Conclusion:
Whenever spinning drives are compared to SSDs, pricing is always a factor, and that’s certainly true here. At the time of this article, the WD5000LPVT can be readily purchased off the web for $75-$80 dollars, which is roughly 15 cents per gigabyte. The cheapest SSDs with similar capacities are currently ~$450 dollars, which is roughly $1 dollar per gigabyte. If capacity pricing is your lone concern, then the WD5000LPVT is the obvious choice. However, if performance pricing is more your primary concern, then the decision is less clear. In cases where your ultrathin device only supports one drive, the WD5000LPVT makes enough of a compelling argument weighing all the variables (price, capacity, performance, and energy usage) to supplant an SSD in my opinion, and that’s exactly what WD is betting on.
All and all, Western Digital isn’t trying to compete with SSDs in performance, but they are trying to compete with SSDs for your dollars, and I think they may have a winner with their new 7mm Scorpio Blue.
Pros:
- New ultraslim 7mm design
- Low cost
- High capacity offerings
- Low energy consumption/Excellent Energy Efficiency
Cons:
- Slower 5400 RPM spindle speed
- Lower performance when compared to SSD counterparts this drive will compete with in Ultraslim configurations
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TechwareLabs Gold Award
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