Western Digital has started shipping its latest high-capacity WD Caviar SE16 500-gig Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive, ideal for video editing, graphic design and others. Delivering 7,200 RPM with a huge 300 MB/s transfer rate, the Caviar SE16 is equipped with a 16MB cache and Native Command Queuing (NCQ).

Boasting lower power consumption, the drive resits hard drive wear due to heat providing more reliability. This is because of the cooler operating temperature of the drive.

When it comes to drive operating noise, the WD Caviar SE16's noise levels so low that it cannot be heard by the human ear in home/business environments. However, if you were to be in a sound-proofed room then you may hear some of it. Low noise levels are possible due to the WhisperDrive technology which features an efficient power driver design.

Shock Guard protects the drive from damage due to bumps/vibrations while it is running. Seek noise is reduced by the SoftSeek technology that streamlines read/write seeking algorithms. Bundled tools include Data Lifeguard and Tools.

The Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB SATA hard drive carries a price tag of $349.99 and is available from WDStore.