WD Ultrastar HC560 20TB
WD's first OptiNAND nearline drive: an onboard NAND layer offloads metadata, so the 10-disk helium stack holds 20TB without giving up CMR behavior under rebuild load. The modern successor to the HC550 — and in 2026, channel pricing has finally caught up with it. New and recertified stock ships from Hong Kong.
Fully Tested & Documented · Hong Kong Warehouse Stock · Worldwide Shipping 3–7 Days · 1-Year Warranty
Hardware Gallery
The HC560 20TB, Up Close
HC560 20TB — Label Verified
Label reads 20TB DC HC560 SATA 6Gb/s, MDL WUH722020ALE6L4, P/N 0F38755, Advanced Format. This photo is a recertified unit — note the Recertified date stamp; new-sealed stock carries the same label without it.
PCB & SATA Interface
Rear angle view with the SATA data+power connector pair. Watch the SKU suffix: ALE6L4 is SATA; BLE604/BLExx is SAS 12Gb/s — the two are not interchangeable in SATA-only backplanes.
269
MB/s sustained transfer
550
TB/year workload rating
2.5M
hours MTBF
20
TB with OptiNAND
Key Specifications
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | WD Ultrastar DC HC560 20TB (WUH722020ALE6L4 / 0F38755) |
| Form Factor | 3.5-inch, 10-disk HelioSeal |
| Interface | SATA 6Gb/s, 512e (SAS 12Gb/s variant: WUH722020BLE604) |
| Recording | CMR with OptiNAND, 7200 rpm, 512MB cache |
| Sustained Transfer | Up to 269 MB/s |
| Workload Rating | 550 TB/year |
| Reliability | 2.5M hours MTBF, 5-year class |
| Security | Instant Secure Erase; SED options in the family |
The HC560's OptiNAND layer is the real story: drive-internal metadata moves to onboard flash, freeing platter space and tightening write behavior — one reason WD reached 20TB without SMR tricks. Against the HC550 18TB it adds 2TB per bay; against Seagate's Exos X20 20TB it trades a little transfer speed for a wider SKU family. All three sit in our enterprise storage range.
Transparent Pricing
2026 Reference Pricing by Configuration
Tracked Sep 7, 2026 — seven asking-price data points across US/EU channel sellers, Baltic retail, and South Asia. New-channel pricing has compressed toward the HC550 this year; retail in some regions still carries a large premium.
US / EU Channel New
$479-$862
eBay US seller servers_are_us $478.79 (new); Ubuy EUR 581 (approx $628); Fotoaparatas LT EUR 699 (approx $755, flagged end-of-production); eBay.de seller EUR 798 (approx $862) with volume steps down to EUR 774.
Retail / South Asia
$1,152-$1,217
Amazon.in INR 97,911 (approx $1,152); RackServerSupplier $1,199 (list $1,599); idealo.fr aggregates from EUR 1,126.95 (approx $1,217). Retail pricing reflects 2026 nearline shortage premiums.
Recertified
On Request
Manufacturer-recertified units (like the labeled unit in our gallery) with 0-hours reset and full SMART transparency. Priced from live channel stock — tell us quantity.
Asking prices, not transaction prices — volume deals typically close 5-15% below asking. Small sample per tier (n<5): indicative only. Sources: ebay.com, ebay.de, ubuy.gp, fotoaparatas.lt, amazon.in, rackserversupplier.com, idealo.fr. Collected Sep 7, 2026. Full dataset: Used Server Price Index.
Origin
Hong Kong Warehouse
Free port — full export documentation
Transit
3–7 Days Air Freight
Tracked, insured, worldwide
Warranty
1-Year Warranty
Diagnostic report in every box
Quality Process
What We Test Before an HC560 20TB Ships
SMART & Helium Health
Power-on hours, reallocated/pending sectors, and helium integrity read from every drive — we quote the health floor before you commit.
Full-Surface Scan
Every LBA read-verified under sustained load; OptiNAND does not hide platter defects, and neither do we.
Firmware & Secure Erase
Firmware checked against WD's current release; drives sanitized to NIST 800-88 with certificate available on request.
Interface Verification (SATA vs SAS)
ALE6L4 (SATA) vs BLE604 (SAS) confirmed against firmware-reported identity — Amazon reviews show buyers mixing these up, so we make it a test step.
Acoustic & Vibration Check
The 10-disk stack is bench-checked for spindle and seek noise before grading; worn bearings are rejected, not resold.
Report in the Box
Every unit ships with its per-machine diagnostic report and warranty. Full process: inspection guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a WD Ultrastar HC560 20TB cost in 2026?
New channel stock runs $479-$862 in the US and EU, while retail in South Asia and France holds $1,152-$1,217 (seven asking prices tracked Sep 7, 2026 — small samples, indicative only). Channel pricing has compressed toward HC550 levels this year; manufacturer-recertified units are quoted on request.
What is the difference between the HC560 20TB and the HC550 18TB?
The HC560 adds WD's OptiNAND — an onboard NAND layer that stores drive metadata — plus a 10-disk stack (vs 9) to reach 20TB. Sustained transfer stays at 269MB/s and the 550TB/year rating is unchanged. The practical gains are 11% more capacity per bay and better-behaved writes under fragmentation; the HC550 keeps a deeper, cheaper used pool. For new builds at 2026 channel prices, the HC560 is usually worth the small premium.
Is WUH722020ALE6L4 the SATA or SAS version?
SATA — WUH722020ALE6L4 (P/N 0F38755) is the SATA 6Gb/s 512e SKU. The SAS 12Gb/s version is WUH722020BLE604 (0F38784). They share the HC560 name and look identical, but a SAS drive will not work in a SATA-only backplane. Marketplace listings frequently mix them up, which is why we verify interface against firmware before any unit ships.
What condition are HKCHL HC560 drives in?
New-sealed and manufacturer-recertified units are available. Every drive ships with its SMART readout (power-on hours, reallocated sectors), a full-surface scan result, NIST 800-88 sanitization on request, and a 1-year warranty. We quote the health floor before you pay.
Can you ship HC560 20TB to the US, Europe, or Asia?
Yes — worldwide shipping from our Hong Kong warehouse with full export documentation and anti-static, foam-suspended packing; express air-freight typically arrives in 3-7 days to major markets. For JBOD-scale orders we palletize and combine freight to reduce per-unit cost.
Get a Current HC560 20TB Quote
Tell us quantity and condition preference (new-sealed or manufacturer-recertified) — we confirm live stock and ship worldwide from Hong Kong, usually within one business day.
Request a Quote