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Western Digital 10TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 5400 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD101EFAX
Western Digital

Western Digital 10TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD (WD101EFAX)

Bottom line: The Western Digital 10TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD ($559.90 on Amazon as of 2026-10-21 08:15 UTC): CMR recording keeps RAID rebuilds and ZFS resilvers fast, unlike SMR drives; main trade-off: 3-year limited warranty trails the 5-year coverage on higher-tier NAS drives.

$559.90

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Buy on Amazon — $559.90 Compare to similar ssds & storage

By , Founder & Editor-in-Chief · Listing data updated

Mike Perry — Hardware researcher since 2014. For SSDs and PC storage upgrades, synthesises manufacturer specs and independent reviews rather than first-hand lab testing. Core beat: GPU performance across gaming, rendering, and local-LLM inference.

*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-21. Price and availability subject to change.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓ CMR recording keeps RAID rebuilds and ZFS resilvers fast, unlike SMR drives
  • ✓ Rated for 180 TB/yr workload in 24x7 operation
  • ✓ 256 MB cache plus SATA 6 Gb/s handles large sequential transfers
  • ✓ 5400 RPM class runs cooler and quieter in stacked NAS bays

Cons

  • ✗ 3-year limited warranty trails the 5-year coverage on higher-tier NAS drives
  • ✗ 5400 RPM class means lower random IOPS than 7200 RPM NAS drives
  • ✗ Validated only up to 8-bay enclosures, not larger rack arrays
  • ✗ May ship in a "WD Red" label during the Red Plus renaming transition

Manufacturer description

Western Digital's 10TB WD Red Plus is built for the always-on NAS, and the spec that matters most here is CMR. This drive uses conventional magnetic recording rather than SMR, so RAID rebuilds and ZFS resilvers on your array behave predictably instead of crawling. The 5400 RPM performance class keeps heat and acoustics down in a stacked enclosure, while 256 MB of cache and a SATA 6 Gb/s interface keep sequential transfers fed during large archive dumps and nightly backups. Western Digital rates the WD101EFAX for a 180 TB/yr workload and validates it for 24x7 operation in bays of up to eight…

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SpecPicks Verdict

SpecPicks scored Western Digital 10TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the ssds & storage category. Western Digital's ssds & storage lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.

Common buyer scenarios for ssds & storage of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the WD101EFAX CMR or SMR?

It is CMR. Western Digital renamed this model WD Red Plus specifically to distinguish it from the SMR-based WD Red line, and you can confirm CMR by the WD101EFAX model number even if the box still reads "WD Red".

How many drive bays does the WD Red Plus 10TB support?

Western Digital builds and tests it for NAS systems with up to 8 bays, targeting SOHO and small- to medium-business environments running 24x7.

What workload rating does this drive carry?

Up to 180 TB per year. Western Digital defines workload rate as user data transferred to or from the drive, annualized as TB transferred x (8760 / recorded power-on hours).

Why is it 5400 RPM instead of 7200 RPM?

The 5400 RPM performance class trades peak random throughput for lower heat and noise, which matters when eight drives sit in one enclosure. Sequential archiving and file sharing, the drive's stated use cases, are largely unaffected.

What warranty comes with this drive?

A 3-year limited warranty from Western Digital. Check the product listing for current terms and regional coverage before purchase.

Key Features

  • Available in capacities ranging from 1-14TB with support for up to 8 bays
  • 5400RPM performance class
  • Supports up to 180 TB/yr workload rate*| * Workload Rate is defined as the amount of user data transferred to or from the hard drive. Workload Rate is annualized (TB transferred ✕ (8760 / recorded power-on hours))
  • NASware firmware for compatibility
  • Small or medium business NAS systems in a 24x7 environment
  • 3-year limited warranty

Full Specifications

BrandWestern Digital
ColorRed
Model NameWD Red
Unit Count1 Count
Form Factor3.5-inch
Media Speed180 MB/s
Model NumberWD101EFAX
Built-In MediaInternal HDD
Hard-Drive Size10 TB
Mfr Part NumberWD101EFAX
Number of Items1
Special FeaturePortable
Installation TypeInternal Hard Drive
Compatible DevicesDesktop
Data Transfer Rate6 gigabits_per_second
Enclosure MaterialMetal
Additional FeaturesPortable
Hard Disk InterfaceSerial ATA
Warranty Description3-year manufacturer's limited warranty
Hard Disk DescriptionMechanical Hard Disk
Full listing titleWestern Digital 10TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 5400 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD101EFAX

Ready to buy?

Western Digital 10TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 5400 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD101EFAX is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.

Buy on Amazon — $559.90

*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-21. Price and availability subject to change.

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Western Digital 10TB WD Red Plus NAS Internal Hard Drive HDD - 5400 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, CMR, 256 MB Cache, 3.5" - WD101EFAX
$559.90
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