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4K sectors transition: Why are hard drives moving to 4096 byte sectors, vs. 512 byte sectors?

Fresh5 days ago
Mar 15, 202611975 views
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Problem

I've noticed that some Western Digital hard drives are now sporting 4K sectors, that is, the sectors are larger: 4096 bytes vs. the long-standing standard of 512 bytes. So: What's the big deal with 4K sectors? Is it marketing hype, or a real advantage? Why should somebody building a new PC care, or…

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Fix for: 4K sectors transition: Why are hard drives moving to 4096 byte sectors, vs. 512 byte sectors?

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Bar none, this is the best article I have read on the topic: http://www.anandtech.com/show/2888 In a nutshell, to answer your questions: What's the big deal with 4K sectors? The primary advantage is more efficient use of the raw storage space. The n…

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