Best ~1-2Tb data drive with some performance.

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freakyhair

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 22, 2002
Messages
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Hey all, I was planning on getting a new 1-2TB storage drive for my next build (primary will be a SSD). 1TB should be enough, but I am willing to spend more for a 1.5 or 2TB if it makes sense. Assuming the SSD may only be an 80GB, I will be running some games off the storage drive, so I would like some performance. I'm really not too familiar of the world outside of WD, as I have been burned by almost every other companies, but am willing to listen.

Right now, I'm planning on getting the WD1001FALS for ~$100. Is there a better option? It doesn't have to be silent, but I don't want it sitting down there rattling either.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

Any other recommendations?

Thanks!
 
Lots of people are saying the 1TB Samsung F3 is the fastest large drive to use for storage.

You can find them for less than $100 easy.
 
heh, I think the WD2001FASS is a bit too much at $300....

I use to use a lot of Samsung drives, but had a couple fail. I wonder if the F3 is a better breed.

Overall, it looks like I may stick with the Caviar Black (unless I see something better.) Just figured it would be worth at least seeing if there was a better option.

Thanks
 
I'm a samsung convert. I think out of the 10 WD drives I've owned 9 have eventually failed. 4 samungs still going.
 
You can't go wrong with either a Western Digital Caviar Black or the Samsung. The performance difference between the two will be impossible to notice without using a benchmark program. I've always had good luck with WD, so that's why I just bought a 1TB Black and 1.5TB Green to replace the current drives I'm using.
 
The WD Blacks are the fastest 7200 rpm 3.5" drives in terms of random access which means alot more in a games or OS drive than sequential transfer. If its for copying giant files to or from get a Spinpoint. They are speedy.

First post from Skytrain on new used Motorola E6 running Opera Mini 5 on Linux.

Dustin
 
CrazyCuz2k said:
I'm a samsung convert. I think out of the 10 WD drives I've owned 9 have eventually failed. 4 samungs still going.
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LOL, all hard drives will "eventually fail." What kind of time span are we talking here?

WD has been the most reliable brand for me by far. I trust them with my data more than any other, but I realize they aren't immune to failure...I've just had extremely good luck with them.
 
imyourzero said:
LOL, all hard drives will "eventually fail." What kind of time span are we talking here?
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Well well well before the MTBF im sure, a drive lasting less than 5 years SOLID is garbage. The big boy drive manufacturers have been losing it recently, especially Seagate. With that said, ive had numerous problems with WD drives in the past and then moved to Seagate.

Im also a Samsung convert now, fastest drive by plater design but like someone else mentioned you wont notice a difference unless you do some benchmarking/etc. I just recently bought 10x1TB sammy's... 80 shipped a pop :D
 
xphil3 said:
Well well well before the MTBF im sure, a drive lasting less than 5 years SOLID is garbage. The big boy drive manufacturers have been losing it recently, especially Seagate. With that said, ive had numerous problems with WD drives in the past and then moved to Seagate.

Im also a Samsung convert now, fastest drive by plater design but like someone else mentioned you wont notice a difference unless you do some benchmarking/etc. I just recently bought 10x1TB sammy's... 80 shipped a pop :D
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Original IBM Deskstar user, those drives were awesome, still have a 16 GB IDE drive that still works. Then went to WD (those drives didn't make it 3 years much less 5), then to Seagate which were good but loud, and now I'm satisfied with Samsung (fast, quiet, and cheap). Though just a really good deal on a WD 2TB Green drive. I'll see how that goes. Was debating the WD or teh new Samsung F3EG's for a new WHS build based on Vail. Still debating whether I want to wait for a new 4K drives from Samsung before I invest in a really large storage system.
 
osirus35 said:
It is already out in Japan. Not sure when they are going to start shipping them stateside.

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digit...5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1265991575&sr=8-5

This is supposed to be the 2x500gb platter version instead of the current 3x333gb
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Wouldn't having less platters make it slower? It can only retrieve data from two platters at once rather than three at a time. It is like having a RAID setup with only 2 HD's instead of 3 HD's?

I suppose it would drive cost down, and use less power though.
 
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freakyhair said:
Wouldn't having less platters make it slower? It can only retrieve data from two platters at once rather than three at a time. It is like having a RAID setup with only 2 HD's instead of 3 HD's?

I suppose it would drive cost down, and use less power though.
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Looking for the same information over 3 platters is typically slower, seek time is lower with less platters. With less platters you also decrease the possibility of failure as you have less moving parts.

General rule of thumb is less platters = faster and better.


osirus35: Its still about $30 more than the sammy drive. Wonder what the performance looks like on it though.
 
freakyhair said:
Wouldn't having less platters make it slower? It can only retrieve data from two platters at once rather than three at a time. It is like having a RAID setup with only 2 HD's instead of 3 HD's?

I suppose it would drive cost down, and use less power though.
Click to expand...

I think the idea is higher density, higher speed of retrieval, given the constant rotational speed.
 
cmanser said:
Lots of people are saying the 1TB Samsung F3 is the fastest large drive to use for storage. You can find them for less than $100 easy.
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It is, but you'd be hard pressed to notice the difference between it and a 1TB WD Black tbh... Personally I'd get the cheapest one, and if the difference is less than $10 I'd get whichever has the longest warranty, 5 years for the WD Black FWIW.
 
Oh and all drives fail... I've had Quantum (RIP), Seagate, WD, and Maxtor drives fail over the last 10-15 years. Backups are your friend, personally I care more about the warranty than some perceived image of reliability (unless there's a proven issue, like the firmware issues that plagued Seagate's 7200.11's). If you were building a large RAID array then maybe matters would be a lil' different (those Hitachi 2TB drives seem to be at the top of the list for that purpose, even though it's a 5 platter drive, there's a thread about it on the boards).
 
I'd say go with any of the mentioned above and back up and you shouldnt have any problems. Most 1tb are 3x plattered so performance should be an issue. The new wd tb's are expensive but double platter! Definitely somethin to drool over
 
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