HDD Advice

[Deleted]

Hey. Im going to buy a new HDD this week because it looks like my current one is dying so Im looking for some advice.

I was looking at "Western Digital 1TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA3 Caviar Black" but I've heard some people saying that Caviar black HDDs are usually loud and makes scratching or grinding noises. Is it true with this model? Are the Caviar blue ones making noticeably less noise? Is the performance difference between Black and Blue really noticeable?

Also what is your opinion on "Seagate 1TB, 7200rpm, 64MB, Sata III, Barracuda"?

Please feel free to suggest any other HDDs as long as they have 750GB or 1TB capacity, 7200rpm and 64mb cache. Price should be somewhere around 100$

Thanks.

[K1boRG]

I've ordered Western Digital WD1002FAEX Caviar Black 1 TB 7200 RPM Internal Hard Disk Drive for my new rig, will arrive tomorrow. If you have spare day to decide, I'll let you know tomorrow how loud they are. I'll use NZXT Phantom 410 as case.

[Deleted]

Ok awesome thats the exact model I was looking at. Ill be waiting your feedback.

[vesseblah]

If you are worried about noise get an SSD. Also if your computer is anything like the average, GPU fan and DVD drive noise will easily bury anything else under them.

Performance difference between Caviar Black and anything else is notable.

[Deleted]

If you are worried about noise get an SSD. Also if your computer is anything like the average, GPU fan and DVD drive noise will easily bury anything else under them.

Performance difference between Caviar Black and anything else is notable.

Noise isnt bothering me that much. Its just that I've read forum threads where people complain about Caviar Black HDDs being unusually loud and having scratching and grinding noises.

[BruceG87]

Noise isnt bothering me that much. Its just that I've read forum threads where people complain about Caviar Black HDDs being unusually loud and having scratching and grinding noises.

I'm sure the drive makes noise, but the average user won't be able to hear it over a single case fan let alone any GPU's cooling system even while idling.

From day 1 of my build, I did not hear my Caviar Black over my stock fractal design case fans. Day 2 with my Phanteks cooler installed at the lowest RPM I still couldn't hear anything. At my current settings, all I hear is the overall slight hum of the fans in my rig.

Rule of thumb, "grinding" sounds with HDD's are bad as it relates to future HDD failure. If I experienced such noise I wouldn't keep it, I would RMA/replace it ASAP.

[yurano]

From day 1 of my build, I did not hear my Caviar Black over my stock fractal design case fans. Day 2 with my Phanteks cooler installed at the lowest RPM I still couldn't hear anything. At my current settings, all I hear is the overall slight hum of the fans in my rig.

Are your fans running at maximum speed? Plus, you have a sound dampening case.

[BruceG87]

The arc midi is not a sound dampening case. You are thinking of the define models. I don't even think you read my full post where I said lowest rpm on my CPU cooler.

On a different note, with my system sitting at idle all I hear is my GPU and my CPU cooler fans. To stomp any other further assumptions, I am referring to my evga gtx 670 ftw @ 32c with fan on auto (30% fan speed). As well as my Phanteks CPU cooler with appropriate 140mm Phanteks fans equipped in silent mode.

I removed my side panel just now, and nothing changed sound wise. I put my ear up to my HDD and I do hear noise but the moment I move my head away it is drowned out by my GPU/CPU coolers.

[yurano]

I removed my side panel just now, and nothing changed sound wise. I put my ear up to my HDD and I do hear noise but the moment I move my head away it is drowned out by my GPU/CPU coolers.

Is this while the HDD is actively reading or writing something large? Like copying WoW.