> Just double checked it's a WD Green WD10EADS. do I still need to use the align > utility?
Just my humble two cents...
The Green line of WD hard drives are noted for their energy efficiency and supposed reliability.
I have three Green drives from WD: 1.0 GB, 1.5 GB, and 2.0 GB. They are like snails overall, and have downtime/sleep mode when not written to continuously.
The Blue line is more of a 'neutral' performer, while the Black line is the high end of reliability and performance.
Curious what your results would be with a Blue or even better a Black WD hard drive.