Hard drives

tonymarcus

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What hard drive is best these days for performance, reliability and low noise. The Samsung Spinpoint F1 used to be the drive of the day. I'm a little out of touch the last few years, the western digital caviar black looks good.

Thanks

Tony
 

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WD Raptor Series?
 

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For performance and low noise you'd want a solid state drive (SSD). They may not be as reliable as a traditional platter hard drive though!
 

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For performance and low noise you'd want a solid state drive (SSD). They may not be as reliable as a traditional platter hard drive though!

Yup! For performance, no-noise, and battery life, get a SSD. Beware that Flash Memory-based SSD (which is that we find often) have a limited number of writes.
 

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    4GB DDR4-2400
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    AMD Athlon X4 760K
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If you have the money, get a 120GB SSD and put your OS on there (install programs on there too) but store your data (music, pictures, video) on a second HDD.

Otherwise, if you just want a HDD then try out Western Digital or Seagate. If you have the money, but don't want a SSD then try out Western Digital VelociRaptor (There are more storage sizes available).
 

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I have a ssd boot drive guys , looking for 2 new hdd's for media, games and backing up
 

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System One

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    Windows 8.1 Pro 64 Bit
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    Home Built System
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66Ghz, Overclocked to 3.3Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS5
    Memory
    8GB XMS2 4GB DDR2 PC2-8500
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte 660GTX 2GB
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    Samsung SMS27B970D
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    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1xSAMSUNG SSD 840 Pro Series Basic 2.5" - 512 GB - Boot drive
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    Corsair 520HX
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    Antec P182
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    Zalman 9700NT
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    12Mb/s
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    I did a fresh format and install of Windows 8 64 Bit Pro. Sorry but I couldn't live without a start button so I have installed the Start8 start menu which is great. I try sometimes not to use it but find metro frustrating to find programs as I have many. I will use Metro for apps only and desktop of serious computing.
Had you asked 18 months ago, I would have advised buying WD -- but then last year, I had three WD drives fail, all within the span of a few months.

So now, I advise getting Seagate instead.
 

My Computer

Just make sure that what ever standard HDD you get it's SATA III, providing your mobo supports SATA III. I prefer Seagate HDD's, I've never had one crash or go bad.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom build
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X 4 965 BE
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-MA790X-DS4
    Memory
    G-Skill 8 GB PC 8500
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    AMD XFX HD Radeon 6790D
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    Realtek HD onboard
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    Seagate Barracuda 320 GB w/OS
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    Thermaltake OverSeer RX 1 fulltower
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    Cooler Master Hyper212 120mm
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    Logitech G510
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Had you asked 18 months ago, I would have advised buying WD -- but then last year, I had three WD drives fail, all within the span of a few months.

So now, I advise getting Seagate instead.

This.

WD was good for me for a while... but the newer Western Digital products seem to be a let down..
 

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    Windows 8.1 64 Bit
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    CPU
    Intel i7 6700K
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    ASRock Z170 Extreme4
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    Corsair Vengeance 3200MHz 64GB
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    NVIDIA RTX 2060 Super
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    Xiaomi ‎XM700001 + Dell P2421
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    Samsung 870 Evo 1TB, Samsung 870 Evo 500GB, WD Blue EZRZ 4TB x3
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    Firefox
I'd have to put my money on Seagate drives. They are awesome, work amazingly well and are quiet (I currently have a 750GB Seagate 7500RPM SATA and I can just barely hear it).
 

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    Windows 8.1 x64
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    Laptop
What about the barracuda 7200.14?, they seem pretty cheap at the moment. What is the performance and noise levels like?

Do they have a 3 year warranty?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built System
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66Ghz, Overclocked to 3.3Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS5
    Memory
    8GB XMS2 4GB DDR2 PC2-8500
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte 660GTX 2GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SMS27B970D
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1xSAMSUNG SSD 840 Pro Series Basic 2.5" - 512 GB - Boot drive
    2xSamsung Spinpoint F1 750GB
    PSU
    Corsair 520HX
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    Zalman 9700NT
    Internet Speed
    12Mb/s
    Other Info
    I did a fresh format and install of Windows 8 64 Bit Pro. Sorry but I couldn't live without a start button so I have installed the Start8 start menu which is great. I try sometimes not to use it but find metro frustrating to find programs as I have many. I will use Metro for apps only and desktop of serious computing.
It looks like Seagate warranty on 7200.14 is 2 years. I've heard nothing good or bad about the .14 series.

I run SSD for my OS and apps. As far as storage goes, I find almost anything is fine. I've had good luck with Seagate, WD and Samsung.
 

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  • OS
    Windows 7
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    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
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    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
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    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
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    23" Acer x233H
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    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
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    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
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    15/2 cable modem
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    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
I personally think that SSD still aren't quite there yet. Why would I pay for an SSD when pretty much everything already loads instantly on a HDD? Sure it'd shave off a few seconds loading game stuff like textures in WoW, but why would I pay all that extra money for a few seconds less of load time when it really doesn't bother me anyway?
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Windows 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
I personally think that SSD still aren't quite there yet. Why would I pay for an SSD when pretty much everything already loads instantly on a HDD? Sure it'd shave off a few seconds loading game stuff like textures in WoW, but why would I pay all that extra money for a few seconds less of load time when it really doesn't bother me anyway?

If you are happy with what you have, you wouldn't make a change. Nothing wrong with that.

