RAID-1 performance with WD Gold 2TB WD2005FBYZ-01YCBB3

[Kiriakos GR]

Latest (2022) WD Gold 2TB WD2005FBYZ-01YCBB3 with firmware RR09 this is newest version at 2TB.

I just did a Christmas gift to my self,  due one opportunity at getting unused (open box) HDD, with zero operation hours and active warranty for the next 4 Years.
I did confirmed first product originality at WD website, and then I gave my eBay fight.    

Older production was WD2005FBYZ-01YCBB2 with Firmware RR07

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The most obvious change is the printing at product label.
Bellow the text  WD2005FBYZ  there is the text SATA 6Gb/s and next to it a new added text DC HA750
   
WD website when you check warranty status it report a slightly different description:  01YCBB2 VS 01YCBB3
Older revision    = WD2005FBYZ-01YCBB2   RAINIER 7200 128M SATA3 6GB/S 2.0 TB 4HD BLKPT RE S
Newest revision = WD2005FBYZ-01YCBB3   RAINIER 7200 128M SATA3 6GB/S 2.0 TB 4HD RE (RAID EDITION) S

Example of 2016,
much older revision = WD2005FBYZ-01YCBB1  RAINIER 7200 128M SATA3 6GB/S 2.0 TB 4HD GOLD LBL RE (RAID EDITION)
This one does not support GPL and is ACS-3 Rev 4

Both,  01YCBB2 & 01YCBB3 they are ACS-3 Rev 5
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Crystal Disk Info This cannot spot other significant differences at 01YCBB2 VS 01YCBB3. 

Standard
ACS-3 | ACS-3 Revision 5

Features
S.M.A.R.T. | APM, NCQ, GPL   

But they are differences between the two firmware, it is clearly obvious that WD tweaked the table of statistics, at the column of Bad (value) some attributes were changed from the value 200 at new value 253.
In other words the Firmware RR07 this has tighten error statistics than the new.
This might be a minor detail, but it is there.  

 
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About the description RE now becomes obvious to that it translates to (RAID EDITION)
Now lets start over, we have Ultrastar engine,  RAINIER this is relative to HDD electronic controller.

Every enthusiastic new owner of Gold Series, he is snicking around to find if the latest model has any addition of golden dust that it might increase data transfer speed's  (Read / write ).

From the other hand if you considering to construct a RAID-1 array you should be very careful so both work horses to be of 100% identical specifications.
My first horse this is the latest  Jan 2023 production,  now I am looking for the second one.     
As soon my horse this arrives in Greece from Florida USA, I will be able to run benchmarks and say more about it.   

[Kiriakos GR]

Quick explanation about  UASP (Serial ATA) ...

 UASP = USB Attached SCSI Protocol

This is technology related to:
USB 3.0 / UASP External Hard Drive Enclosures
UASP USB 3.0 Controller Cards
Software support since Win8 and higher.

(When the HDD is in direct SATA wires connection with a motherboard, there no use of this technology.) 

[Andrew-88]

Latest (2022) WD Gold 2TB WD2005FBYZ-01YCBB3 with firmware RR09 this is newest version at 2TB.

I just did a Christmas gift to my self,  due one opportunity at getting unused (open box) HDD, with zero operation hours and active warranty for the next 4 Years.

Merry Christmas mate!
I am glad that your Christmas time hunting on eBay, end up to success.

WD Gold 2TB retail price in our side this is 130 Euro.
You got it for 68.81 = a dream price. 

[Kiriakos GR]

Merry Christmas mate!
I am glad that your Christmas time hunting on eBay, end up to success.

WD Gold 2TB retail price in our side this is 130 Euro.
You got it for 68.81 = a dream price. 

Merry Christmas mate!  

Today I did buy my second horse 
That is another WD2005FBYZ-01YCBB2 (of 2017) item location Ireland (EU) .
I got it used and Disk-Mark-Info confirms normal use, this HDD previously worked at a regular workstation.   
The other two watchers of this listing they lost their chance but that's life ..   

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 WD it does store relative WD2005FBYZ Performance Specifications within their WD2005FBYZ Technical Reference-Manual.PDF
Screenshot at the bottom.

