Hard Drive advice please

  • Thread starter Thread starter JEC
  • Start date Start date
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JEC

Hello,

I'm replacing a hdd in a recently purchased widows computer. What is in
there is a 80GB Seagate 5400rpm, which I find to be to slow. I want a
7200rpm with 8mb cache. I just don't know which brand to go with. In my last
computer I had installed a 40Gb Maxtor which failed in less than a year and
I lost a lot of info as it was my data drive. So I'm a little leery of them.
I here/read Western Digital is good, but I guess they can have problems too.
Also, the drive is going to be in a tight space with another drive right
next to it eventually, so heating up can not be an issue. Is one
manufacturer more reliable? Is it just a luck of the draw? Can some one
advise on which brand I should go with? and what size: 80Gb or 120Gb?

Thank you
 
JEC said:
Hello,

I'm replacing a hdd in a recently purchased widows computer. What is in
there is a 80GB Seagate 5400rpm, which I find to be to slow. I want a
7200rpm with 8mb cache. I just don't know which brand to go with. In my last
computer I had installed a 40Gb Maxtor which failed in less than a year and
I lost a lot of info as it was my data drive. So I'm a little leery of them.
I here/read Western Digital is good, but I guess they can have problems too.
Also, the drive is going to be in a tight space with another drive right
next to it eventually, so heating up can not be an issue. Is one
manufacturer more reliable? Is it just a luck of the draw? Can some one
advise on which brand I should go with? and what size: 80Gb or 120Gb?

Thank you
Click to expand...

Although even the best mfg can have a failure now and then
i've been buying maxtors for years with no problems at all...
but recently had one quit after about a month...
(one year warranty)

I see WD has a 3 year warranty of many of their drives
so I'm wondering it I should get one of them next time


At any rate...considering the small difference in price...
i'd select a 120gig drive rather than the 80 gig
 
I really am no expert when it comes to PC hardware. I use my Computer
extensively as I run a PC business. My HD even sits in a Caddy as I take it
with me to service many PC's I have put together. Unlike everything else I
purchase, I do not factor in reliability when buying PC parts as I figure
they're never built to last and by the time they break, they're obsolete.
All hard drive's I have owned have broken within the space of three years
(Maxtor, Quantum & Seagate from 3.2 GB to 40 GB) except for the WD 6.4 GB in
my wife's PC - it's going on it's 6 th or 7 th year. I swore I would never
buy a WD because everyone I worked on seemed so very noisy. However, I did
myself a WD Caviar 80 GB with 8 MB cache about a year ago. I can only hear
it if I put my head to the tower and it has run flawlessly since new. WD
LifeGuard Tools are also especially handy.
Hope this is informative for you.
 
All hard drive's I have owned have broken within the space of three years
(Maxtor, Quantum & Seagate from 3.2 GB to 40 GB) except for the WD 6.4 GB in
my wife's PC - it's going on it's 6 th or 7 th year.
Click to expand...

You must be brutal on hard drives... my experience has been that over
~80% last more than 3 years.
 
I swore I would never
buy a WD because everyone I worked on seemed so very noisy. However, I did
myself a WD Caviar 80 GB with 8 MB cache about a year ago. I can only hear
it if I put my head to the tower and it has run flawlessly since new.
Click to expand...

You may not be aware that many drives provide software to change the
dynamics of the drive and kick down the noise if it bothers you.

But I've always found the WD's to be very quiet.


Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!
 
I'm replacing a hdd in a recently purchased widows computer. What is in
there is a 80GB Seagate 5400rpm, which I find to be to slow. I want a
7200rpm with 8mb cache. I just don't know which brand to go with. In my last
computer I had installed a 40Gb Maxtor which failed in less than a year and
I lost a lot of info as it was my data drive. So I'm a little leery of them.
Click to expand...

ANY drive WILL do that...fail. Not CAN...WILL!! So you should always
do backups.
I here/read Western Digital is good,
Click to expand...

Absolutely the best.
but I guess they can have problems too.
Click to expand...

Their RMA program is simply the best! I've often gotten a replacement
drive the next afternoon when I've been in a jam. The last time I
worked on a Seagate, they would not do advance shipments.
Also, the drive is going to be in a tight space with another drive right
next to it eventually, so heating up can not be an issue. Is one
manufacturer more reliable? Is it just a luck of the draw? Can some one
advise on which brand I should go with? and what size: 80Gb or 120Gb?
Click to expand...

If you want the best right now...

Go with a WD Raptor...10,000 rpm SATA. You'll need to buy a
controller card for it...but the seek time is awesome!! Comes with a
5-year warranty.

If you buy a conventional EIDE drive, get an Enterprise model.

Good luck.


Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!
 
I have 3 Hitachi Deskstar 180GXP drives, 2 x 120gb and 1 x 60gb. I've had
zero problems with them and I have one of them well over a year and the
other 2 with 6 months. All have 2mb cache (I'd rather 8mb, but price was a
concern at the time and 8mb were just too expensive, not so now though), all
are 7200rpm and all are udma5. I've found that the 2 120gb's are pretty much
silent I've transfered 4gb dvd images without hearing any difference in
noise to idle levels. The 60gb is slightly different, it can get a little
louded a times but still its very quite.
Martin.
 
I did not know that. What does this software do and where can I get it? Work
on any drive?
 
I did not know that. What does this software do and where can I get it?
Click to expand...

WD's site.
Work
on any drive?
Click to expand...

You mean manufacturer? Don't know...but why would you care? Only use
the proper mfg's. software for the proper mfg's. drives.

It definitely will only work on UDMA 4 & 5 drives.

And...please don't top post. Post within the original post...as I've
done. It makes more sense.


Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!
 
Thanks for all the advice! I went with the WD 120Gb (it was on sale), now I
just need a little help with the install, see new thread..Hard Drive install
advice please
 
JEC said:
Hello,

I'm replacing a hdd in a recently purchased widows computer. What is in
there is a 80GB Seagate 5400rpm, which I find to be to slow. I want a
7200rpm with 8mb cache. I just don't know which brand to go with. In my last
computer I had installed a 40Gb Maxtor which failed in less than a year and
I lost a lot of info as it was my data drive. So I'm a little leery of them.
I here/read Western Digital is good, but I guess they can have problems too.
Also, the drive is going to be in a tight space with another drive right
next to it eventually, so heating up can not be an issue. Is one
manufacturer more reliable? Is it just a luck of the draw? Can some one
advise on which brand I should go with? and what size: 80Gb or 120Gb?

Thank you
Click to expand...

I'm posting before reading the other replies but I've had better luck with
Western Digital but not so much a difference that I wouldn't buy a Maxtor.
I use external USB2 boxes from ADS which avoids the heat problem and
makes it very easy to backup and replace a drive. The replacement policy
for Maxtor and WD is good. I've returned drives to both and gotten
satisfaction.
Also the rebate came from WD. I shouldn't have been surprised but was.
: -)
 
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