I was skeptical of SSD's until i bought one. The increased boot times and shut down are great. No noise is awesome. Virus scans and malware scans are lots faster. Searching for non-indexed files is massively faster due to low random access read times. My games load in a fraction of the time they used to take. I'm talking 3-5 seconds, instead of 25.

You very rarely ever see a person who upgraded to an SSD later say they regretted the choice.
 

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  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
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    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
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    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.

The say that SSD prices are close to the price of HDD in terms of $/GB is the day I'd probably get an SSD. Until then I'll enjoy my 750GB storage. ;)

No problems. I have an SSD for my apps and games. And a 1TB mechanical drive for storage/scratch space. Most of my actual storage is on my file server anyway. Don't keep anything important on the actual desktop itself.
 

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  • OS
    Windows 7
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    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
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    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
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    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
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    ABS M1 Mechanical
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    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
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    15/2 cable modem
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    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
The fast loading times can also be on a processor, I've had games load in 10 seconds and faster with a 7200 rpm drive, with my processor, Quad core, 3.0 GHZ turboboost to 3.2 GHZ, and some area transitions are seconds or instantly, loading times are really quick for me, if not almost instant.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 64-bit/ Windows 8.1 64-bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Desktop: Allison Designs by Austin Computers / Laptop: Toshiba Satellite L50-A006
    CPU
    Intel Core i5- 4590/ Intel Core i5 processor 4200U
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte H97M-D3H/ ?
    Memory
    16 GB Kingston at 1600 Mhz/ 4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Geforce GTX 760 OC Windforce (2 GB/256-bit)/ nVIDIA GeForce GT 740M 2GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio'
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC 2216Vw 22"/ 15.6" Widescreen HD LED Backlit Display
    Screen Resolution
    1680*1050 / 1366*768
    Hard Drives
    2 TB Western Digital Black Caviar Drive (7200 RPM)/ 750GB (5400rpm) with Toshiba HDD Accelerator
    PSU
    Coolermaster 750W VS Series 80+ Gold Power Supply (Desktop Only)
    Case
    Corsair Carbide SPEC-02 Mid Tower Gaming Case (Desktop Only)
    Cooling
    Two Case 120 mm fans and GPU, CPU, PSU cooled by own fans respectively. (Desktop Only)
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    Microsoft Wired Keyboard Desktop 600 (Desktop Only)
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    Microsoft Wired Mouse 600/ Toshiba Touchpad and Logitech Mouse
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    Internet Explorer and Google Chrome
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    Norton 360 by Symantec
I have many many years of buying hard drives, and it always goes in cycles. Sometimes WD is better, sometimes Seagate is better. I have also used Samsung drives to good effect and of course Toshiba (particularly for laptops). A lot of times specific models have more problems than other models. So you might have great experience with certain Seagate brands but other people will have bad experiences with others.

I've had my share of problems with Seagate over the years.

I no longer have any drive brand loyalty, I just buy whatever is the best deal. I've not noticed any problems that are brand specific in recent years.

In the old days, we had issues such as "sticktion" and of course the IBM DeskStar (aka DeathStar) drives had lots of problems. But these days, I think you're just unlucky if you have several problems in a row. All major brands have about the same 10% failure rate.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    CPU
    Intel i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z77X-UD4 TH
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia GTX 650
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Auria 27" IPS + 2x Samsung 23"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 + 2x 2048x1152
    Hard Drives
    Corsair m4 256GB, 2 WD 2TB drives
    Case
    Antec SOLO II
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
    Mouse
    Logitech MX
Honestly, I have no idea what brand is better than the other as these days, it doesn't even seem be of a difference anymore

Generally though, if you're looking for real good transfer speeds on a hard drive, look for a higher capacity model. Lots of the 3 terabyte drives have transfer speeds around 130-150MBs/sec I believe. Or a drive that has a good amount of data density, meaning if the drive capacity is 2 gigs and only has one platter, that's a pretty good density of data, which results in faster read speeds.

I'd say for reliability, performance, and/or low noise, I would probably consider a Western Digital Red drive. It seems these days, there might be things with hard drives and their usage that differ than before. For example, I had a Seagate Barracuda drive that I bought two or so years that died on me a month ago where I used it literally 24/7 for probably 26 months total with a month total of downtime here and there. Desktop hard drives, like that hard drive, are more built for a use in a 40 hour work week for that scenario. In my case, I used that drive so much it pretty much aged about 4 years in a desktop usage scenario. I'm figuring that is the best explanation here as the drive is literally dead, it's not file system corruption, it is more like it can't spin for more than 12 seconds before turning off. It wasn't under duress or heat or dust or electrical issues, it was just fine and cool. Maybe it could be because the some newer technologies and/or larger capacities could problems in the long run. I've been reading that lower capacity hard drives seem to last longer than their larger capacity counterparts because of less strain on the spindle due to less hard drive platters.

I'm personally looking at the Red drives as they're approved and tested for RAID/NAS scenarios where they are used 24/7. Or something of enterprise quality.

Looking back in my time with hard drives the past decade, there seems to be issues with newer drives after around 2007 or 2008 where they seem to have started to die more than usual. I had a 120 gig Seagate drive back in the year 2002 that lasted me a good nine years before FINALLY starting to screw up, and that drive was used pretty hard too. I also had a Western Digital Raptor drive that lasted eight or so years before passing away and used as much as the Seagate drive. Wow, that was loud hard drive....
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
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