HDD status:
1) My NEW unused horse its on the way from USA, shipped with UPS and Prepaid VAT
2) My gently Used horse this is paid today and soon will be shipped from Ireland ( VAT Free ). 
Total cost: 110.81 Euro.

The New year 2024 it will find me with a modernized RAID-1 for the OS, and its about time my WD Raptor (10.000rpm), of the year 2005, these to be retired..   

[overvolt]

Double fast horses = Double joy.   

Merry Christmas !!   

[Kiriakos GR]

Double fast horses = Double joy.   

Merry Christmas !!   

Merry Christmas !!

[Kiriakos GR]

Both my NEW work horses arrived in the past 24 hours. 

Even so all these 20 days that I was waiting, I did started one research regarding one new feature this introduced at year 2015~2016 and later.
HGST Japan this implemented since the year 2015 a SATA V3.1 (Year 2011) function, this named as SATA 3.1 detection.
HGST this become WD property, and WD since the beginning of their WD Gold series = HGST UltraStar, several online HDD databases they starter to register the HDD as SATA Transport 3.1  and or SATA mode 3.1

I own a motherboard this be production of 2013 with INTEL Z87, and SATA 3.1 revision this standing since 2011,  and I though that I am going to enjoy too, any hidden SATA 3.1 technology benefits due my new drives.
They do support detection as SATA 3.1 Transport Major Revision.

And after lots of reading of INTEL documents, I did find clues that INTEL at the year 2013 at their PCH 8 Series C220 chip-set, they skipped to implement SATA 3.1 (Year 2011) and they use instead SATA 3.0 of the year 2009.
And I now say WTF whom will believe that INTEL the Giant this acted as lazy COW or worst.

When in contrast Marvell 88se9230 RAID controller and development of 2011, they clearly mention in their datasheet compliance to SATA 3.1 (year 2011).
And both of these RAID controllers they are onboard of my Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD5H     
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I did turn to WD for answers about what new features this SATA 3.1 detection will benefit the end user?  =  Total ignorance and silence for two weeks within their WD community.    

I did turn to INTEL    RST Rapid Storage Technology community, and asked the same question about SATA 3.1 detection and benefits if any ? And of what features their RAID controller in hardware and software supports? (at my motherboard) =  And received useless and pointless replies, we do not support old software and other useless excuses.

Ivan an Russian software developer, he were kind enough to explain to me of what he knew about how the SATA 3.1 detection this is read due software,  but he was also unaware of any befits from it, especially when we talk about Hard Disk Drive.

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Now I did make and another discovery, that several software developers of hardware diagnostic software they are liars.

I did plugged my hard drive due USB 2.0 to SATA (cable controller),  and famous hardware diagnostic software these started to inform me,  even about the weight of my HDD.   
The useless liars, their software does not actually scan your hardware, instead information shown due a database this including manufacturer offered specification per HDD/ SSD model. 

At least thanks to Ivan from Russia I did succeed to confirm due SATA organization and Standards (SATA 3.1) of how this detection it is documented.

[Kiriakos GR]

I am dancing and celebrating with these results.   

I will miss the sound effects of active machine gun, as my old pair of WD Raptor 75GB these sounded at RAID-1.
But with this modern spinning technology, I am enjoying triple of bandwidth than before.

For a fist time I do see my windows 7 PC, this to be remarkably fast and responsive !!

Long live the Gold Series..     

[Kiriakos GR]

Here is one last pack of facts, these better justifying the wild joy which I do feel right now.

The before and after data transfer rate results, this is the obvious reason.

But back in time, at December 2005 I did the wild move about spending 320 Euro for a pair of the magical WD Raptor 75GB 10000 Rpm.
These Raptor survived working daily up to 13/01/2024, and they removed undamaged.   
From the first era of Enterprise build quality HDD, now I upgraded to the recent one.

At my computer case, this is Medium Tower (Made in Taiwan) with potentials to host a server, there is constant active cooling at the RAID Array.
I did serious research at 2003 so to select this tower, made of very thick steel = mechanical noise absorbing potentials

Even so these Raptor they were sounded as active machine gun at high work-loads, while the new WD Gold they are soundless 
Only at night that the city falls to sleep, I can enjoy their soft mechanical sounds / computer idle.

