Dual Actuator technology - a head positioning system with 2 actuators that improves positional accuracy over the data tracks StableTrac - the motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking during read and write operations Thermal extended burn-in test - each drive is put through extended testing with thermal cycling to ensure reliable operation No touch ramp load technology - the recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear Multi-axis shock sensor - automatically detects the subtlest shock events and compensates to protect the data
Dual Actuator technology - a head positioning system with 2 actuators that improves positional accuracy over the data tracks StableTrac - the motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking during read and write operations Thermal extended burn-in test - each drive is put through extended testing with thermal cycling to ensure reliable operation No touch ramp load technology - the recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear Multi-axis shock sensor - automatically detects the subtlest shock events and compensates to protect the data
Dual Actuator technology - a head positioning system with 2 actuators that improves positional accuracy over the data tracks StableTrac - the motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking during read and write operations Thermal extended burn-in test - each drive is put through extended testing with thermal cycling to ensure reliable operation No touch ramp load technology - the recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear Multi-axis shock sensor - automatically detects the subtlest shock events and compensates to protect the data
Dual Actuator technology - a head positioning system with 2 actuators that improves positional accuracy over the data tracks StableTrac - the motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking during read and write operations Thermal extended burn-in test - each drive is put through extended testing with thermal cycling to ensure reliable operation No touch ramp load technology - the recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear Multi-axis shock sensor - automatically detects the subtlest shock events and compensates to protect the data
Last updated at 03/21/2026 11:13:00
Western Digital RE4 WD5003ABYX 500GB 7200RPM SATA-300 3.5" Hard Drive
Free delivery between Mon – Fri
originally posted on neweggbusiness.com
Newegg did a fantastic job with shipping this HDD, was extremely well packed, in a outer box with plenty of wrapping paper, the HDD was in another box, with plastic end caps to prevent shifting. In the past, Newegg was slack with packing HDD's, this has obviously changed. I'm very glad of that, as I firmly believe that many HDD's were damaged in transit due to poor packaging. This is evidenced by the huge number of RMA's & feedback. Hopefully, Newegg will keep up the great work. Secondly, & what was more amazing, this product arrived at my door in less than 48 hours after placing order! Shipped by UPS Ground. I made the choice on this HDD because the 1TB capacity ones tends not to perform well over time. Seems that the larger the capacity, the lower the quality. ... MoreNewegg did a fantastic job with shipping this HDD, was extremely well packed, in a outer box with plenty of wrapping paper, the HDD was in another box, with plastic end caps to prevent shifting. In the past, Newegg was slack with packing HDD's, this has obviously changed. I'm very glad of that, as I firmly believe that many HDD's were damaged in transit due to poor packaging. This is evidenced by the huge number of RMA's & feedback. Hopefully, Newegg will keep up the great work. Secondly, & what was more amazing, this product arrived at my door in less than 48 hours after placing order! Shipped by UPS Ground. I made the choice on this HDD because the 1TB capacity ones tends not to perform well over time. Seems that the larger the capacity, the lower the quality. IMO, any HDD 1TB & above should be storage drives anyway. This HDD was purchased to install the upcoming Windows 8 on, I feel that a new OS deserves a new HDD. Bought this HDD from Newegg on 07/17, arrived on 0
originally posted on newegg.com
I bought this for my home computer, not using it in RAID configuration or on a network. Changing from an IDE drive with XP pro SP3 to this SATA drive was quite a trick. First, the Acronis software I downloaded from WD web site would not clone the original drive. Eventually used Ghost. Then the Ghost copy would just continuouosly reboot. Attempts to repair with original windows disk did nothing but constantly reboot also. In the end, after MUCH experimentation, used Linux boot disk to copy the 5 registry files out of the windows 'repair' directory into the config32 and was able to reboot with all programs working. The drive performed flawlessly during all of this windows fiasco. Let me repeat, the issues I had were with Windows, not this drive.
