Which one to buy?

Computer Hardware SSDs, Hard Drives and NAS
#1

Hello!

I have chance to sell my 500 GB Hitachi HDD (Sata II, 7200rpm, 16MB buffer). I am planning now to buy one Sata II 1TB HDD, but I’m on dilemma (trilemma :stuck_out_tongue: ).

First one is Hitachi (7200rpm 32MB buffer)
Second is WD 10EAVS (32MB buffer, 5400rpm)
Third is WD 10EARS (64MB buffer, 7200rpm)

Now, my last 2 HDD’s were Hitachi’s, so I trust in them. I had one WD (80GB JB series), and it was very loud, but I didn’t have any problems with it. But somehow I don’t trust WD’s much, as I saw few of them dead. Is this 5400 vs. 7200 rpm makes a big difference? Is 64MB buffer make big difference against 32MB? They are all similar prices (only this 64mb is about 5 Eur more expensive).

The HDD will be the only one in my machine (maybe next year or later I will buy one SSD). Other thing that is important is that I want HDD to be very quiet (this Hitachi I have now is very quiet).

If anybody have in-hand experience with these HDD’s, please let me know.

Thanx!!!

#2

I put your concern to ease a bit I myself been running and using WD since 2001 when they were IDE and now Sata. I have 2-500G Sata Blue WD and 2 -1TB WD Black and 1 - 160G Blue WD. My last 100G IDE was dying after 8 years of using it and still have the old 250G IDE working but not took it out after moving all my data from the 100G and 250G onto the 500G WD. I only had once way back a 40G WD go out and replaced under warranty but that was all that died prematurely other then from MTBF for the 100G going out after 8 years. As for the RPM yes it does make a difference when retrieving large data files or watching movies or playing games and buffer helps in your read and write so that it gives it enough buffer so it won’t loose the data in the transfer. As with anything electrical hardware fails day one or never or after working so many years start to go out. But also you should make sure to defrag regularly to keep the drive in working order and prevent working the drive mechanism spinning to much looking for the data that would also reduce its’ lifespan as well. I know that for price wise if I go 1TB WD Black it comes in 64MB one might never push up against that limit but it’s good to have the piece of mind buffer when you need it. As for going SSD remember they are still expensive and won’t have the storage capacity of HDD and also HDD are now at 2TB WD and Seagate… So one has to weight the con and pros of HDD and SSD. My WD sata are quiet I don’t notice it as much as my fans and PS fans…HDD will makes some noise when you write or read or watch videos from the HDD but not like something crashing or like that.

#3

Not on your list, but one you may also consider.
Samsung Spinpoint [B]F3[/B] (1TB 7200rpm 32MB cache)
2 platters each at 500GB
Ultra quiet, and runs cool.
Possibly the fastest 1TB drive at the moment.

#4

F3s aren’t the fastest… :wink:


Reading http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=841329 it would seem that the WD is the most interesting drive technology-wise :slight_smile:
If you find it too expensive I’d go Hitachi over Samsung due to personal experience and preference.
//Danne

#5

My Hitachi 2TB drive blows my WD 1TB black Edition and my WD 500GB Black Edition and
my Seagate 7200.11 1TB (when the Seagate was still working) drives away on transfer
speed and quietness. I’m going to replace all of my drives with Hitachi 2TB drives until SSD
drives come down to affordable prices and larger sizes like in the range of 1TB to 2TB or more. :iagree:

#6

I forgot to say, these two WD in list are “green” edition. About Samsung, I had them in mind, but they are not available here right now, and I will buying HDD probably in monday or tuesday (of course if I successfully sell this one I have now).

Thanx for Your answers, if anybody else have experience with this drives, let me know, there is still time to think :slight_smile:

#7

[QUOTE=DiiZzY;2493885]F3s aren’t the fastest… :wink:

//Danne[/QUOTE]It depends which review you read.

But in any case. the OP says they are not available at his location, so i guess it doesn’t matter.

#8

[QUOTE=getit29;2493888]My Hitachi 2TB drive blows my WD 1TB black Edition and my WD 500GB Black Edition and
my Seagate 7200.11 1TB (when the Seagate was still working) drives away on transfer
speed and quietness. I’m going to replace all of my drives with Hitachi 2TB drives until SSD
drives come down to affordable prices and larger sizes like in the range of 1TB to 2TB or more. :iagree:[/QUOTE]

Comparing different drive specs doesn’t say much about drive performance if you want to do that get a WD and Seagate 2TB and run test to get real data and then we can see the data for ourselves and see which is good for performance and reliability…

#9

[QUOTE=coolcolors;2493918]Comparing different drive specs doesn’t say much about drive performance if you want to do that get a WD and Seagate 2TB and run test to get real data and then we can see the data for ourselves and see which is good for performance and reliability…[/QUOTE]

Maybe 2TB WD drives but no more Seagate drives for me never again no way :disagree:
the Seagate drives just do not last at all that was my 3rd replacement drive and
it quit in no time at all just like the two before it did with the click of death. I didn’t
even try to get a forth replacement drive from them I just threw it in the trash can
where it belonged. :a

#10

[QUOTE=zivija;2493695]Hello!

