WUH721414AL4200 Western Digital 14TB 7.2K RPM SAS-12Gbps Ultrastar DC HC530 3.5inch HDD

Overview of Western Digital WUH721414AL4200 14TB HDD

The Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC530 14TB enterprise hard drive is engineered for mission-critical workloads where performance, durability, and scalability are essential. Built on Western Digital’s trusted Ultrastar platform, this high-capacity internal drive is optimized for modern data-driven infrastructures, delivering consistent throughput and long-term reliability for enterprise and cloud environments.

General Information

• Manufacturer: Western Digital
• Part Number: WUH721414AL4200
• Series: Ultrastar DC HC530
• Product Type: Hard Disk Drive

Technical Specifications

• Storage Capacity: 14TB
• Drive Type: Internal enterprise HDD
• Interface: SAS-12Gbps
• Form Factor: 3.5-inch 
• Rotational Speed: 7.2K RPM
• Cache / Buffer Size: 512 MB

Mechanical Specifications

• Z-Height: 26.1 mm
• Dimensions (W × D): 101.6 × 147 mm
• Approximate Weight: 690 g

The Western Digital WUH721414AL4200 14TB 7.2K RPM HDD

The Western Digital WUH721414AL4200 Ultrastar DC HC530 14TB hard disk drive belongs to a high-performance enterprise storage category engineered for data-intensive, always-on environments. This category is purpose-built for organizations that demand predictable performance, consistent latency, and long-term reliability across large-scale storage infrastructures. As part of the Ultrastar DC HC530 family, this drive represents a convergence of advanced mechanical engineering, enterprise firmware optimization, and modern interface technology designed to support critical business operations.

Ultrastar DC HC530 Platform 

The Ultrastar DC HC530 platform is built on Western Digital’s proven helium-sealed design, enabling higher areal density and reduced internal turbulence. Helium technology allows for more platters within a standard 3.5-inch form factor, increasing total storage capacity while lowering friction and power consumption. This platform is designed to deliver consistent throughput in enterprise and nearline storage tiers, where large datasets must be stored, accessed, and protected reliably.Within this category, the HC530 series is recognized for its balance of performance, endurance, and operational efficiency. It supports demanding workloads such as bulk storage, distributed file systems, and large-scale content repositories. The WUH721414AL4200 model further enhances this category by incorporating a SAS 12Gbps interface and native 4Kn sector formatting, aligning with modern enterprise infrastructure standards.

High-Capacity 14TB Storage

Capacity scalability is a defining characteristic of the Ultrastar DC HC530 14TB category. As data volumes continue to grow exponentially due to analytics, AI, multimedia content, and regulatory retention requirements, organizations require storage solutions that can scale without exponentially increasing footprint or operational complexity. The 14TB capacity enables higher storage density per rack unit, reducing the total number of drives required to meet capacity targets.This category is particularly suited for environments where data growth is predictable but relentless. By deploying high-capacity HDDs, enterprises can extend the lifespan of existing infrastructure investments while preparing for future expansion. The 14TB capacity also supports efficient data consolidation strategies, minimizing data silos and improving manageability across storage pools.

7.2K RPM Performance

The 7,200 RPM rotational speed defines this category’s performance profile, positioning it as an ideal solution for nearline and enterprise storage workloads. This speed provides a balance between throughput, latency, and power consumption, making it suitable for both read-heavy and mixed-use scenarios. While not designed to replace solid-state storage for ultra-low latency applications, these HDDs excel in sustained data transfer and large block I/O operations.Within enterprise environments, 7.2K RPM drives are commonly used in object storage, backup repositories, and data lakes. The Ultrastar DC HC530 category is optimized for these use cases through firmware enhancements that ensure stable performance under continuous load. This makes it a dependable choice for applications that require predictable behavior rather than burst performance.

SAS 12Gbps Interface

The Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) 12Gbps interface is a defining feature of this category, providing high-speed connectivity and robust command queuing capabilities. SAS is widely adopted in enterprise and data center environments due to its reliability, scalability, and support for advanced features such as dual-port connectivity. This interface enables higher bandwidth compared to SATA, making it suitable for multi-drive arrays and shared storage architectures.SAS 12Gbps ensures compatibility with modern RAID controllers, storage servers, and enterprise backplanes. It supports higher IOPS and improved error handling, which are essential for mission-critical deployments. The interface also allows for better performance scaling as storage arrays grow in size and complexity.

