Raptor X noise ... ?

[Phrik]

Is that normal ? The sound is like a standard case fan... really loud "woshshshsh" sound.

Is there any casing, internal or external, that will dampen this HDD without the risk of overheating it by extreme use (will be used as boot drive and all programs and games will be installed on to it).

Thanks for any info folks !

 

[LightningCrash]

maybe yours is defective, i can't even hear mine

i don't get why everyone says theirs is noisy


of course, i just switched from a 4-disk 15K SCSI RAID5 array, cooled by a 120MM 150CFM fan to one raptor. maybe that's why.

 

[unhappy_mage]

Does it work? That is, can you write data to it and have it stay there?

You might be able to find recordings of a working Raptor at SilentPCReview or StorageReview.

 

[Phrik]

It works just fine, reads and writes with no problem at all. It's actually new out of the bag.

It's just the noise. It's as loud as my Enermax 120 Warp fan at full speed.

I have it enclosed on an external SATA case. And the case is pretty much open ventilated, meshed on the side, and air ventilation at the bottom, it's an LC Power EH-35BFR. I still have to try it enclosed within the computer case.

But I'm not sure if that may just be the problem, or it's just a normal noise level, as I have never used a Raptor HDD before.

 

[Rotten_Necro]

try it inside your pc itself. I think u got a shyte external case there. My 10k rpm raptor isnt noisy, unless im doing high stress level stuff like defragging or video conversion etc. Then i can hear it, but it isnt loud.

 

[Phrik]

I found these comparisons (from: wdc.com):

Raptor WD1500ADFD
Idle: 29 dBA
Seek: 36 dBA

Raptor X WD1500AHFD
Idle: 39 dBA
Seek: 46 dBA

WD5000KS (which I have 6, and just an extra 80gb Hitachi)
Idle: 28 dBA
Seek:33 dBA, 29 dBA

(All average values)

That's quite a big difference though.... But I still couldn't believe my eyes (okey I mean ears) when I turned them on for the first time in my life.

 

[jebo_4jc]

I might be incorrectly assuming the 150GB Raptor emits the same amount of noise as the Raptor X (considering the window could have changed the accoustics and etc), but I definitely don't hear a woosh of any kind.

oh...duh...I just read the numbers posted above

I'm shocked there's such a big difference. I think I'm glad I went with the non "X" model. The only thing I ever hear from my HDD is clicking when it's being accessed, not any louder than lightly tapping my finger on my desk.

 

[LightningCrash]

I might be incorrectly assuming the 150GB Raptor emits the same amount of noise as the Raptor X (considering the window could have changed the accoustics and etc), but I definitely don't hear a woosh of any kind.

oh...duh...I just read the numbers posted above

I'm shocked there's such a big difference. I think I'm glad I went with the non "X" model. The only thing I ever hear from my HDD is clicking when it's being accessed, not any louder than lightly tapping my finger on my desk.

Phrik did a good job digging up the numbers on sound output
The Raptor X puts out a full 10dBa more sound than a regular Raptor 150. That, by definition, is 10 times as much sound output from the Raptor X.

eek!

 

[Phrik]

They may just be numbers, but I have to really hear the difference. I will try to borrow a normal Raptor 150 from a friend, and if so by any bad situation I might end up buying 1 for fun and just return it (as it's possible here in Germany). I will test and listen to the difference !

Most the reviews I have read everywhere in Google, they all keep on saying and claiming that the WD1500AHFD and WD1500ADFD have the same noise level just because they technically have the same specs.... I will either prove it right or wrong soon.