WD Gold 22TB Enterprise Hard Drive (WD221KRYZ) – SATA 6Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 512MB Cache, CMR

The WD Gold 22TB (WD221KRYZ) is a 7200 RPM enterprise hard drive for servers, storage arrays and high-capacity backup targets. With CMR recording, a 512MB cache, a 550TB/year workload rating and 2.5 million hours MTBF, it is built for IT teams and SMBs that need dependable 24/7 capacity.

Data-center reliability in a standard SATA drive.

Why Servers Need Enterprise-Rated Drives

Servers and storage arrays read and write around the clock, often with dozens of drives sharing vibration and heat. Desktop and NAS-class drives are not rated for that duty cycle, which leads to timeouts, degraded arrays and unplanned downtime.

The WD Gold 22TB is built for enterprise workloads with a 550TB/year rating, 2.5 million hours MTBF and firmware tuned for RAID and multi-drive chassis. At 22TB per drive, it delivers some of the highest capacity per bay available, so server pools reach large usable sizes with fewer drives and less power per terabyte.

Enterprise Performance at 7200 RPM

A 7200 RPM spindle and 512MB cache keep databases, virtual machines and backup jobs moving. The SATA 6Gb/s interface is backward compatible with SATA 3Gb/s ports and works with standard SATA controllers, NAS bays and server backplanes.

Reliability Metrics That Matter

A 2.5 million hours MTBF rating and 550TB/year workload give IT teams predictable lifecycle planning for always-on servers.

Setup Instructions

How to Install the WD Gold 22TB

1. Check the server or array supports 3.5-inch SATA drives of this capacity.
2. Mount the drive in the correct carrier or tray for your chassis.
3. Insert into the bay (hot-swap if supported) and confirm the controller detects it.
4. Add it to a RAID group or storage pool and enable health monitoring.