Hard Drive Recommendation

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mt_100

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 15, 2006
Messages
342
I'd like to replace my current internal and external hard drives with one larger one.

I'm looking for something in the $60 - $80 range shipped and size wise around 400 - 500GB and SATA.

It doesn't have to be #1 in performance although quiet and reliable are important. I game but not heavily.

My current drives are a Hitachi 160GB internal SATA and a Seagate 160GB external USB 2.0 drive and I am using about 100GB total between the two. Just don't see the need to maintain a separate drive anymore. My computer is running 24/7.

So, what do you recommend? I am happy with the Hitachi after a year it seems to work great but I hear they have reliability problems.
 
I am partial to Samsung drives myself after using 3 of them in the last 4 years. My two 200gigs have been fabulous, quiet and fast. No errors ever. Same with my new 500gig. Maxtor on the other hand, I have had 2 of them continually go out. I have also had 1 WD go out on me and had to RMA the thing after loosing all the information on it. After you get burned with loosing over 180gigs of info you tend not to choose that company anymore, but thats me.
 
I would recommend the WD 6400AAKS drive for $85. With my experience with it, it's pretty fast and quiet. Great drive. Worth it man. Also the SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD502lJ for $70 is not a bad deal either.
 
Seconded, or thirded or whatever, on the WD 640GB drive. It's currently the fastest non-Raptor/Velociraptor (non-SCSI/SAS/Fiber Channel also) drive on the market today. For ~$85 you get a drive that's like >THIS CLOSE< to performing like a Velociraptor with twice the storage and just a wee bit slower random access times.

It's nearly impossible to beat for the cost and what you get for it.

'Nuff typed.
 
Yeah, I was looking at the WD500AAKS since I can get it from Buy.com free with a gift certificate I have. Seems like the specs are similar just lower capacity.
 
Joe Average said:
Seconded, or thirded or whatever, on the WD 640GB drive. It's currently the fastest non-Raptor/Velociraptor (non-SCSI/SAS/Fiber Channel also) drive on the market today. For ~$85 you get a drive that's like >THIS CLOSE< to performing like a Velociraptor with twice the storage and just a wee bit slower random access times.

It's nearly impossible to beat for the cost and what you get for it.

'Nuff typed.
Click to expand...

The WD 640GB is really that close to a velociraptor? Source?
 
mt_100 said:
Yeah, I was looking at the WD500AAKS since I can get it from Buy.com free with a gift certificate I have. Seems like the specs are similar just lower capacity.
Click to expand...

The 640 uses 320gb platters that make is speedy (because of the density). The 500 uses 250gb platters and is a slower model. I concur with the 640gb suggestion.

Look here:

500gb WD & 640gb WD http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1032282618&postcount=67
300gb Velociraptor http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1032566127&postcount=121
 
Well I'll put a few bucks with my gift certificate and get the 640 then. Thanks everyone!
 
[LYL]Homer;1032983376 said:
The 640 uses 320gb platters that make is speedy (because of the density). The 500 uses 250gb platters and is a slower model. I concur with the 640gb suggestion.

Look here:

500gb WD & 640gb WD http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1032282618&postcount=67
300gb Velociraptor http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1032566127&postcount=121
Click to expand...


Yeah I've been reading a lot of benchmarks as well, and while the velociraptor is the fastest, the 640 is pretty damn close to it. Check it out:

http://techreport.com/articles.x/14964/1
 
Samsung F1 drives also use high density platters. ;)

As a Raptor owner (150GB), I can honestly say they're not worth their price premium anymore.
 
I love both the WD 640s and the Samsung drives.

I've used two of the WDs and four of the Samsungs, and they have all served me or the owners they went to well.
 
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