WD 2TB Gold / Black Odd Noise on Shut Down Explained by Simple Technical Terms

WD Internal Drives Desktop & Mobile Drives
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I have RAID-1 with double WD Raptor 10.000 rpm 75GB of the year 2005, and few days before the year 2024, I did purchase two WD2005FBYZ 2TB, so this new technology to replace the old that I do own.

Both of my WD Raptors, measure today approximately 90.000 hours of the 1.200.000 of their MFTB.

I did a very in-depth read, of what WD did as steps of added technological progress to their enterprise and high-end HDD (WD Gold 2016+, WD Black 2017+, and latest of that class).

In technical terms, WD added several new technologies these relative to mechanical parts.
The new improvement’s at HDD platters rotation control, along at HDD head (mechanical actuator) both are monitored due electronic sensors.
In this new era of HDD, there is automatic control along automatic corrections made by the HDD in a split of the second for as long this is powered up.

At HDD the power down routine, HDD platters must now slow down and stop rotating within specific time, and the high precision HDD Head (mechanical actuator) this must be parked securely at it nest.

WD explains that the properly power down HDD + platters securely blocked, along Head actuator securely parked, this HDD it is now safe to be transported. (move the computer case, and or shipping).

And therefore it is expected to be generated some short of Odd noise from a HDD loaded with much more electrical systems that control platters and head.

Should I consider my Raptor of year 2005 as normal sounded HDD, and the latest High precision technology as Odd sounded?

WD it does offer product brief PDF, and even full documentation per product due Technical Reference Manual.
I am working in electronics since 1985, my first operating system Windows 95.

Today I feel ready to welcome the New Technologies’ that WD developed as improvements at what called as Modern Enterprise class of HDD.
My cash are buying:
Speed performance MB/s
Product longevity
Modern mechanical systems (high precision actuator, platters, motor, lots of sensors that offer several autocorrecting techniques).
HDD with secure power down sequence, this is safe for transportation as powered off.
Modern electronics
Higher performance at RAID-1 array than a Solo HDD (back in time double HDD in RAID-1 they were running slower than single HDD).

I did read several hilarious descriptions, Odd noise, and dying cow.
These are sounds created of Fresh implemented technologies, and there is no room for personal likes and dislikes.
No one ever criticized the sound of jet airplanes VS the old one’s these using propellers.

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Here is a sample video, this demonstrating of how a Healthy WD Gold this sounds at Power down.

It’s a bit unfortunate that some very young gamer’s, they waste money over cheap Gaming PC cases.
All of them are made in China, all of them made by very thin steel, these cases instead to offer mechanical noise’s reduction, they amplify mechanical noises.

Some other VERY YOUNG computer users, they placing their computer case next to their bed.
In such a scenario, any mechanical sound will appear as annoyance.

Us which appreciate HDD and enterprise HDD class, we shop for classic Mid-tower PC case, the most heavy one that we can find, this including active cooling for the HDD due 120mm DC fan.

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Hi @Kiriakos-GR ,

Have you opened a Support Case? If not opened, for more information, please contact the WD Technical Support team for the best assistance and troubleshooting:

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Support case does not required.
Thank you!

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I am now using my RAID Array for 200 hours, no complaints at all. :slightly_smiling_face:
But there is one detail that WD leaved as undocumented.

At the scenario of user forced power off due the power button over the computer case, should we wait for HDD power down routine this to complete, before our next reboot ?

HDD power down routine this requiring 4~5 Seconds so to complete.
user forced power off this is a rare event, it will be required only if the OS this crash or become unresponsive.

I have my workstation next to me at my workshop, HDD power down routine this is great because when the sound starts I have immediate information that the HDD it did finish with any data read/write task, and securely power off it self.
But at day time that the city this is alive, I can not hear anything.

With old tech HDD, immediate user forced power off and instantly user forced power On never caused any issue.

But I do wonder of this detail now, because all UltraStar HDD they come with 64MB or 128 MB of cache (which is a significant amount) , and there is no information of how fast this emptying so the HDD this to start it power down routine.

For as long there is not any definition about this detail, I will simply wait 4~5 Seconds of time before next reboot.

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Exactly the same sound as my wd2005fbyz. Above all the buzzing when it shut down. :joy:
P.S. ThankYou for the video. :+1:

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You are welcome mate !!
These HDD they are remarkable for OS hosting, unbelievable performance. :rocket:

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Some models incorporate power loss data protection. When the firmware senses that power has been lost, it backs up the uncommitted write data in SDRAM to a non-volatile cached area in the serial flash memory on the PCB. At the next power cycle, the firmware completes these pending write transactions before the drive comes ready.

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The Japanese advice us to set write cache off.
There is no other magic for this model.