I have chance to sell my 500 GB Hitachi HDD (Sata II, 7200rpm, 16MB buffer). I am planning now to buy one Sata II 1TB HDD, but I’m on dilemma (trilemma :stuck_out_tongue: ).

First one is Hitachi (7200rpm 32MB buffer)
Second is WD 10EAVS (32MB buffer, 5400rpm)
Third is WD 10EARS (64MB buffer, 7200rpm)

Now, my last 2 HDD’s were Hitachi’s, so I trust in them. I had one WD (80GB JB series), and it was very loud, but I didn’t have any problems with it. But somehow I don’t trust WD’s much, as I saw few of them dead. Is this 5400 vs. 7200 rpm makes a big difference? Is 64MB buffer make big difference against 32MB? They are all similar prices (only this 64mb is about 5 Eur more expensive).

[B]The HDD will be the only one in my machine[/B] (maybe next year or later I will buy one SSD). Other thing that is important is that I want HDD to be very quiet (this Hitachi I have now is very quiet).

If anybody have in-hand experience with these HDD’s, please let me know.

Thanx!!![/QUOTE]

Well since you say that you will only have one drive you need to get the faster drive you can, so i would have chosen the samsung f3 or a WD black (get hotter that the sasmsung), and from the 3 drive you have on your list the hitachi seems to be the faster drive.

#11

[QUOTE=getit29;2493943]Maybe 2TB WD drives but no more Seagate drives for me never again no way :disagree:
the Seagate drives just do not last at all that was my 3rd replacement drive and
it quit in no time at all just like the two before it did with the click of death. I didn’t
even try to get a forth replacement drive from them I just threw it in the trash can
where it belonged. :a[/QUOTE]

Yes for Seagate that is just the pits since their debacle with the 1TB and 1.5TB drives. I think they lost alot of customers and seemed to have gone downward spiral. I wanted when drives were first new go with Seagate but those news and how they went about down playing it just keep me away from their large HDD. But WD have lasted me every since I gotten them only one died on me and one started to fail after 8 years of use but I was happy it lasted that long. Now I have 5 new WD Sata drives after rebuilding my system from ground up.

#12

I personally wouldn’t trust any single drive for my data, no matter who made it.
I backup all my important data to a 1TB WD Mybook external, and of course keep a copy on the local drive in the PC, which is a Samsung F1, and a couple of Seagate 500GB.
I also plan on adding a USB3 WD external HDD soon, as the Mybook is getting pretty full.

#13

[QUOTE=zivija;2493695]
First one is Hitachi (7200rpm 32MB buffer)
Second is WD 10EAVS (32MB buffer, 5400rpm)
Third is WD 10[B]EARS[/B] (64MB buffer, 7200rpm)[/QUOTE]

I’d like to mention that EARS series of Western Digital drives use a different technology that not all operative systems are able to support.

Read here for more detailed information :slight_smile:

#14

Thanx for that tip. For now I’m using XP and Linux (ext4) dual boot. Probably will switch to 7 in some time. BTW, I just saw that I can buy 1.5TB Samsung HDD (HD154UI - 32MB buffer, 5400rpm) for the same price. Seems like good deal to me. I’m not running games (no need for extra performance). From time to time I do some video editing, and raring/unraring.

I will still think about it.

#15

Third is WD 10EARS (64MB buffer, 7200rpm)

Where do you find that drive model? I looked on Newegg and couldn’t find it?

#16

[QUOTE=coolcolors;2494119]Where do you find that drive model? I looked on Newegg and couldn’t find it?[/QUOTE]

Right here on newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136490
but the 10EARS is only 5400RPM not 7200RPM
Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EARS 1TB [U][B]5400 RPM [/B][/U]64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s

#17

Found it in here in local store. Here is written that it is 7200rpm (but probably it’s mistake):

http://www.telix.rs/Računari/tabid/210/CategoryID/560/Category2ID/492/List/1/catpageindex/2/Level/3/ProductID/20645/Default.aspx?Category3=HDD+SATA&SortField=UnitCost%2CProductName

#18

I finally end up with 1.5TB Samsung HDD (HD154UI - 32MB buffer, 5400rpm). I really can’t say that I see speed difference with this one and 7200rpm Hitachi that I had before. This Samsung is little louder then Hitachi, but with that price (about 80 Eur), it’s something I can tolerate. If the prices of SSD goes down in next 6 months-one year, probably I will use SSD as boot device, and this one for storage.

Thanx for all replies!