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Silver 3.5-inch enterprise hard drive with dual HP and Western Digital labels

Western Digital

Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC550 WUH721818ALE600 18TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.5" internal hard drive

SKU CH-W4GC-JPRD8

An 18 TB, 7200 RPM SATA 3.5" enterprise hard drive with a helium-sealed design, 512 MB cache and a 269 MB/s sustained transfer rate for high-capacity storage arrays

  • Total capacity18 TB
  • Interface typeSATA 6.0Gb/s
  • Form factor3.5 in (8.89 cm)
  • Recording methodCMR
  • Rotational speed7,200 RPM
  • Cache memory512 MB
  • 18 TB capacity for massive data storage
  • 7200 RPM spindle speed delivers up to 269 MB/s sustained transfer
  • Helium-sealed design reduces turbulence for reliable high-density operation
  • CMR recording technology ensures consistent performance and broad compatibility
  • 512 MB cache buffers bursts for smooth enterprise workloads

18 TB SATA enterprise drive

The Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC550 delivers 18 TB of storage on a 3.5 inch SATA 6.0 Gb/s interface. It spins at 7200 RPM using CMR recording technology and a helium-sealed design. The drive targets enterprise servers, storage arrays, cloud deployments, backup, archiving and big data workloads. It is not suited for buyers who need a portable or laptop-sized drive.

Standard 3.5 inch SATA installation

The drive fits any standard 3.5 inch drive bay and connects via a regular SATA data and power cable. Advanced Format 512e ensures compatibility with most operating systems and RAID controllers. The Power Disable feature on Pin 3 may require a compatible backplane or a simple adapter if the host does not support it. No special tools or drivers are needed beyond normal SATA setup.

Sustained throughput up to 269 MB/s

Under continuous load the drive maintains a sustained data transfer rate up to 269 MB/s. The 512 MB cache and helium-sealed platters help keep performance steady during long sequential reads and writes. This makes it reliable for extended backup jobs, video ingestion and analytics tasks rather than only short burst transfers.

How it compares

Measured against everything we stock in 3.5-Inch Internal Desktop HDDs, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.

Price $389.99
Pricier than about 89% of the 4,938 comparable items (median $107.99).
Total capacity 18 TB
Higher than about 93% of the 2,372 comparable items (median 2 TB).
Price per TB $21.67 per TB
Cheaper than about 91% of the 2,365 comparable items (median $62.21 per TB).

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Specifications

Product
Brand nameWestern Digital/HP
Product lineBare
Model nameWUH721818ALE600
Part number0F38492
Total capacity18 TB
Performance
Rotational speed7,200 RPM
Storage
Recording methodCMR
Cache memory512 MB
Ports & slots
Interface typeSATA 6.0Gb/s
Size & build
Form factor3.5 in (8.89 cm)

Questions about this item

How do I confirm the WUH721818ALE600 is delivering its rated 269 MB/s sustained transfer rate after installation?

Run a sequential read/write benchmark such as CrystalDiskMark or HD Tune and verify the results approach 269 MB/s; the drive should also be recognised at 18 TB with a SATA 6 Gb/s link speed in the BIOS or OS disk utility.

What ships with the Ultrastar DC HC550 18 TB drive and what must I source separately?

The drive arrives as a bare 3.5" helium-sealed unit; you will need to supply a SATA data cable, a SATA power connection from your PSU, and suitable mounting screws for your chassis.

Which cache size applies to the WUH721818ALE600 — 256 MB or 512 MB?

The drive’s specification lists a 512 MB cache; the 256 MB figure appears on an alternate label but the 512 MB value is the one associated with this model number.

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