I may be wrong, but WD don't seem to specify anything about number of platters in a hard drive. The only way for us to know which model uses the latest platter is to refer to reviews from those who have actually tested the drives by comparing performance, weight (or even going far as dismantling the drive) of the new model and the old model. I think it would be great if WD could clearly specify the number of platters used in their models. It would save a lot of trouble and confusion.