WD Black (WD1003FZEX) clicking

WD Internal Drives Desktop & Mobile Drives
1

Hello everyone,

Recently built myself a mini-itx rig:

Corsair 250d
I7 4790k
Corsair H75
Asus MAXIMUS VII IMPACT
EVGA GTX 980
Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2133 mhz)
Samsung 850 Pro (512 GB)
WD Black (1 TB - WD1003FZEX)
SeaSonic Platinum 860W

The system runs VERY quiet, but I noticed a soft clicking sound coming from my HDD. I’ve done an error-check in Windows and a SMART check both quick and long using WD’s diagnostic tool, everything seems fine. Usually the system is completely silent and the clicking doesn’t start unless I’ve been running the computer for several hours (like 5 or 6+ hours or so).

Just to be clear, I’m using the HDD as storage. The drive runs fine, no errors, no slowdown. I have in fact replaced the HDD 3 times over the last month with my store warranty, and each Black drive makes the same soft clicking noise after running idle for several hours. Could it be a heat related issue? A power issue? Any advice?

2

Hi Horezu,

Welcome to the community. It sounds like it is normal behavior of the drive. Especially if multiple drive have exhibited the same behavior. It could be the drive going to sleep or doing routine maintenance/work like moving the heads.

3

My last black drive, the WD1002FAEX did not do this. As I mentioned, the clicking does not start until I’ve been running my computer for several hours. The clicking is very soft, but constant. I wouldn’t say it’s loud, but I can hear it over my fans. Replacing the drive for a fourth time may seem redundant, but if I replaced it for a Blue drive, would I receive the same clicking issue?