originally posted on neweggbusiness.com
Installed this in my old Pentium 4-based Frankenrig. It runs 24-7 so it's essentially a server. I was losing faith in my old WD Green AACS 500 GB drive only because it had been in service so long. I knew I needed to change out that drive and I wanted to experiment with one of the "ruggedized" RE4 drives. I am not disappointed. Windows starts faster; apps load and run faster. I am pleased. Imagine the thrill you get with the improved performance from your very first SSD. Its like that but milder, as you'd imagine. This HDD might be a "niche" item for those who have a personal server that runs all the time and want the performance and durability this drive gives, because a WD Green drive or something similar will do the job for less money. It's definitely fast; long ... MoreInstalled this in my old Pentium 4-based Frankenrig. It runs 24-7 so it's essentially a server. I was losing faith in my old WD Green AACS 500 GB drive only because it had been in service so long. I knew I needed to change out that drive and I wanted to experiment with one of the "ruggedized" RE4 drives. I am not disappointed. Windows starts faster; apps load and run faster. I am pleased. Imagine the thrill you get with the improved performance from your very first SSD. Its like that but milder, as you'd imagine. This HDD might be a "niche" item for those who have a personal server that runs all the time and want the performance and durability this drive gives, because a WD Green drive or something similar will do the job for less money. It's definitely fast; long term I'll see if it's as tough as they say.
Western Digital RE4 WD5003ABYX 500GB 7200RPM SATA-300 3.5" Hard Drive
Free delivery between Mon – Fri
Newegg did a fantastic job with shipping this HDD, was extremely well packed, in a outer box with plenty of wrapping paper, the HDD was in another box, with plastic end caps to prevent shifting. In the past, Newegg was slack with packing HDD's, this has obviously changed. I'm very glad of that, as I firmly believe that many HDD's were damaged in transit due to poor packaging. This is evidenced by the huge number of RMA's & feedback. Hopefully, Newegg will keep up the great work. Secondly, & what was more amazing, this product arrived at my door in less than 48 hours after placing order! Shipped by UPS Ground. I made the choice on this HDD because the 1TB capacity ones tends not to perform well over time. Seems that the larger the capacity, the lower the quality. ... MoreNewegg did a fantastic job with shipping this HDD, was extremely well packed, in a outer box with plenty of wrapping paper, the HDD was in another box, with plastic end caps to prevent shifting. In the past, Newegg was slack with packing HDD's, this has obviously changed. I'm very glad of that, as I firmly believe that many HDD's were damaged in transit due to poor packaging. This is evidenced by the huge number of RMA's & feedback. Hopefully, Newegg will keep up the great work. Secondly, & what was more amazing, this product arrived at my door in less than 48 hours after placing order! Shipped by UPS Ground. I made the choice on this HDD because the 1TB capacity ones tends not to perform well over time. Seems that the larger the capacity, the lower the quality. IMO, any HDD 1TB & above should be storage drives anyway. This HDD was purchased to install the upcoming Windows 8 on, I feel that a new OS deserves a new HDD. Bought this HDD from Newegg on 07/17, arrived on 0
I bought this for my home computer, not using it in RAID configuration or on a network. Changing from an IDE drive with XP pro SP3 to this SATA drive was quite a trick. First, the Acronis software I downloaded from WD web site would not clone the original drive. Eventually used Ghost. Then the Ghost copy would just continuouosly reboot. Attempts to repair with original windows disk did nothing but constantly reboot also. In the end, after MUCH experimentation, used Linux boot disk to copy the 5 registry files out of the windows 'repair' directory into the config32 and was able to reboot with all programs working. The drive performed flawlessly during all of this windows fiasco. Let me repeat, the issues I had were with Windows, not this drive.
Installed this in my old Pentium 4-based Frankenrig. It runs 24-7 so it's essentially a server. I was losing faith in my old WD Green AACS 500 GB drive only because it had been in service so long. I knew I needed to change out that drive and I wanted to experiment with one of the "ruggedized" RE4 drives. I am not disappointed. Windows starts faster; apps load and run faster. I am pleased. Imagine the thrill you get with the improved performance from your very first SSD. Its like that but milder, as you'd imagine. This HDD might be a "niche" item for those who have a personal server that runs all the time and want the performance and durability this drive gives, because a WD Green drive or something similar will do the job for less money. It's definitely fast; long ... MoreInstalled this in my old Pentium 4-based Frankenrig. It runs 24-7 so it's essentially a server. I was losing faith in my old WD Green AACS 500 GB drive only because it had been in service so long. I knew I needed to change out that drive and I wanted to experiment with one of the "ruggedized" RE4 drives. I am not disappointed. Windows starts faster; apps load and run faster. I am pleased. Imagine the thrill you get with the improved performance from your very first SSD. Its like that but milder, as you'd imagine. This HDD might be a "niche" item for those who have a personal server that runs all the time and want the performance and durability this drive gives, because a WD Green drive or something similar will do the job for less money. It's definitely fast; long term I'll see if it's as tough as they say.