Dual-Port Capability and High Availability

One of the advantages of SAS-based storage categories is dual-port capability. This feature allows each drive to be connected to two independent paths, enhancing redundancy and availability. In enterprise storage systems, dual-port drives support failover configurations that minimize downtime in the event of a controller or path failure.The Ultrastar DC HC530 category leverages this capability to meet high-availability requirements in data centers and cloud environments. This makes it suitable for applications where uptime and data accessibility are critical, such as financial systems, healthcare records, and large-scale content delivery platforms.

4Kn Native Sector Format

The 4Kn (4K native) sector format is a key differentiator of this category, reflecting a shift toward modern data storage standards. Unlike traditional 512-byte sectors, 4Kn drives use 4,096-byte sectors natively, improving storage efficiency and reducing overhead. This format enhances error correction capabilities and aligns with contemporary operating systems and storage software.4Kn technology supports better data integrity by allowing stronger error correction codes (ECC) to be applied per sector. This is particularly important in high-capacity drives, where the probability of encountering bit errors increases with storage density. By adopting 4Kn, the Ultrastar DC HC530 category delivers improved reliability for large-scale data storage.

Compatibility with Enterprise Operating Systems

Modern enterprise operating systems and hypervisors increasingly support 4Kn drives natively. This category is designed to integrate seamlessly with current-generation platforms, reducing the need for emulation layers and simplifying deployment. Native 4Kn support also improves performance by eliminating translation overhead between logical and physical sectors.For organizations planning long-term infrastructure investments, choosing a 4Kn-based storage category helps future-proof deployments and ensures compatibility with evolving software ecosystems.

512MB Buffer Cache

The inclusion of a 512MB buffer cache is a significant performance enhancement within this category. Large cache memory allows the drive to temporarily store frequently accessed data and manage write operations more efficiently. This results in improved throughput and reduced latency during sustained workloads.In enterprise environments, buffer cache plays a critical role in optimizing sequential reads and writes, which are common in backup, archival, and data replication scenarios. The generous cache size also helps absorb bursts of I/O activity, ensuring smoother performance across shared storage resources.

3.5-Inch Form Factor

The 3.5-inch form factor remains a standard within enterprise and data center storage categories. This form factor allows for high-capacity storage while maintaining compatibility with existing server and enclosure designs. The Ultrastar DC HC530 14TB drive fits seamlessly into standard 3.5-inch bays, simplifying integration and upgrades.Standardization around the 3.5-inch form factor enables organizations to maintain uniform hardware configurations, reducing operational complexity and inventory costs. This category supports a wide range of enterprise chassis and storage systems, making it a versatile choice for diverse deployment scenarios.

Reliability, Endurance, and 24x7 Operation

Reliability is a defining attribute of the Ultrastar DC HC530 category. These drives are engineered for continuous 24x7 operation, with components and firmware validated for long-term endurance. Enterprise-class manufacturing processes and rigorous testing ensure that each drive meets stringent reliability standards.This category is designed to handle high annualized workload rates, making it suitable for environments with constant data ingestion, replication, and retrieval. Organizations can rely on these drives to deliver consistent performance over extended service lifecycles.

Backup, Archival, and Compliance Storage

Backup and archival systems require dependable storage that can retain data for extended periods. This category’s reliability and data integrity features make it well-suited for long-term data retention, regulatory compliance, and disaster recovery solutions.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is a critical consideration in modern data centers. The Ultrastar DC HC530 category leverages helium technology and optimized power management to reduce energy consumption per terabyte. Lower power draw translates into reduced cooling requirements and lower operational costs.By improving watts-per-terabyte metrics, this category helps organizations achieve sustainability goals while maintaining high storage performance and capacity.

Integration with Enterprise Storage Ecosystems

The Ultrastar DC HC530 14TB HDD category is designed for seamless integration into existing enterprise storage ecosystems. Compatibility with leading RAID controllers, storage operating systems, and server platforms ensures straightforward deployment and scalability.This category supports a wide range of enterprise applications, from traditional file servers to modern software-defined storage solutions. Its versatility makes it a foundational component in scalable storage architectures.