RMA a noisy drive?

I recently picked up a Seagate 7200.10 250gb drive, mainly because every other seagate I've ever owned was whisper quiet. But this one is far from it. I remember hearing that this line of drives are manufactured from 2 different plants, one which made the loud one and one that made the quiet ones. Apparently I got the crap end of the stick. Can I RMA it because of this and get a quieter one?

you can RMA it for any reason, and they'll usually send you another one instead of your drive.

in my opinion, you shouldnt if you're the original owner. the drive you get back from an RMA is pretty much guaranteed to be used, and likely to have had repair done on it, maybe even a lot of cosmetic scratches. if it works fine, keep it until it breaks. plus, there isnt a guarantee that you wont get another loud drive... and you'll be out of the shipping charge.

now, if it's making a lot of noise in a bad way - like about to die, then yes RMA it!

If I RMA I still keep my full warranty intact correct?

yep