WD 22TB (WUH722222ALE604): 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 22TB 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)722222- 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)ALE- SATA 6Gb/s interface, 512e sector format. (Western Digital - Ultrastar model-number nomenclature)604- we have not found a WD document defining this segment
Part-number reference: WUH722222ALE604 — decoded segments, sibling variants and the warranty check. Live rankings this model belongs to: every 22TB hard drive · 22TB SATA drives · WD 22TB SATA. Product pages for this part number: WD Ultrastar 22TB SATA WUH722222ALE604 · WD Ultrastar 22TB SATA WUH722222ALE604.
Nearest model with a sourced answer: WD221KFGX (WD Red Pro 22TB, CMR). Listed for comparison only - two part numbers can use different recording methods, so its answer is not WUH722222ALE604's.
| Maker | WD |
| Capacity | 22TB |
| Interface | SATA-6G |
| Recording technology | No maker source found |
In stock now at $876.00 (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 WUH722222ALE604 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 22TB
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 WUH722222ALE604: two part numbers at one capacity can use different recording methods.
- WUH722222ALE6L4 (Ultrastar DC) - not sourced
- WD221PURP (WD Purple Pro) - CMR
- WD221KFGX (WD Red Pro) - CMR
When a source turns up
When we find a maker document that names WUH722222ALE604, 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, 22TB and up
- Exos X24 24TB Enterprise SATA - $1027.09 · Buy on Amazon
- WD Red Pro 24TB WD241KFGX - $1309.10 · Buy on Amazon
- Exos M 30TB SATA HAMR Enterprise - $1399.99 · Buy on Amazon
- SkyHawk AI 32TB ST32000VE000 - $1339.99 · Buy on Amazon