Yes, one of the drives formatted successfully... one out of 4 total. WD apparently uses a company caled ModusLink to handle RMA fulfillment. When I originally received my first two DOA drives, they were actually packed well by Newegg... box-within-a-box. These drives from ModusLink, however, were only packed in the inner box! Very little protection for the drives. 2 out of 2 drives bad the first time, 1 out of 2 the second time. "Enterprise-grade" storage, eh? I don't think so. Western Digital -- I've been a faithful customer of yours since my parents bought a Windows 95 machine in 1995, and the 1GB Caviar drive became too obsolete to use before it died. However... 3 bad drives? 3 strikes, you're out! You've lost me as a customer.
The newegg RMA process is pretty easy. The 7 day ground shipping return from FL to CA is absurd though, they should work out a cross ship program for premier customers. In the end it took 2 weeks before I received a good working drive. I test drives at work and it's pretty rare that I see bad RE/RE3 drives, although possible it doesn't happen real often. I needed something for a home server that will be on 24/7 with size for applications as needed. I have no doubt this drive will last quite some time. *Note on the shipping material. If you're buying a bunch of stuff and the HDD gets shipped in box (inside a bigger box) you're probably fine. However the little "hot dog" package that newegg puts the drives in simply doesn't cut it when the drive comes alone in a small ... MoreThe newegg RMA process is pretty easy. The 7 day ground shipping return from FL to CA is absurd though, they should work out a cross ship program for premier customers. In the end it took 2 weeks before I received a good working drive. I test drives at work and it's pretty rare that I see bad RE/RE3 drives, although possible it doesn't happen real often. I needed something for a home server that will be on 24/7 with size for applications as needed. I have no doubt this drive will last quite some time. *Note on the shipping material. If you're buying a bunch of stuff and the HDD gets shipped in box (inside a bigger box) you're probably fine. However the little "hot dog" package that newegg puts the drives in simply doesn't cut it when the drive comes alone in a small box. 3" of rigid foam on all sides should be a minimum for shipping a single drive.
As said several times, these are meant for RAID apps i.e. using 2+ drives in RAID1 & up. It does NOT imply it would be a problem using in nonRAID/stand-alone/regular appliication. It just means you're taking chances with ECC 9ErrorRecovery) which is deliberately tweaked by manufacturer to work best for RAID. Fact it works fine for you as standa-alone for 2 months doesn't mean in 20 monthsor 3 years you won't face the consequences of your choice. Bottom line, for regular/nonRAID use you should go with WesternDgitial Blue, Green, Black or for 24/7 streaming/intense applications - AV or AV-GP series. And don't forget to check if your OS is older than Windows 7 & your new drive is AF (Advanced Format) - AF need to be aligned by WesternDigital "Aligner" utility from ... MoreAs said several times, these are meant for RAID apps i.e. using 2+ drives in RAID1 & up. It does NOT imply it would be a problem using in nonRAID/stand-alone/regular appliication. It just means you're taking chances with ECC 9ErrorRecovery) which is deliberately tweaked by manufacturer to work best for RAID. Fact it works fine for you as standa-alone for 2 months doesn't mean in 20 monthsor 3 years you won't face the consequences of your choice. Bottom line, for regular/nonRAID use you should go with WesternDgitial Blue, Green, Black or for 24/7 streaming/intense applications - AV or AV-GP series. And don't forget to check if your OS is older than Windows 7 & your new drive is AF (Advanced Format) - AF need to be aligned by WesternDigital "Aligner" utility from their website (don't worry - just ONCE & under 20 minutes). Case closed. Engineers design things for s specific application, using it for another application is fine but let's say "NOT OPTIMUM". It is optimum for RAID.
