The GP does easily draw the least amount of power of any 3.5" drive we've ever tested... less than 1/2 of any other unit when idle. Even under a full seek, the GP enjoys an advantage of over 30% over the typical 7200 RPM SATA drive. In what almost seems like an ancillary effect, the GP also happens to be the quietest drive we have ever measured and heard here at SR. Its miniscule power dissipation also translates into far less need for cooling which yields yet more acoustic benefit. Especially when taken in the context of arrays featuring many drives that run 24x7, lower cost of operation also becomes significant.

So, those seeking the ultimate in speed and those inclined to judge solely by low-level specifications probably will not find the Caviar GP on their short list. However, those who have always found that concentrating on power, heat, and noise issues always meant sacrificing on high capacities and/or competitive performance may just find their soul mate in WD's GreenPower drive.