The present invention relates to a polycrystalline diamond compact cutter with a low cobalt content cemented tungsten carbide substrate having a coating covering at least a portion of the carbide substrate and the method of making the same. The carbide substrate has a content of three to ten percent by weight on average of cobalt or its alloy as a binder. The coating covers at least partially the exterior surfaces of the carbide substrate, and it may extend over partially or entirely the polycrystalline diamond table. The coating is either a single layer or multilayer. The coating comprises at least a metallic layer. The coating has a thickness of 0.1 μm-100 μm. The coating may have a metallurgical bonding with the polycrystalline diamond compact cutter. Methods for preparing such coating comprise physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, thermoreactive deposition and diffusion, electrical plating, electroless plating, or their combinations.