A magnetic recording disk has a layered structure comprising a metal substrate, a layer of NiP atop the metal substrate, the NiP layer having a surface roughness of less than 2.0 nanometers RMS, a metal layer over the polished NiP layer, the metal layer having a desired textured outer surface as a result of the sputter deposition, the textured outer surface being characterized by a cobblestone-like metallic grain structure with between 10 and 100 grains per square micron, an RMS surface roughness of between 1.0 and 8.0 nanometers, and with peak heights as measured from the mean plane of the surface over a 10 micron square area of between 2.0 and 20.0 nanometers, a magnetic layer atop the metal layer.