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GUIDE to the TABLES
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A Cautionary Note: For a truly quiet computer, many 3.5"
drives vibrate a bit too much to simply bolt into the case normally. Having
suspended or soft-mounted all of the hard drives in our systems for many
years, our position is that most 3.5" drives benefit from such treatment.
For us, this often applies to 2.5" drives as well, but it may be
due to our hypersensitivity (cultivated?) to PC noise, and the low ambient
acoustics of our environment.
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Drive: Manufacturer and model number.
Mfg date: Date of manufacture of our sample model.
Firmware: Firmware version of our sample model.
Vibration: The level of vibration produced by the drive at idle, evaluated
relative to standard reference drives on our
standard vibration box. 10 = zero vibration, 1 = jackhammer level.
Airborne Acoustics: The measured decibel level, A-weighted (dBA),
at 1m distance, during idle and seek, with AAM enabled and disabled (when
this is a switchable option).
Power Consumption: The amount of power in watts used by the drive.
Can be used to gauge thermal behavior.
NOTE: Only HDDs that were tested (or retested) in SPCR's anechoic
chamber are listed in this guide (post-2008). This does not mean that previously
tested and recommended HDDs are not quiet, only that we lack sufficiently
accurate acoustic data to put them in context. Keep in mind that drives
that date back more than a couple years may be discontinued.
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5,400 ~ 5,900 DESKTOP HARD DRIVES
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Drive
Mfg date
firmware version
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Vibration
(10 = no vibration)
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Activity
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Airborne Acoustics
([email protected])
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Measured
Power
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|
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9
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Idle
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12~13
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2.8 W (2.4 W heads parked)
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Seek
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6.5 W
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|
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7
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Idle
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13
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4.0 W
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Seek
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15
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5.6 W
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|
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8~9
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Idle
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13~14
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3.9 W
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Seek
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6.5 W
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WD Red 3TB
WD30EFRX-68AX9N0
June 2012
firmware 80.00A80
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9
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Idle
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13~14
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3.6 W
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Seek
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4.9 W
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|
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7
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Idle
|
14
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2.8 W (2.4 W heads parked)
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Seek
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13~14
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6.5 W
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|
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8
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Idle
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14~15
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4.1 W (3.7 W heads parked)
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Seek
|
7.5W
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WD
Red 4TB
WD40EFRX-68WT0N0
August 2013
firmware 80.00A80
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8~9
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Idle
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15
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4.0 W (3.2 W heads parked)
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Seek
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15~16
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6.2 W
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|
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7
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Idle
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14~15
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4.1W
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Seek
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15
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5.6 W
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|
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8
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Idle
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14~15
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4.6 W
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Seek
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17~18
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7.3 W
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WD Red 6TB
WD60EFRX-68MYMN1
July 2014
firmware 82.00A8
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8
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Idle
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14~15
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4.4 W
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Seek
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18
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5.4 W
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|
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7~9
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Idle
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15
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4.8 W (4.1 W heads parked)
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Seek
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16~17
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5.5 W
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7200(+) RPM DESKTOP HARD DRIVES
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Drive
Mfg date
firmware version
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Vibration
(10 = no vibration)
|
Activity
|
Airborne Acoustics
([email protected])
|
Measured
Power
|
|
|
5
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Idle
|
13
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4.6 W
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Seek (AAM)
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15~16
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6.4 W
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Seek
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17
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9.6 W
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|
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7
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Idle
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14
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5.2 W
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Seek (AAM)
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16~17
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6.6 W
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Seek
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20
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8.2 W
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|
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8
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Idle
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16
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6.4 W
(5.6 W after 30s)
(3.9 W after 50s)
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Seek
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16~17
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9.9 W
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WD
Se 4TB WD4000F9YZ-09N20L0
October 2013
firmware 01.01A01
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7
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Idle
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16
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8.1 W
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Seek
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18~19
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9.7 W
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|
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5
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Idle
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17
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5.3 W
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Seek
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18
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7.8 W
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|
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7~8
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Idle
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17
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7.0 W
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Seek
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18~19
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7.9 W
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|
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7
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Idle
