Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive
- No Longer Available
The Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive features ample storage, quiet operation and low power consumption. With a 320GB storage capacity, PATA interface and transfer speeds up to 100 MB/s, it's ideal for unique / legacy systems that are not compatible with SATA. The Caviar Blue benefits from ShockGuard technology that protects the drive mechanics from shocks. It also uses NoTouch, which prevents the recording heads from resting on the disk during spin up, spin down, and when the drive is off. This results in a more reliable drive due to the limited head wear. The Caviar Blue is also tested rigorously to ensure compatibility with most systems.
- PATA Interface
- The PATA interface is ideal for many unique and legacy systems that aren't compatible with SATA interfaces
- Ample Storage
- With a 320GB storage capacity for a 3.5" form factor drive, the WD Caviar Blue offers the highest capacity for space-hungry operating systems with plenty of room left over for photos, music, and video
- ShockGuard
- Instantaneously protects the hard drive against damage from bumps and vibrations while it is running. This technology enables WD Caviar drives to achieve industry-leading shock specifications
- NoTouch Ramp Load Technology
- NoTouch keeps the recording heads off the disk surface during spin up, spin down, and when the drive is off. This ensures the recording head never touches the disk surface, resulting in improved long term reliability due to less head wear
- Cool & Quiet
- Keeping the drive cool enhances reliability. WD continues to develop better ways to keep drives cool while they are operating which helps protect the drive and the data stored on it
| Capacity | 320GB |
| Interface / Transfer Rate (Max) | PATA (100 MB/s) |
| Rotational Speed | 7200 RPM |
| Cache | 8 MB |
| Environmental Requirements | Operating temperature: 32 to 140°F (0 to 60°C) Non-operating temperature: −40 to 149°F (−40 to 65°C) |
| Power Consumption | Read / Write: 5.36 W |
| Power Consumption (idle) | 4.92 W |
| Acoustic Noise | Average: 30 dBA |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 4.0 x 1.0 x 5.8" (10.2 x 2.5 x 14.7 cm) |
| Weight | 15.2 oz (430.9 g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 10 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
89%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to install (8)
- Fast (8)
- Highly compatible (7)
- Quiet (7)
- Reliable (4)
Cons
Best Uses
- High-end multimedia (3)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Frequent user (5), Heavy duty user (4)
- Primary use:
- Personal (8)
Most Liked Positive Review
So far so good
Installed without a problem in an old Dell Dimension 2400 that came with a 40GB drive. No drive errors, BIOS did no recognize the drive but after migration the OS booted fine! Very important...Read complete review
Installed without a problem in an old Dell Dimension 2400 that came with a 40GB drive. No drive errors, BIOS did no recognize the drive but after migration the OS booted fine! Very important that the warranty is 3-years, not 1 year as all Western Digital retail versions of the drives. This one is not retail since only 4 screws are included (no cables) but who cares!
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Failed After 5 Months
This is the second Western Digital drive that I've lost this year. Will not buy any more Western Digital drives!
This is the second Western Digital drive that I've lost this year. Will not buy any more Western Digital drives!
Reviewed by 10 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-10
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Fast
- Highly Compatible
- Quiet
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Upgrade
Comments about Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive:
PATA drives are becoming harder to find due to the new SATA drives. This drive went in on an 8+ year old PC that needed an new drive. This WD HD has in essence given the old PC a new lease on life. Install was quick and the PC overall runs much faster. If you're looking for an upgrade to a legacy machine, this drive is a definate good choice.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Fast
- Highly Compatible
- Quiet
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive:
my old desktop's hdd died after 5 years so i was looking to replace that and i wanted pata drive since i can't use sata drive in my system.so i found this here with the best price on the market.drive is very good ,runs very silent and been using for almost a month now and did not have any problem whatsoever. only complain is that compared to sata drive this is really expensive, i wish the price was cheaper but anyway its hard to find pata drive nowdays, so for that reason i'm happy with the price also.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
Cons
- Unreliable
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive:
This is the second Western Digital drive that I've lost this year. Will not buy any more Western Digital drives!
