Product Description
A 500GB 3.5" SATA hard drive from Western Digital, built for the job most CCTV owners overlook until it fails: continuous recording. 7200 RPM and a SATA III interface give it fast, reliable read/write speeds, which matters because a DVR or NVR is writing footage constantly, not just occasionally like a desktop PC.
It's compatible with all DVR and NVR surveillance systems, so it drops into any CCTV kit or package rather than being tied to one recorder brand. Beyond CCTV, the same drive works in desktops, servers, NAS devices and external enclosures if you ever repurpose it.
Why 24/7 rating matters
Standard desktop drives aren't designed for round-the-clock writing — this one is, which is the main reason to choose a surveillance-rated drive over a generic PC drive when you're storing weeks of footage.
Key specs
- Capacity: 500GB
- Form factor: 3.5" SATA
- Spindle speed: 7200 RPM
- Interface: SATA III
- Use case: DVR/NVR surveillance, 24/7 continuous recording, also desktops/servers/NAS
Advanced Format technology is used to improve media efficiency, and Western Digital's own F.I.T. Lab testing and noise-reducing design are built in — useful if the recorder sits somewhere you'll actually hear it.
Specifications
- Capacity
- 500GB
- Speed
- 7200 RPM
- Cache
- 16 MB
- Interface
- SATA III 6.0 Gb/s
- Form Factor
- 3.5"
- Brand
- Western Digital
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this hard drive work with my existing DVR or NVR?
Yes — it's compatible with all DVR and NVR surveillance systems, so it isn't tied to a specific recorder brand.
Is a 500GB drive good for 24/7 recording?
It's built for exactly that — the drive is rated for continuous 24/7 operation rather than occasional desktop-style use.
Can I use this drive outside of CCTV?
Yes, it also works with desktops, servers, NAS devices and external enclosures.
What interface and speed does it use?
It's a SATA III drive running at 7200 RPM for fast, reliable data transfer.
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Prefer a complete system? This drive comes in our ready-made kits starting at £166.13
We pick every part in the box to work with the others and check them together before a kit goes on sale, so there's nothing for you to work out. It all comes as one order.
Dahua DH-XVR5104HS 4-Channel DVR + 500GB RecordingRecorder bundle · £166.13
Hikvision 4-Channel 2MP CCTV Kit — 1 DS-2AE4225T PTZ Camera + 500GB Recording1 camera · £318.64
Hikvision 4-Channel 4MP CCTV Kit — 1 Turret Camera + 500GB Recording1 camera · £385.90
Helpful guides for this item
- CCTV Hard Drive Size Guide 2026: Calculate Your Storage NeedsGuessing your CCTV storage and hoping for the best is how UK installers end up with systems that silently stop recording three weeks before someone actually…
- Surveillance Hard Drives: Why Desktop HDD FailsA surveillance hard drive is a 3.5" SATA drive built for continuous, write-heavy video recording, with firmware tuned to avoid dropped frames and a workload…
What customers say
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