feature:

•   Highest performance in its class – WD  XE delivers ultra-fast 6 Gb/s transfer rates, best-in-class sequential data   rate of 204 MB/s, and outstanding random I/O performance;
•   Low power consumption –  This 3.5-inch SAS drive delivers up to 67 percent lower power versus 3.5-inch  15,000 RPM drives, which can result in substantially lower total cost of  ownership (TCO) while increasing capacity and reliability;
•   Form factor – 2.5-inch  drive mounted in 3.5-inch performance adapter for ease of upgrade and ultra-cool  operation;
•   Dual port, full duplex connectivity – Offers  higher reliability, performance and data availability by eliminating single  points of failure, designed for high-availability datacenter systems;
•   NoTouch™ ramp load technology – The recording  head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear to the  recording head and media as well as better drive protection in transit; and
•   Industry’s highest reliability rating – 2  million hours MTBF.

Price and Availability
  The WD XE SAS enterprise hard drives in  3.5-inch performance adapters, shipping in capacities ranging from 300 GB to  900 GB, (models: WD3001HKHG, WD6001HKHG, and WD9001HKHG); are available through select distributors and resellers. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)  for the WD XE hard drives in performance adapters range from $229.99 to $599.99  USD. WD XE drives are covered by a five-year limited warranty. More  information about WD XE enterprise hard drives and limited warranty terms may  be found on the company's website at http://www.wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=10.