Fujitsu MHV2040AT (replacing MHT2040AT?) 1.5B 16db spec

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michaelb
Posts: 53
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2003 3:35 pm
Location: Texas

Fujitsu MHV2040AT (replacing MHT2040AT?) 1.5B 16db spec

Post by michaelb » Sun May 29, 2005 11:47 pm

Fujitsu seems to have replaced the 4200 MHT2040AT with 4200 MHV2040AT.

Same specs except it uses less power, has better opererating shock stat, and has up to 60GB per platter in MHV2060AT or MHV2120AT.

Any experiences? I'd hope it's as quiet as the MHT.

A highly rated retailer has the new version (MHV) for $66 shipped: http://www.bananapc.com/products/produc ... 3T403&Op=2

~(The above retailer is out of stock. Similar prices can be found at pricewatch.com though.)

Zipzoomfly.com has the 60GB single platter (I believe) for $86 shipped.

I'm thinking of buying a 40gb. The MHT...AT has been declared quiet by many and loud by none. The MHV looks like would be the same, and the lower power is appealing. But not sure if I should risk it being louder than the old MHT model...
Last edited by michaelb on Mon Jun 13, 2005 8:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

michaelb
Posts: 53
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2003 3:35 pm
Location: Texas

Post by michaelb » Wed Jun 01, 2005 10:48 am

According to the manual http://www.fcpa.com/download/download/h ... manual.pdf
The cache is now 8MB, not 2MB. (The 80gb and some 60gb MHTs are 8MB, but the 40gb and 20gb MHTs are 2mb cache. Even the single platter MHVs are 8MB cache.)

And, even more important (to me at least) the above manual states:
In Ready status (while the device is waiting for any commands), the Sound Power level of the disk drives in idle mode is 1.5B [MHV2040AT]/2.3B [MHV2060AT, MHV2080AT, MHV2100AT, MHV2120AT]. The Sound Pressure level is 16dB [MHV2040AT]/24dB [MHV2060AT, MHV2080AT, MHV2100AT, MHV2120AT], as measured 0.3 m from the drive in Idle mode.
The MHT manual didn't breakdown noise figures for the lower capacity drives, and listed 2.3B and 24dB.

Note the above quote implies that the new 60GB drive is loud. Perhaps some of the new 60GB drives are actually double platter? Or maybe the new 40GB drive is even quieter than the old MHT? (Wishful thinking, but it is lower power.)

Said I wouldn't buy another drive without others trying first, but considering the above and the lower power, will make myself a liar. This seems like a very good risk, especially since bannana pc has a good return policy, unlike the last place I bought a drive from.
I'll post my (subjective) results, though I don't have an old Fujitsu to compare to.

mdubrow
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Post by mdubrow » Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:39 pm

I just picked up the Fujitsu MHT2060BH drive a couple of weeks ago. (This is the 60GB, 8MB cache, 5400RPM drive with the SATA interface.) This drive makes absolutely no noise whatsoever--not on spin-up or spin-down, not on seeks, nothing but quiet. And that was sitting next to the PC with the cover off. (I used an adapter to mount it into a 3.5" bay.)

If the 60gb drive is the "noisy" version, then I think you'll be happy with your purchase! (Not a guarantee.)

michaelb
Posts: 53
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Location: Texas

Post by michaelb » Mon Jun 13, 2005 8:23 pm

Here's my subjective, amateur comparison of four single platter drives:

-quiet-
2.5" 40gb 4200 Fujitsu MHV2040AT Thailand mfg 4/05
2.5" 40gb 5400 Hitachi 5K80 HTS548040M9AT00
2.5" 40gb 5400 Toshiba MK4026GAX
3.5" 80gb 7200 Seagate 7200.7
-loud-

Fujitsu in Dell 9300: Idle is extremely quiet, inaudible to me from normal distance when using notebook even with quiet background. Putting ear to side of notebook, can hear high pitched noise at low volume. Seek/read noise is audible from distance, but very quiet and not of annoying quality for me.
Fujitsu in enclosure with top off: Idle is not as quiet as I expected, and has an annoyingly high pitch component, depending on angle of drive compared to ears. Seek/read noise is fairly quiet.

Hitachi in IBM Thinkpad: Idle much louder than above, but to me, quality of noise is not so bad. Whoosh sound. Seek/read is perhaps same volume as above.

Toshiba in Dell 9300: Idle is a touch louder than Hitachi above, but of much worse quality to me, high pitched and disturbing. Seek/read is much louder than above drives, but not of a bad character to me.
Toshiba in enclosure with top off: Idle is similar to Fujitsu in open enclosure but probably louder. (Oddly, it wasn't night and day difference to me. Perhaps too much time passed.) Seek/read louder than Fujitsu in enclosure.

Seagate in closed encosure: much louder idle and seek/read noise than above drives. Both idle and seek/read are of annoying quality to me.

Conclusion: For me, the Fujitsu was well worth the $66 total price, to replace the Toshiba in a notebook.

---

mdubrow, the 80gb version of that drive was just reviewed on this site, and not found to be so quiet. I wonder if the difference is the number of platters. In any case, glad yours is quiet. :)

michaelb
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Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2003 3:35 pm
Location: Texas

Post by michaelb » Thu Jul 28, 2005 11:58 am

doesn't seem to be much interest, but thought I should update:

A few days after my last post, the drive started making occasional noises. A few crunchy noises over maybe 15 seconds or so, then a higher pitched noise sounds a little like breaking a thin glass string, ending with a click, maybe parking heads. Will probably start up again in a little while. Might repeat perhaps 5 or 10 times.

I haven't counted or timed, so above estimates may be way off.

Doesn't happen too often, but is pretty annoying. Much, much louder than seek/read noise of the drive.

If there's consensus on a really quiet, fast 2.5" cheap drive, I may change drives again.

Unless a new firmware fixes the noise, but Fujitsu doesn't seem to release many changes to firmware. :(

jackylman
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Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Post by jackylman » Fri Jul 29, 2005 2:26 pm

Scorpio 1 platter (40GB) is inaudible resting on foam in an SLK3000B. It's definitely slower than a desktop drive (loading Windows at least) but I can't help you with comparisons to other notebook drives.

Mar.
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Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2005 8:58 pm

Post by Mar. » Sat Jul 30, 2005 2:30 pm

Please explain to me how a drive can be rated at 1.5 Bel and 16 deciBel at the same time?

jackylman
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Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 8:13 am
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Post by jackylman » Sat Jul 30, 2005 3:47 pm

Mar. wrote:Please explain to me how a drive can be rated at 1.5 Bel and 16 deciBel at the same time?
Creative rounding? :wink:

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