As the name suggests, it is the Western Digital Elements Desktop by one external hard drive for stationary use. Our test variant of the 3,5-inch disk has a memory of 2 TB. It is the predecessor of the WD My Book series. Equipped with a USB 3.0 port and the WDBWLG0040HBK hard drive, it offers a cache of 64 MB and 5400 RPM. You can find out below whether it can do as well as its big brother in the test.
- WD Elements desktop storage boosts the performance of your PC....
- The WD Elements external hard drive 12 TB provides you with enough...
- Easily complement your computer with the WD Elements HDD...
What's in the box
- Western Digital Elements Desktop
- 3.0 USB cable (backwards compatible)
- Power Supplies
- installation Guide
WD SmartWare Pro is included, but only for a trial period.
processing / design
- WD Elements desktop storage boosts the performance of your PC....
- The WD Elements external hard drive 12 TB provides you with enough...
- Easily complement your computer with the WD Elements HDD...
The WD Elements Desktop comes in a typical, upright design of the series. It stands securely on four rubber feet that skilfully prevent slipping. With dimensions of 13,5 x 4,8 x 16,6 cm, it presents itself in a slim design. The high quality Housing was made of aluminum and covered with glossy piano lacquer. This gives the hard drive an elegant appearance, but also makes it susceptible to dust, fingerprints and scratches. The front has a small LED light and the WD logo and the series name are printed in white lettering. Large ventilation slots are embedded on the back. There is a button to turn on and off. Since the device works with an integrated automatic switch-off, this is rather superfluous. Next to it is the USB 3.0 port and the connection for the power supply.
Hardware
The combination of a 5400 RPM test disk, 64 MB cache and a USB 3.0 port gives hope for high transfer rates. And we were not disappointed. The reading speed is a good 126 MBytes/s and the writing speed is 138 MBytes/s. Without a doubt, these are top values that are quite impressive. Access times are also fast. Our MacBook and the Windows 7 computer also had no problems recognizing the device.
Specifications
| Size | 3,5 inch |
| Color | Black |
| Storage | 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 5TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB, 16TB, 18TB |
| Speed | RPM 5400 |
| cache | 64 MB |
| Tender | 128MB/s |
| Read | 126MB/s |
| Connection | USB 3.0 |
| cable length | 100 cm |
| Power adapter? | Ja |
Test results
USB 3.0
Write Speed: 138MB/s
Read speed: 126MB/s
Write access time: 20,1 ms
Read access time: 17,0 ms
Other
Even when fully loaded, the Western Digital Elements Desktop is very quiet. During operation, the small LED light on the front flashes. It is so bright that it shines out of the plate at the back. If the hard disk is placed correctly, this is not really a problem. The generous ventilation slots ensure very good air circulation inside. So it does not heat up noticeably even after long use. The supplied power adapter is quite compact. Unfortunately still too big to insert a second plug in a power strip right next to it. The cable is long enough at 1,5 meters. The USB cable is a good 1 m long. Unexpectedly, we accidentally knocked over the plate while using it. Although she is not from Table fallen but tipped onto the tabletop. It survived this involuntary shock test wonderfully. Unfortunately, this also proved that the vertical design, while beautiful, is not necessarily practical. So if you use the plate within your range of motion, caution is advised. Hard drives should of course always be handled with care.
Conclusion
In our opinion, the Western Digital Elements Desktop is the ideal supplement for the home media system in the living room. It looks good, runs quietly and offers a fast Data transmission. There is the model with up to 5 TB. The price is also a convincing argument. At the time of testing, the GB was available for just 3,6 cents. In terms of data security, it is a little inferior to the My Book. Hardware encryption is missing here. But if you save videos and photos for home cinema, you can easily do without this feature. A great record for everyday use!
- WD Elements desktop storage boosts the performance of your PC....
- The WD Elements external hard drive 12 TB provides you with enough...
- Easily complement your computer with the WD Elements HDD...
