Is it really WD1002FAEX?

wd911 · February 20, 2011, 5:58am

I just bought this from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036Q7MV0/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Is this model SATA 2 (3Gb/s) compatible? I just can’t find how to jumper it to SATA II or it’s automatically recognized as SATA II?

Here’s the link to photo of the drive http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/614t7joUvPL.jpg

Manufacture Date is 24 JAN 2011

Should I return it?

oxter · February 20, 2011, 6:04pm

The WD1002FAEX is a SATA 3 drive, but, it should work in a SATA II machine. If you need to jump the drive, use the pins 5-6, this will lock y our drive transfer speed to SATA II.

Look below, the second graphic is the specific jumpers settings for your drive:

wd911 · February 20, 2011, 9:18pm

My drive says “Jumpered pins 5 and 6 enables 1.5 GP PHY”

What’s going on??? this is different from your picture.

oxter · February 20, 2011, 9:38pm

Misprint? as per this link:

http://support.wdc.com/product/install.asp?groupid=613&lang=en

Your drive is a SATA 6.

wd911 · February 20, 2011, 9:44pm

It’s strange!

I use this drive un-jumpered & Seagate - FreeAgent GoFlex FireWire 800/USB 2.0 Desktop Adapter STAE105 and it’s been working fine/fast via FireWire.

Should I just leave it un-jumpered???

smlunatick · February 22, 2011, 3:57pm

The GoFlex Desk desktop adapter seems to have extended GoFlex SATA connector, so be careful not to break the drive’s SATA ports. I have successfully use a full enclosed docking station SATDOCKU3S from Startech.

wd911 · February 22, 2011, 4:46pm

do you leave yours un-jumpered?

smlunatick · February 22, 2011, 4:53pm

I have not used any jumpers on any WD1002FAEX (3 drives - 4th returned on an RMA) and my WD10EARS.

wd911 · February 22, 2011, 4:58pm

Your drives have same “label”?

smlunatick · February 22, 2011, 5:25pm

Can not say as they are now “internally” installed into my main PC.

oxter · February 22, 2011, 5:59pm

If the drive is working fine, without the jumper, then, you don’t need to worry. Don’t jump the drive.

jim80z · March 5, 2011, 5:21am

I just wanted to share my thoughts/experience on this as this has confused the **bleep** out of me. I purchased 5 of these drives and I found the following:

It looks like there at least two variants of the WD1002FAEX drives, a 6G drive (WD1002FAEX- 00Z3A0 ) and a 3G(?) drive (WD1002FAEX- 00Y9A0 ). If you jumper pins 5 and 6 on an 00Z3A0 drive it sets the physical interface to 3G while if you do the same pins on the 00Y9A0 drive it sets it to 1.5G (confirmed it with WD support and my tests). I removed the jumpers on the 00Y9AO drives and they are running properly as 3G drives and performing as expected.
someone mentioned up above that label was a misprint I agree this is happening (god knows why, doesnt WD have quality control measures) but for me its not in line with the above example. One of my 00Z3A0 drives, having jumpered pins 5 and 6, performed as a 1.5G drive not as 3G. I was about to send it back when I thought Id try and remove the jumper, and to my surprise its now operating at full speed. So the Label was wrong (?) for one of the so called 6G drives.

There is really only one question here. If we buy a so called SATA3 (6G) drive and plug it into a SATA2 port without jumpering it, will it auto negotiate to the highest speed? If so the jumper is a menace.

WD need to get their documentation in order.

wd911 · March 6, 2011, 5:06am

My *00Y9A0 & *00Z3A0 are not jumpered and connected to STAE105. They’re both really fast via Firewire800 & USB.

I use these as DVRs and really don’t know what the big deal is with pin5&6!