For the ones dealing HDD with a more scientific approach, I did prepare a special Crystal-info comparison screenshot.
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And here is something new to me as personal experience, by using the classic WD Lifeguard diagnostic - DLGDIAG for Windows.
One of the two WD Gold this is NEW unused, the second came from a home user with 18000 hours on it.
At DLGDIAG Extended test, this required approximately  close to 17 Hours

The unused drive finished the test in 16:41:59  (production 2023)
The used drive finished the test in 16:40:56 (production 2017)

In conclusion, within 16H+40m test, the servo motor of the new HDD this is still tight, and this required one more minute so to finish.
The same principal stands for all electrical motors and even motorcycles, they require a bit of time in use, so optimal rpm this to be obtained.

Let's name this as high precision servo motor review       

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Regarding INTEL RST software, 2TB drive Verify or Initialize this require approximately four hours.
In the positive side of things, the trick with the Cache mode: Write back it did worked with WD Gold and its like +3% of improvement.
But it did not work for the older Raptor 75G, use of Zero Cache setting this worked best for this older gen of HDD.

INTEL RST 13.0.4.1000 (5-2014) Anything higher its not recommended for the Intel 8 series C220.
Newer revision of RST they do not include performance boost, but this software become more incompatible with Windows 7 and 8.
RST takes ages to load at the desktop, the user interface looks ugly, too much software services installed at the operating system.

RST 13.0.4.1000 works best and its clean of issues.

Tip of the Day: Never ever rename the Array name due the RST,  all Boot-sector becomes corrupted.       
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Windows 7 they have their own HDD benchmark, i think of it as more reliable because any increment of performance, this it will serve better at windows OS loading time.
Administrative Tools -> Windows PowerShell ISE  -> type in  winsat diskformal   

Windows HDD test, this value more the Random Read potentials of one HDD
And according to that score elevates the Windows Experience Index
 
 

[Andrew-88]

You are totally justified, enjoy the moment will all your soul.   

[overvolt]

Those WD 2TB WD2005FBYZ they are CMR hard drives !!  (Common Mode Recording)

The old Raptor seems to have latency issues when paired in RAID-1, as Kiriakos shown in his screenshot.
From the other hand,  the WD2005FBYZ this is designed for RAID Array use, and it is impressive that they do actually deliver full speed bandwidth at AHCI and also in RAID.   

Hitachi or HGST Ultrastar 7K6000 or WD Ultrastar, all a very successful design this firstly released in the market at 2015.

Kiriakos motivated me so to do my own homework and now I will agree with him, this is a very successful design of high performance HDD for RAID Array. 

[Kiriakos GR]

Thank you all for the incoming waves of positive energy !! 

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Today I did one last test with INTEL RST and the Array Verify task this required actual duration of 3 hours, 46 minutes.


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I do still have memories of my first HDD:
Year 1996
Quantum Fireball 540MB / 5400 Rpm / IDE  ( I have no memory of Mb/s score)
Operating system Windows 3.1 for work group,  and just two months later WIN 95 Upgrade CD (US version shown in the Greek market).

At the year 2005 I got my WD RAPTOR 75GB, an enormous capacity for that era.
Windows XP and Windows 7 OS, they do not require any huge amount of HDD space.

At WD Gold 2TB my Win 7 partition this is now set to 150 GB, even so the used space this is 42.2 GB = OS + productivity software.
As Game's storage I am using another 240GB SSD.
For software storage I am using another WD 149 GB HDD

2TB of storage capacity this is a tremendously huge number, which us mainly focused at productive computing we will never use it in full.
But I got it mostly so to take advantage of disk plate density = higher data transfer rate.
     
In the positive side of things: 
Windows Boot time = super fast
Windows OS partition Defrag = super fast
Productive applications start-up time = super fast

In the negative side of things: 
HDD maintenance software which will perform full disk (2TB) surface test = 16H 40M 
RAID-1 Array image verification = 3H 46M
Use of Windows HDD management tool for creation of new logical partition, this now becomes a painful experience 
You have to set the new size in Mega byte     And you will need a large calculator