If you are going to use SATA drives in raid 0 arrays you obviously are trying for performance. Do not use the whole drive surface. I usually partition the 500 gig drives as 100Gigabytes and 400Gigabytes. Then I use the first partitions of the array as raid 0 and the second partitions as raid 5. This allows me to use use the first segment for computational activities and the second for archival purposes. Example 8 drives 8gigabyte raid 0 on the fastest tracks 2.8Terabytes raid 5 on the inner tracks. I chose the 500Gig since it is a single platter and thus has fewer moving parts. I have used the 1 and 2 Terabytes units with success as well. All the RE4 drives seem to be very good performers.
I have to give a ton of credit and accolades to newegg. Great prices and great service. Ordered my computer build on monday, the package was on my doorstep on tuesday. I would recommend this website to a freind. I got the desire to play diablo III when it was released last week, but i couldn't revive my gaming pc which had died last year so i set out to build a new PC keeping my budget in mind. I ordered the build below from newegg and it took me about 3 hours from opening the box to startup after all the windows updates. After seeing how diablo III ran for the first time, i could not be happier. My build: under $650 OS - Windows 7 64-bit CPU - Dual Core 3.3 GHz (Intel i3 - Sandy Bridge) Memory - 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333 MHz (Patriot Gamer 2 Series) Motherboard - ... MoreI have to give a ton of credit and accolades to newegg. Great prices and great service. Ordered my computer build on monday, the package was on my doorstep on tuesday. I would recommend this website to a freind. I got the desire to play diablo III when it was released last week, but i couldn't revive my gaming pc which had died last year so i set out to build a new PC keeping my budget in mind. I ordered the build below from newegg and it took me about 3 hours from opening the box to startup after all the windows updates. After seeing how diablo III ran for the first time, i could not be happier. My build: under $650 OS - Windows 7 64-bit CPU - Dual Core 3.3 GHz (Intel i3 - Sandy Bridge) Memory - 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333 MHz (Patriot Gamer 2 Series) Motherboard - Intel H61 Chipset (Biostar) Video Card - Geforce GTX 550Ti 1 GB (EVGA) Storage - 500 GB 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache HDD (WD - Black Caviar) Optical Drive - 24x DVD-ROM (Sony) PSU - 530W (Raidmax) Case - (NZXT)
Some people that purchase products don't do their homework first. I see some folks rate the WD5003ABYX low because it isn't a brand new, left the factory yesterday drive. And that is true. If you buy a "new" one, it's probably sat on a shelf in its wrapper for 2--6 years... So what? Did SATA change and they forgot to tell us? If you buy a "used" one, expect 25,000 hours but only 8-10 power on cycles in a server. I've used a lot of these and for the price and reliability, I'll take a gamble on not having full warranty coverage.
Had issues from the start, kept doing windows repair boot-ups on a 1st-month fresh install of windows. Giving the benifit of the doubt it might be something else causing the issue... I did a fresh/clean install of windows that lasted a little longer before the same issues happened. So I went to WorstbuY and got a new drive to be sure it wasnt something else like bad memory chips and installed it and it's doing just fine months later. I will only buy Hdd or SSd's from Newegg or other real companies as I do not trust my personal info should a storage device fail and need to be returned. This is just my own opinion. My final rating is also based on the feedback I read on this, thinking I wouldn't have "thier" problems, I was wrong, I do not wish to comply with sending ... MoreHad issues from the start, kept doing windows repair boot-ups on a 1st-month fresh install of windows. Giving the benifit of the doubt it might be something else causing the issue... I did a fresh/clean install of windows that lasted a little longer before the same issues happened. So I went to WorstbuY and got a new drive to be sure it wasnt something else like bad memory chips and installed it and it's doing just fine months later. I will only buy Hdd or SSd's from Newegg or other real companies as I do not trust my personal info should a storage device fail and need to be returned. This is just my own opinion. My final rating is also based on the feedback I read on this, thinking I wouldn't have "thier" problems, I was wrong, I do not wish to comply with sending this back for refund or exchange so I will make it my own personal lesson. Good luck!
