Best 2TB HDD for Storage?

[onethreehill]

Which would you choose? Or what other HDD would you buy?
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4EG HD204UI 2TB 5400 RPM 32MB Cache $99.99
Seagate Barracuda LP ST32000542AS 2TB 5900 RPM 32MB Cache $109.99
Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EARS 2TB 5XXX RPM 64MB Cache $109.99
Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EADS 2TB 5XXX RPM 32MB Cache $119.99
HITACHI Deskstar 7K2000 HDS722020ALA330 2TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache $129.99
Western Digital Caviar Black WD2001FASS 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache $179.99
Seagate Barracuda XT ST32000641AS 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache $199.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...20and%20higher

[tiro_uspsss]

I only go for HDDs with 5yr warranty, so I voted the WD Black

[CedricFP]

I wanted to get a WD Black today but no stores had it in stock. So I went with the Hitachi Deskstar myself. I wasn't going to go Seagate (have heard terrible things round my parts) and I didn't much fancy the 5400RPM WD Green.

Too bad the Deskstar doesn't have a 5-year warranty, but only a 3-year.

[zanzabar]

i would go f4, if u go 5400rpm its the only real choice since seagate sucks and the WD green are now failed black/re4, the WD black is also nice but u dont need the extra rpm for storage.

I only go for HDDs with 5yr warranty, so I voted the WD Black

why do that, then u cannot get anything but a WD black. and drives are rated for the total up time and almost drives have the same 500,000h of MTBF so that 5 years is meaningless since if it lasts the 1st 6 months or so it will go for a log time or unitl it gets left off or to cool then cant lube its self

[tiro_uspsss]

why do that, then u cannot get anything but a WD black. and drives are rated for the total up time and almost drives have the same 500,000h of MTBF so that 5 years is meaningless since if it lasts the 1st 6 months or so it will go for a log time or unitl it gets left off or to cool then cant lube its self

so what if I can only go blacks - thats the way i like it - in fact thats all I have as HDDs - blacks, REs & ESs

if ur HDD dies in the 4th yr, ur screwed, I'm not

[josh1980]

A 5 year warranty sounds good.. but who really has a use for a 250GB hard drive today? 5 years ago 250GB was near top of the line. I got drives that are more than 250GB sitting around because they are too small for what I use drives for :P. In 5 years SSD will be used for booting and playing games. Rotating platter will be used as a form of "long term mass storage". To me the warranty doesn't matter because the drive will be useless to me in 3 years...


On another note.. "best" 2TB storage is so vague as to be a useless question to ask. Best in what regard? Performance? warranty? cost? reliability? looks? closest to you from the distribution sites? Supports Sata 1? Supports sata 2? How about 4k sector size? largest cache size?

I bought and own 16 WD20EARS on a RAID-6 and I am happy with them.

[onethreehill]

I wanted to get a WD Black today but no stores had it in stock. So I went with the Hitachi Deskstar myself. I wasn't going to go Seagate (have heard terrible things round my parts) and I didn't much fancy the 5400RPM WD Green.

Too bad the Deskstar doesn't have a 5-year warranty, but only a 3-year.

I would not buy Deskstar, they are 5 x 400 GB platters

i would go f4, if u go 5400rpm its the only real choice since seagate sucks and the WD green are now failed black/re4, the WD black is also nice but u dont need the extra rpm for storage..... Snip.....

Do you have anything to back up that statement?
WD Black are 4 x 500GB platters
WD Green WD20EADS are 4 x 500GB platters and WD Green WD20EARS are 3 x 667GB platters
WD Green WD20EARS are not failed Black/RE4

so what if I can only go blacks - thats the way i like it - in fact thats all I have as HDDs - blacks, REs & ESs

if ur HDD dies in the 4th yr, ur screwed, I'm not

If your HDD dies in the 4th yr. You will get a refurbished HDD from WD. WD Black is $180.
If my HDD dies in the 4th yr. Assuming is a $100 F4EG, I will buy a new $80 F5EG

Are people avoiding the Seagates like a plague?
Decision time 2 x Spinpoint F4EG or 2 x WD Green WD20EARS or 2 x WD Black?

[CedricFP]

I would not buy Deskstar, they are 5 x 400 GB platters

But what do I lose by it? A bit of performance compared to other 7200RPM drives, a bit more power draw compared to 4x500/3x667 drives, but this drive is priced in the range of 5400/5900RPM drives here in HK (roughly 100 USD).

It outperforms them. I suppose with more platters and more heads moving, failure is more likely, but I've not read that Hitachi are having any severe problems. Their DeathStar period was over 10 years ago.

