Best non SSD mechanical drive?

[Strategy]

Looking to upgrade my main drive WD6400AAKS which will become a new storage drive. SSD is not really in my price range for storage amounts.

I was looking at the velociraptor but people are saying they aren't worth it with the newest drives that are out.

 

[techspec6]

I'm a fan of the WD Caviar Black series.

Also, I don't think a mechanical SSD exist, so it should be easy to find a non mechanical SSD. ;-)

Just jokin with ya

Jason

 

[Strategy]

I guess I did word that poorly. I should have left SSD out of the title

Does the drive capacity have any speed difference? The 7501AALS looks good.

 

[SicKlown42012]

The VelociRaptors are still the fastest consumer level mechanical drive. The sequential reads and rites are a little lower than that of a Caviar Black, but the lower random access time more than makes up for that. Since the majority of the drive's reads/writes will be small random ones, you can see why the Raptor will be a better choice.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Generally speaking, the bigger the capacity, the faster the drive, since larger capacities are usually achieved with greater areal densities. You can also get more space with more platters though, so I wouldn't just go basing it off that. But generally, the newer the drive and the bigger the drive, the faster it is.

And for your information, Western Digital may be releasing another generation of Velociraptors with 300GB platters, one model with 600GB and one with 300GB. You might want to have a look out for that. But the current gen VRaptors aren't worth it. Current 'normal' hard drives are nearly on par with it in performance terms, because of areal density increases since when they first came out.

 

[_G_]

this drive poped up in the wd deals thread, anyone have any expirence/testscores on it

 

[InvisiBill]

this drive poped up in the wd deals thread, anyone have any expirence/testscores on it

It should be a single 500GB platter, making it very dense and therefore quite fast.

 

[bigddybn]

Not sure about the WD but the newest Seagate 7200.12 and Samsung F3 drives are both 500GB platters making them very very fast.

 

[Jon55]

The 1TB WD Caviar Black drive is one of the fastest drives available, very large, and only around $99.

 

[BecauseScience]

Samsung F3 with 500gb platters. I believe there are 500gb and 1tb models.

 

[MrGuvernment]

what do you plan to use the drive for primarily?

for say a windows / programs drive = raptor
for files and large file usage working = F3 and such.