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Fast
- Highly Compatible
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- High-End Multimedia
Comments about Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive:
It was wrong HD size. I need for Laptop, it was for PC.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Fast
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive:
I had wanted to upgrade an older computer with 60gb hard drive to a drive with higher capacity. As the old PC had a PATA interface the WD 320gb HD seemed a good choice for the price.
The computer I was upgrading uses a recovery disk to reinstall the operating system (WinXP) and other programs. It also performs a format of the drive during the recovery install. Every thing appeared to go smooth for the installation, but after all was said and done and I checked the hard drive capacity and it was only at about 120gb. Evidently the recovery program only recognizes a format up to about 120gb, so I lost a lot of space that wasn't formatted. Maybe there's a work around for this, but I ended up reformatting the drive and just using it as an additional drive in the computer which it does very well. I've been using it for data storage primarily and besides plenty of available space, it accesses the data faster than the primary drive which is a big plus. Since the drive has only been installed a few weeks, it's too early to report about reliability, but if it's like other WD drives I've had, it should be reliable.
Installation was easy. Only thing I would suggest to anyone doing this the first time, is pay attention to the jumper positions so the drive is recognized correctly.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Fast
- Highly Compatible
Cons
Best Uses
- High-End Multimedia
Comments about Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive:
Unfortunately I ordered the wrong product, but not at a loss since I have an older system that needs that particular drive. I have always been satisfied with B&H and have ordered over 20k in products over the past ten years.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Fast
- Highly Compatible
- Quiet
- Reliable
Cons
- None
Best Uses
- General Home Computing
Comments about Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive:
Replaced a 5 year old 40Gb drive. General home computing. Very smooth, very quiet.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Install
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive:
I bought this as a boot hard drive for a friend's computer. He hasn't yet had any problems with it, he was able to install Windows XP on it and the computer seems to run so far. It's only been a week or so since installing the drive so there isn't more information available than that.
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Fast
- Highly Compatible
- Quiet
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Daily use
- Gaming
- High-End Multimedia
Comments about Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive:
Got this drive for my older Dell computer with IDE connection. Re-installed Windows on the new drive and now my computer runs great! Faster than it was new out of the box! Love it...
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Fast
- Highly Compatible
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 320GB WD Caviar Blue PATA 3.5" Hard Drive:
Installed without a problem in an old Dell Dimension 2400 that came with a 40GB drive. No drive errors, BIOS did no recognize the drive but after migration the OS booted fine! Very important that the warranty is 3-years, not 1 year as all Western Digital retail versions of the drives. This one is not retail since only 4 screws are included (no cables) but who cares!
- Primary use:
- Personal
Displaying reviews 1-10
Tools
- Price: $7.95
- GBP 5.12
What's in the Box
- 2-Year Limited Warranty
Why Shop at B&H
Make your online shopping trip personal with our online Live Chat representatives. You can easily reach an in-house expert while browsing our site for your shopping needs. We have the most highly-trained staff in the industry who are pros in their fields, and their professional expertise will help you get the most from your purchase.
Place your domestic order with us for shipment via any UPS, FedEx Economy, or FedEx Priority shipping methods by 4 PM ET Monday through Thursday or 11 AM ET Friday and your order will be shipped that day. Visit our Shipping Delivery Times page for further details. Delivery times are subject to payment verification.
We appreciate your purchase from us, and we understand that sometimes the products you buy don’t turn out to be the right choice for you. We guarantee your peace of mind with our 30-day return policy. With no standard restocking fee and few restrictions, you’ll enjoy a return process as easy as shopping with us. Please visit our Return Policy page for further details.
We’ve made iPhone and Android mobile apps available for your service and shopping convenience. Use filtered search to find and purchase almost any item we sell and ship worldwide. Download product manuals and guides for many popular items. See high-resolution product images in close-up detail. Manage wishlists and view order history. Visit our Mobile Apps page to download.
See sample Newsletter
Help
Company Information
B&H Resources
