WD 16TB (WUH722016CLE6L4): 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 16TB 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.
WUH- Ultrastar DC HC series, helium-filled. (Western Digital - Ultrastar model-number nomenclature)722016- Capacity and generation field. The leading digits encode capacity in the family's own scheme; each model's own specification sheet states its exact capacity. (Western Digital - Ultrastar model-number nomenclature)CLE- we have not found a WD document defining this segment6L4- we have not found a WD document defining this segment
Part-number reference: WUH722016CLE6L4 — decoded segments, sibling variants and the warranty check. Live rankings this model belongs to: every 16TB hard drive · 16TB SATA drives · WD 16TB SATA. Product pages for this part number: WD Ultrastar 16TB SATA WUH722016CLE6L4.
Nearest model with a sourced answer: WD161KFGX (WD Red Pro 16TB, CMR). Listed for comparison only - two part numbers can use different recording methods, so its answer is not WUH722016CLE6L4's.
| Maker | WD |
| Capacity | 16TB |
| Interface | SATA-6G |
| Recording technology | No maker source found |
In stock now at $1337.59 (new). 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 WUH722016CLE6L4 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 16TB
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 WUH722016CLE6L4: two part numbers at one capacity can use different recording methods.
- WUH721816ALE6L4 (Ultrastar DC) - not sourced
- WD161KFGX (WD Red Pro) - CMR
When a source turns up
When we find a maker document that names WUH722016CLE6L4, 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, 16TB and up
- Exos X16 16TB - $469.99 · Buy on Amazon
- WD Red Pro 20TB WD202KFGX - $892.30 · Buy on Amazon
- Red Pro 22TB NAS WD221KFGX - $774.99 · Buy on Amazon
- Exos X24 24TB - $798.99 · Buy on Amazon