NAS environments are great but besides the huge capacity, they need speed. That’s why Western Digital introduced the WD Red SSDs, which help to boost performance in hybrid NAS solutions.

Specifically designed and tested for 24/7 usage, the new Red NAS SATA SSDs are ideal for creators working on large projects over time. The WD Red SA500 NAS SATA SSD ofers up to 4TB capacity.

With the increase in virtualization, 10GbE (10 Gigabit Ethernet) and higher connectivity speeds are becoming an essential feature set in modern NAS systems. To help minimize a performance bottleneck, SSD speeds are crucial. That’s the reason why Western Digital announced the introduction of the first-ever WD Red SSDs, which enhance performance and caching abilities in a hybrid NAS environment, as well as a 14TB capacity for the WD Red and WD Red Pro HDDs.

Western Digital’s WD Red label is the choice for NAS environments, but until now the company only offered HDDs. Now, to supercharge your NAS system’s performance and responsiveness, there is the WD Red SA500 NAS SATA SSD. The company says that “since your NAS system is always on, a reliable drive is essential “ and this purpose designed SSD is the answer, as its endurance and efficient caching makes them ideal for demanding applications.

Designed for 4K and 8K video editing

Unlike standard SSDs, WD Red NAS SATA SSDs are specifically designed and tested for 24/7 usage. This durability together with efficient caching of big files make these drives ideal for OLTP databases, multi-user environments, photo rendering, 4K and 8K video editing and other demanding applications. With 2.5” and M.2 form factors and capacities from 500GB up to 4TB (2.5” only), the WD Red SA500 NAS SATA SSD lets you optimize your existing or next NAS system for superior performance and endurance.

“A boost in performance for NAS systems can translate to more content in less time, so creators or small businesses can work more efficiently to increase output and, as a result, potential income,” said Ziv Paz, senior director, client computing segment marketing, Western Digital. “Our higher capacities coupled with optimized endurance in the WD Red portfolio are making room for larger files and reducing storage bandwidth-induced stress. For creators working on large projects over time, the latest WD Red SSD solution enables a hybrid NAS environment where the SSD can serve as a caching mechanism for both large and frequently accessed files.”

More performance, more storage

“Working with Western Digital has proved increasingly beneficial in delivering premium storage for our NAS systems,” said Meiji Chang, general manager, QNAP. “With the addition of today’s WD Red SA500 SSD as a storage or caching solution, our customers can now take full advantage of dedicated SSD slots in our systems and benefit from faster network transfer speeds and optimal endurance.”

“Whether it’s editing video projects, backing up photos or developing software, the right storage platform not only protects your data, but lets you access it faster,” said Patrick Deschere, marketing director, Synology America Corp. “By pairing Synology with Western Digital, you can optimize your NAS experience and get the best of the cloud while maintaining complete ownership of your data.”

Purpose-built for NAS enthusiasts, the WD Red SA500 NAS SATA SSD, when utilized as a caching solution in a NAS system, helps to boost performance, while the new higher capacity WD Red and WD Red Pro HDDs offer more storage space in the same NAS device.

The new WD Red HDD offers 14TB

Complementary to the WD Red SA500 NAS SATA SSD, the latest WD Red HDD capacity increase to 14TB is designed for use in NAS systems with up to 8 bays. Ideal for small-and-home-office 24/7 environments, the drive supports up to a 180 TB/year workload rate. The other option now available, the WD Red Pro HDD supports up to 24 bays. With 3D Active Balance Plus technology and error recovery controls with NASware 3.0 technology, the drive operates with enhanced reliability.

The WD Red SA500 SSD comes in capacities of 500GB up to 2TB for the M.2 form factor and ranges in price from $72.00 up to $297.00. The 2.5-inch form factor of the WD Red SA500 SSD comes in capacities of 500GB up to 4TB and ranges in price from $75.00 to $600.00. Both form factors of WD Red SA500 SSDs are currently available in limited quantities at the WD store and will be available globally in November at select Western Digital retailers, e-tailers, resellers and system integrators.

The WD Red NAS HDD in 14TB capacity is priced at $450.00 and the WD Red NAS Pro HDD in 14TB capacity is priced at $525.00. These 14TB HDD products will be available globally in November at select Western Digital retailers, e-tailers, resellers, system integrators and at the WD store.