WD 12TB (WD121PURP): Recording Status
We have not found a manufacturer document stating the recording technology for this exact part number. We know what the drive is - a WD 12TB SATA-6G hard drive (3.5") that we track - but a recording technology printed without a source is a guess, and for RAID, NAS or ZFS use that guess is the one that matters. That is a statement about what we have found, not about what WD has published.
We hold no vendor document that defines the segments of WD121PURP, so we do not decode it.
Live rankings this model belongs to: every 12TB hard drive · 12TB SATA drives · WD 12TB SATA. Product pages for this part number: WD Purple Pro 12TB WD121PURP.
Nearest model with a sourced answer: WD122KFBX (WD Red Pro 12TB, CMR). Listed for comparison only - two part numbers can use different recording methods, so its answer is not WD121PURP's.
| Maker | WD |
| Capacity | 12TB |
| Interface | SATA-6G |
| Recording technology | No maker source found |
In stock now at $459.99 (used). Buy on Amazon · listing details
How to settle it for this drive
Read the model number on the drive's own label, then find WD's data sheet or product manual for that family. A document that prints WD121PURP in its own row of a recording-technology table settles the question. A family page that names no part numbers does not: we have found maker pages that list neither a part number nor a recording method, and we no longer count them as sources. A retailer listing is not a source either - it is a seller's description, and sellers repeat what other listings say.
Documented WD drives at 12TB
These WD part numbers at the same capacity do have a maker document on record. They are listed for comparison, not as an answer for WD121PURP: two part numbers at one capacity can use different recording methods.
- HUH721212ALE600 (Ultrastar DC) - not sourced
- HUH721212ALE601 (Ultrastar DC) - not sourced
- WD120EFAX (WD Red) - CMR at family level
- WD120EFBX (WD Red Plus) - CMR
- WD120EFGX (WD Red Plus) - CMR
- WD121KFBX (WD Red Pro) - CMR
- WD122KFBX (WD Red Pro) - CMR
When a source turns up
When we find a maker document that names WD121PURP, this page will state the answer with that document linked and the date we read it, the same way our documented pages do. Until then, the honest answer is that we do not know.
In-stock drives with sourced CMR, 12TB and up
- WD Red Pro 12TB WD121KFBX - $399.99 · Buy on Amazon
- WD Purple Pro 18TB WD181PURP - $699.99 · Buy on Amazon
- Exos X20 20TB - $669.99 · Buy on Amazon
- WD Red Pro 20TB WD201KFGX - $799.99 · Buy on Amazon