WD Red Pro WD201KFGX 20TB Hard Drive – 3.5" Internal SATA NAS HDD

Designed for power users and growing businesses, the WD Red Pro WD201KFGX 20TB hard drive is built to power RAID-optimized NAS environments with reliability, capacity, and performance at the core. This 3.5" internal SATA drive is purpose-built for multi-drive NAS deployments—up to 24 bays—where archiving, sharing, and protecting large volumes of data is a daily requirement. With a focus on continuous operation, optimized data protection, and extended testing, this HDD is engineered to deliver consistent performance in busy NAS arrays, helping organizations scale without compromising efficiency or reliability.

• Massive 20TB capacity for expansive data archives, high-resolution video libraries, virtual machine images, and large-scale backups. The WD Red Pro line is designed to handle the ever-growing data footprint in small to mid-sized businesses, ensuring you have room to store, access, and protect important files with ease.
• RAID-optimized reliability for NAS with 24-bay NAS compatibility, vibration tolerance, and extended testing. This drive is engineered to maintain steady performance in RAID configurations, minimizing rebuild times and keeping NAS operations smooth even under heavy I/O workloads.
• 3.5" internal HDD with SATA 6Gb/s interface (SATA/600) and 7200 RPM rotation, delivering robust sequential throughput and sustained data transfers essential for streaming, backups, and large file transfers in NAS environments.
• Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR) Technology for reliable, predictable write performance under heavy loads, reducing write jitter and maintaining consistent data integrity in multi-drive arrays over time.
• 5-year limited warranty and extensive drive testing provide peace of mind for businesses relying on NAS for daily operations. WD’s extended drive testing and quality controls are designed to ensure each drive offers reliable operation in the field, even in demanding 24x7 NAS deployments.

Technical Details of WD Red Pro WD201KFGX

• Model: WD201KFGX
• Capacity: 20TB
• Form Factor: 3.5 inches
• Interface: SATA 6Gb/s (SATA/600)
• Data Recording Technology: CMR (Conventional Magnetic Recording)
• Rotational Speed (RPM): 7200
• Cache: 512 MB
• Output Power (Active): Typical values provided by NAS-grade drives vary by workload (see NAS enclosure for exact numbers)
• Average Latency: Efficient random and sequential access suitable for NAS workloads
• Operating Temperature: Optimized for always-on NAS environments with adequate cooling
• MTBF: Industry-standard reliability metrics support steady, long-term operation in multi-drive NAS arrays
• Warranty: 5-year limited warranty
• Designed For: RAID-optimized NAS up to 24 bays, archiving, sharing, and protecting large datasets

how to install WD Red Pro WD201KFGX

• Prepare your NAS: Ensure your NAS is powered off before removing or adding drives. If you operate a hot-swappable NAS, verify compatibility and precautions specified by the vendor and your hardware administrator.
• Insert the drive: Open the NAS drive bay, insert the WD Red Pro WD201KFGX into an available 3.5" bay, and secure it with mounting screws if required by the enclosure.
• Power on and access the NAS: After installation, power up the NAS and access the management interface. The drive should appear in the storage or disk health section of the NAS OS.
• Initialize or add to storage pool: Create a new storage pool or add the drive to an existing RAID array. Follow your NAS OS prompts to select the appropriate RAID level (e.g., RAID 5, RAID 6, or other supported configurations) based on capacity, performance, and redundancy requirements.
• Run health checks and firmware update: Perform a quick health check, run a full SMART test if available, and apply any firmware updates recommended by WD or your NAS vendor to optimize reliability and compatibility.
• Set up monitoring and alerts: Configure email or app-based alerts for drive temperature, status, and health. Enable notifications to catch issues early and minimize downtime.
• Optimize temperature and cooling: Ensure proper ventilation around the NAS and maintain ambient temperatures within the drive’s recommended range to maximize longevity and reduce heat-induced failures.
• Data management best practices: Regularly back up important data, perform periodic parity checks, and schedule routine maintenance windows to monitor drive health and re-optimize RAID arrays as data grows.

Frequently asked questions

Is the WD Red Pro WD201KFGX suitable for NAS systems with up to 24 bays?

Yes. The WD Red Pro line is specifically designed for RAID-optimized NAS environments with up to 24 drive bays. It delivers reliable performance and steady workload handling for multi-drive arrays, making it an excellent choice for small to mid-sized businesses that require scalable storage with dependable redundancy.

What makes WD Red Pro different from standard desktop HDDs?

WD Red Pro drives are built for NAS workloads and always-on operation. They feature NAS-optimized firmware, enhanced vibration tolerance, optimized write performance for multi-drive arrays, and long-term reliability that standards desktop hard drives cannot consistently deliver in NAS environments. The CMR technology used in this model further improves write reliability under heavy, continuous workloads.

How does 20TB capacity benefit archiving and backups?

With 20TB of capacity, you can consolidate large libraries of media, virtual machines, project files, and backups into a single, manageable storage pool. This reduces the need for frequent expansion and allows more efficient data protection strategies, such as longer retention periods and more frequent proactive backups, while still leaving room for growth.

What warranty and reliability should I expect?

The WD Red Pro WD201KFGX carries a 5-year limited warranty, backed by extended drive testing and quality controls. This warranty reflects confidence in long-term reliability in NAS environments, particularly under sustained loads and continuous operation typical of RAID configurations in business settings.

Are there any special considerations for installation and operation?

Yes. For best results, ensure compatibility with your NAS model and RAID configuration, keep drives in a well-ventilated enclosure, monitor drive health with the NAS software, and perform routine parity checks. Keeping firmware up to date and following vendor-recommended practices for NAS maintenance helps maximize drive longevity and data integrity.