It was either this, a WD Green or Seagate. I'm not going Seagate as they have a bad track record round my parts, and the WD Green performs worse and costs more...



http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...it,2528-6.html - has some nice information on Hitachi performance. Not great but not bad. Enough for data storage, outperforms green drives.

[zanzabar]

Do you have anything to back up that statement?
WD Black are 4 x 500GB platters
WD Green WD20EADS are 4 x 500GB platters and WD Green WD20EARS are 3 x 667GB platters
WD Green WD20EARS are not failed Black/RE4

the last gen greens had some failed 500GB platter drives, maybe they have a newer rev but previously they had failed drives in the mix and they were problematic.


and people are avoiding seagate since they make the most heat and are slower but also there is massive firmware and dead drive problems have been happening recently

[onethreehill]

But what do I lose by it? A bit of performance compared to other 7200RPM drives, a bit more power draw compared to 4x500/3x667 drives, but this drive is priced in the range of 5400/5900RPM drives here in HK (roughly 100 USD).

It outperforms them. I suppose with more platters and more heads moving, failure is more likely, but I've not read that Hitachi are having any severe problems. Their DeathStar period was over 10 years ago.

It was either this, a WD Green or Seagate. I'm not going Seagate as they have a bad track record round my parts, and the WD Green performs worse and costs more...



http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...it,2528-6.html - has some nice information on Hitachi performance. Not great but not bad. Enough for data storage, outperforms green drives.

WD Black and Seagate XT are faster due to higher areal density (500GB platters against 400GB platters)
Most HDDs makers have moved to 500GB platters for 7200rpm drives.

[tiro_uspsss]

If your HDD dies in the 4th yr. You will get a refurbished HDD from WD. WD Black is $180.
If my HDD dies in the 4th yr. Assuming is a $100 F4EG, I will buy a new $80 F5EG

pfft tell that to my RE2 that magically became a RE3

edit: surely u've heard of ppl sending in their raptors & getting back velociraptors

[CedricFP]

WD Black and Seagate XT are faster due to higher areal density (500GB platters against 400GB platters)
Most HDDs makers have moved to 500GB platters for 7200rpm drives.

Yes I understand this, hence my 4x500 and 3x667 mention (I was referring to platters and with the understanding of density).

However, my point was more that the Hitachi is priced in the same area as WD green and other 5400/5900 RPM drives.

When compared against them, it has better performance. So the argument of not getting a Hitachi drive because of the 5x400 platter and less density is only valid when compared to WD Black or Barracuda XT 2TB's. Otherwise, there is no reason not to get it over the WD Green or Barracuda LP as they are priced the same.

EDIT: Except, of course, for warranty as Hitachi only have 3 years coverage.

[Sadhana]

For just storage, I voted WDC Green 32MB. Reason: widely easy to find in my country, good support, and pretty affordable price. Too bad I can't get any Samsung Spinpoint altough Samsung have a storage's division manufacture buliding in my country.

[Metroid]

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4EG HD204UI for evething else, can't go wrong with it.

[CedricFP]

For just storage, I voted WDC Green 32MB. Reason: widely easy to find in my country, good support, and pretty affordable price. Too bad I can't get any Samsung Spinpoint altough Samsung have a storage's division manufacture buliding in my country.

Yes I had wanted a Spinpoint F4 as well but couldn't find it here in HK.

[onethreehill]

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4EG HD204UI for evething else, can't go wrong with it.

I do not understand what you are saying
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4EG HD204UI for everything else, can't go wrong with it?
I would use a 5XXXrpm drive for storage only

[adsyf]

How much "better" are the re4 (WD2003FYYS) to the blacks specs say their warranty includes 24/7 raid environments (the blacks do not).

Also they have the following extra features:
RAFF
Thermal extended burn-in test
TLER

[tiro_uspsss]

How much "better" are the re4 (WD2003FYYS) to the blacks specs say their warranty includes 24/7 raid environments (the blacks do not).

Also they have the following extra features:
RAFF
Thermal extended burn-in test
TLER

in terms of performance, no diff.. u buy RE4s if u need the features u listed

[Metroid]

I do not understand what you are saying
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4EG HD204UI for everything else, can't go wrong with it?
I would use a 5XXXrpm drive for storage only

Neither did I

I was exciting about the product and said everything else

Yes, only for storage and nothing else.

[Johnny87au]

if money isnt a issue easily the wd blacks, but if ur on a budget the F4's are great at 5400 rpm..