Official reports have confirmed that Japan has managed to see the release of hard drive manufacturer Western Digital's new Caviar Black model that employs the use of the ultra-fast SATA 6.0 Gbps interface.

Developed under the codename WD1002FAEX, the 1TB drive, which measures 3.5-inches, boasts a 64 MB buffer memory, and operates at 7200 Rotations Per Minute (RPM). Also, the drive features a sound output of 33dBA.

As has been specified by the Japanese website Akiba, the new drive has a maximum internal transfer rate of 126Mbps, and it consumes some 6.8W of power when it is active and operational. In sleep mode, however, the power consumption is a mere 0.7W.

WD is selling the new drive at about 10,000 Yen.

No hints have been provided about a US release yet.