7200.7 -> 7200.9

gamingphreek · Post by **gamingphreek** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 7:30 am

I am considering begining the upgrade of my computer. I have the basic H/W picked out, but i now need new HDD(s).

I would LIKE to use a RAID-0 array (simply for experience and what not) so i am considering selling my 120gb 7200.7 drive in favor of 2x 7200.9 160gb drives.

My only concern is quiet. Right now i can barely hear my HDD (Chieftec Dragon case with no silent mods done to it). Hence i am also considering the 160gb Samsung Spinpoint. I am no silent enthusiasts but my computer is in my bedroom, so it needs to be pretty damn quiet.

I plan on getting a P180 case so vibration SHOULD be minimized. Additionally the other components i plan on getting are a 120mm Nexus fan (Undervolt it) and a Zalman 7700ALCU (~1/2 speed).

I dont want something too noisy or anything, but i dont want to sacrifice much performance.

-Kevin

gamingphreek · Post by **gamingphreek** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:25 pm

Shining Arcanine · Post by **Shining Arcanine** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:34 pm

If I were you, I'd buy a Western Digital hard drive instead. Seagate's hard drive have been getting louder with every generation.

gamingphreek · Post by **gamingphreek** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:34 pm

Shining Arcanine wrote:If I were you, I'd buy a Western Digital hard drive instead. Seagate's hard drive have been getting louder with every generation.

What kind of silent enthusiast are you. I have never heard someone reccommend a WD HDD for silent/near silent operation.

I dont mean to come across rude, but WD is out of the question.

Im trying to decide between the Seagate and the Samsung Spinpoints.

-Kevin

pangit · Post by **pangit** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:02 pm

Get with the times, dude, and check out the WDs in the recommended section.

WDs are pretty good these days, and SA is correct about Seagate's drives being louder than they used to be.

gamingphreek · Post by **gamingphreek** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 10:56 am

Well in that case would it be beneficial for me to get a Samsung Spinpoint HDD?

-Kevin

gamingphreek · Post by **gamingphreek** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:14 am

Will the fact that the Seagate drive has only 1 platter help at all.

Additionally, the 7200.9 and the Samsung drive are both spec'd at 2.5 bels idle, and 2.8 seek. If the .9 is so much louder wouldn't that spec be wrong.

-Kevin

Shining Arcanine · Post by **Shining Arcanine** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 3:32 pm

gamingphreek wrote:Well in that case would it be beneficial for me to get a Samsung Spinpoint HDD?

-Kevin

My personal recommendation are the Western Digital hard drives (for their performance and reliability) but I've heard good things about Samsung Spinpoints from a sound perspective; although I tend to think of the Western Digitals as being quieter, as their FDBs have less vibration than the Nidec based Samsungs, and judging by SPCR's review of the Caviar 250GB SE the Caviar should generate the same level of noise if not a lower level of noise as the Nidec Samsung drives when the when the platter counts are the same and vibrations are eliminated from the equation.

gamingphreek wrote:Will the fact that the Seagate drive has only 1 platter help at all.

Additionally, the 7200.9 and the Samsung drive are both spec'd at 2.5 bels idle, and 2.8 seek. If the .9 is so much louder wouldn't that spec be wrong.

-Kevin

You can't go by the specifications as for starters they don't provide information regarding the ambient noise level at the time of measurement, what the noise levels were measured with and how far they measured the noise level from. There is also the difference between decibels and bels.

pangit · Post by **pangit** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:16 pm

gamingphreek wrote:Well in that case would it be beneficial for me to get a Samsung Spinpoint HDD?

-Kevin

If you're happy with the performance then you can't go too far wrong with the Spinpoint, especially if you can source one with a Nidec motor.

I have one with a JVC motor (which doesn't whine) and it is marginally quieter than my 7200.7. But they're both suspended and extremely quiet and there really isn't much between them. To give you an idea, I only have two fans in my entire system (both 120mm Nexus's @7V) and they HDDs cannot be heard over the sound of the fans (unless I take the fans down to 5V).

But as mentioned before, the WD's are pretty good these days so the choice is a lot less clear cut than it used to be.

gamingphreek · Post by **gamingphreek** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:28 pm

pangit wrote:
gamingphreek wrote:Well in that case would it be beneficial for me to get a Samsung Spinpoint HDD?

-Kevin
If you're happy with the performance then you can't go too far wrong with the Spinpoint, especially if you can source one with a Nidec motor.

I have one with a JVC motor (which doesn't whine) and it is marginally quieter than my 7200.7. But they're both suspended and extremely quiet and there really isn't much between them. To give you an idea, I only have two fans in my entire system (both 120mm Nexus's @7V) and they HDDs cannot be heard over the sound of the fans (unless I take the fans down to 5V).

But as mentioned before, the WD's are pretty good these days so the choice is a lot less clear cut than it used to be.

Well right now i have the 7200.7 model. When idling it is pretty quiet, but seeks are obviously loud, doesn't bother me about seeks so much.

However i am in a Chieftec Dragon case (aluminum). It is very..."prone to vibration" so i think when moving to my P180 i will notice a big difference. Seeing as the 7200.9's are quieter than the 7200.7's (or are supposed to be), and i am somewhat content with the .7's shouldn't it get better?

One thing that isn't changing is my PSU. I dont believe it is the primary source of noise (OCZ 520Watt Powerstream), it certainly contributes.

I would like to order my 2x hard drives tonight if possible, can anyone help me out. Do you think Newegg, would take the HDD's back if i didn't like the amount of noise (providing i sent an RMA request the very next day).

Lastly, is there anyway to suspend HDD's in the P180. I have 2x DVD-RW drives and a 5.25 4 way fan controller. I think there is one 5.25 spot left, in which case i dont/wont have a place to suspend 2x HDD's (RAID 0). Is there anything i can do?

-Kevin