The power consumption of the WD Red Pro 26 TB was measured in four realistic scenarios: startup, idle, sequential write load (Ultra HD video stream) and random read access. The measurement was carried out with high temporal resolution (100 ms interval) over a period of 30 seconds. A precise oscilloscope system with an intelligent low-pass filter was used, which also reliably records transient load peaks.
During the start-up process, the hard disk briefly reaches peak values of over 30 W, whereby the behaviour is highly dynamic. The power consumption drops significantly after around 8 seconds and then stabilizes at an average value of around 13.5 W. This power-on pulse is typical for hard disks with 7200 rpm and ten platters. It makes it clear that a system with several drives starting up simultaneously should either have sufficiently powerful power supply units or work with sequential startup behavior.
In idle mode, the power consumption is constant at around 6 W. This phase is particularly relevant for NAS systems in which hard disks are active for a long time but rotate unused. The measured value is thus in the upper range of what is typical for helium-filled CMR drives, but still below classic air-based models. The continuous operation of the mechanics, in particular the motor and servo technology, contribute significantly to the consumption here.
Under sequential write load from a UHD video stream, the power consumption increases moderately and averages around 8.5 W. The power consumption remains relatively constant, which indicates a stable mechanical and electronic design. The additional 2.5 W compared to idle mode can clearly be attributed to the write heads and internal caching processes. This consumption can be classified as efficient, especially in continuous operation, for example during surveillance or video recording.
During random read accesses, the power consumption rises to an average of around 13 W. The frequent movements of the actuator to reposition the read/write arm are the main reason for this increase. The dispersion of the consumption values is highest in this scenario, which reflects the typical load changes during random IO accesses. From a thermal perspective, this scenario is also more stressful, as the constant load changes make the heat development more uneven and therefore more difficult to cool.
A comparison of these results with the test of the Seagate Iron Wolf Pro 30TB from ComputerBase shows a largely congruent picture. There, too, around 6 W in idle mode and up to 13 W with random access were recorded. However, the power-on peaks were only mentioned by ComputerBase in general terms and were not measured at such a high resolution. Under continuous load such as sequential recording, the power consumption there was also in the range between 8 and 9 W. The consistency of the values confirms the measurement methodology and allows a reliable classification.
Thus, the WD Red Pro 26 TB shows a very controlled and comprehensible load behavior with moderate energy consumption for its capacity class. In particular, the difference between idle and write mode is smaller than with older models, which suggests optimized energy management in conjunction with NASware and OptiNAND. Only when switching on should you pay attention to the interaction with the power supply unit when using several of these drives.
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