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15
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3.9 W
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Seek (AAM)
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20
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5.7 W
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Seek
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22
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6.2 W
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|
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7
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[bare]
Idle
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[14~15]
17~18
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4.2 W
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[bare] Seek
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[20~22]
24~26
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5.5 W
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|
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7
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[bare]
Idle
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[16~17]
18
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4.0 W
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[bare]
Seek
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[27]
32
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5.3 W
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|
|
3
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Idle
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19~20
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7.5 W
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Seek
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20~21
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9.2 W
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2.5" HARD DRIVES
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Drive
Mfg date
firmware version
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Vibration
(10 = no vibration)
|
Activity
|
Airborne Acoustics
([email protected])
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Measured
Power
|
|
|
8
|
Idle
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12
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0.79 W (0.69 W heads parked)
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Seek
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14~15
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1.65 W
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WD Red 1TB
WD10JFCX-68N6GN0
August 2013
firmware 01.01A01
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8
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Idle
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13~14
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0.92 W (0.79 W heads parked)
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Seek
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14
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1.95 W
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|
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7
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Idle
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13~14
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1.34 W (1.16 W heads parked)
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Seek
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14~15
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2.08 W
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|
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8
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Idle
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14
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0.7 W (0.6 W heads parked)
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Seek
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15
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2.2 W
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|
|
7
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Idle
|
14
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1.1 W (0.9 W heads parked)
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Seek
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15
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2.35 W
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|
|
8
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Idle
|
15
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1.06 W (0.85 W heads parked)
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Seek
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15~16
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2.60 W
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|
|
8
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Idle
|
15
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0.89 W (0.75 W heads parked)
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Seek
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16
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1.86 W
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WD Scorpio Blue 640GB WD6400BEVT
September 2009
firmware 01.01A01
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7
|
Idle
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15~16
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0.87 W (0.74 W heads parked)
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Seek
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16
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1.95 W
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|
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7
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Idle
|
16
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1.18 W (1.01 W heads parked)
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Seek
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16~17
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2.28 W
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|
|
8
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Idle
|
16
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0.8 W (0.65 W heads parked)
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Seek
|
18
|
2.2 W
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SOLID STATE DRIVES
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Noise is not a criteria to choose SSDs by, though we have
run into one or two samples that made some low level electronic whine/squeal.
Based on our experience with some 40~50 SSD samples over the years,
we believe this is abnormal and recommend an immedite return to the
vendor if it is encountered, assuming the noise is audible and it bothers
you.
For your convenience, here's a list of our SSD reviews:
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HDD NOISE REDUCTION PRODUCTS
Hard drive noise reduction products typically take the form of enclosures,
although the category is not strictly limited to such devices. Noise reduction
products are tested using the loudest and most vibration-prone drives in the
lab. The noise levels are compared with and without the device. The measurements
below reflect the sonic improvement effected by the products.
NOTE: Demand for such products has fallen with the wide popularity of quiet, low vibration drives, especially the 5xxx RPM drives, and the increasing capacity & falling price of SSDs. As a result, these products have very limited distribution and may be difficult to find. Grow Up Japan is the maker of the Smart Drive, and a search with that name will work better. NoVibes is marketed under some other brand names as well as NoiseMagic.
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Recommended HDD Noise Reduction Products
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Model
(linked to review)
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Vibration Improvement
(on our standard 10 point scale)
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| Smart
Drive HDD Enclosure (also Smart Drive 2002 and 2002Copper versions) |
6 / 6
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2
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| Smarter realization of the seal-up-that-hard-drive
idea, with slick metal / damping foam / metal construction and great attention
to detail. Acoustic isolation is excellent, 6 [email protected] for both idle and seek
noise. Does not eliminate seek noise when mounted normally and has only
a minimal effect on vibration. Does not overheat 7200 RPM drives. Mounts
in a 5.25-inch drive bay. Updated Oct/05 |
| Scythe
Silent Box SBX-1000 HDD Enclosure |
4 / 4
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3
|
| A foam-padded box that uses a heatlane to transfer
heat away from the drive. Less effective at blocking acoustic noise than
the Smart Drive but better at reducing vibration. Our review showed that
it improved temperature slightly, but real world evidence has contradicted
this. Fits into a 5.25-inch drive bay with difficulty. Added Oct/05 |
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3 / 6
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5
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| Reduces vibration-caused noise by
decoupling the HDD from the case using elastic bands (industrial O-rings)
in a 5.25-inch drive rack. Great for drives with low acoustic noise. Just
about eliminates seek noise with many drives. It also almost
completely eliminates vibration. Sturdy, simple, and effective. Among the
commercial HDD noise reducers, this is SPCR's preferred product, mounted
not in a 5.25" bay but rather, at the bottom of the case in the intake
airflow path. Added Dec/02 |
| Scythe
Quiet Drive 2.5 |
4 / 3
|
1
|
| An alumimum box containing another aluminum box
surrounded by foam, this product is similar to the Smart Drive, but made
for a 2.5" drive. It makes a super quiet drive even quieter or a quiet
drive nearly super quiet. The increase in HDD temperature was only a couple
of degrees. |
| Tiché
PC HDD Vibration Killer |
2/4
|
5
|
| Side-mounted aluminum brackets
that use foam rubber strips for damping drive vibration and require an optical
drive bay. They work very well, but increase HDD temperature by 8~10°C
if it is not in positioned in airflow path. Little improvement in airborne
acoustics, but the improvement in vibration-caused noise is quite dramatic.
Oct 2014 |
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