Looking for Quiet Single Platter 300-500 GB, 7200 3.5"

[nomoon]

The drive on my work computer seems to have died in the middle of a project and I need a replacement quickly. It was a horrible Maxtor (either 250 or 320 GB) drive. The drive recommendations page seems to be a bit out of date. I don't need more than 320 GB for this machine, but I'll get whatever drive is quiet and available.

After scanning through the forums, it looks like:

• The Samsung Spinpoint F3 500GB is a single platter drive.
• The Western Digital WD 3200AAKS (Blue) is a single platter drive.
• The Western Digital WD WD5001AALS (Black) might be single platter drive if you can get the 00L3B2 variant. Are they all single platter these days?

Does that look correct?
Is the Samsung F1 HD322HJ 320 GB a single platter?
What would you recommend for someone who is looking for a quiet 7200 RPM drive in this size?

Thank in advance!

Jason

[Nighthog]

The Samsung F3 500Gb HD502HJ is a single platter hard drive.

Has good performance and is really silent and quite cool in temperatures.

I just bought one a couple weeks back.

About the Western Digital drives... Yeah be sure you can check that it really is the single platter models if you want one of those.

From the little reading I did back then Samsung seems like a good and solid choise. WD is a bit... so... so. As you can't be 100% sure you get the higher density platters in the drives. And I really can't find a good review of them yet.
The Seagate 7200.12 drives the 500Gb has a single platter also. What I found it is even more quit and cooler than the Samsung but the access time takes a huge hit in comparison. After having had my hands on the Samsung I would say the temps and noise is all good enough. I can't actually hear this Samsung F3 in my case. The access time is just so much better that Samsung wins that one.

And the Western Digital. Sadly I haven't found info much about them yet. That means the 500Gb editions. All I seem to find points that it's a double platter ones in the reviews whit a only 110Mb/s maximum transfer rate. Samsung F3 has 145Mb/s I have tested. I haven't found much on the accestime or heat or noise for the WD.

[nomoon]

Thanks for the response! It looks like my original problem with the drive was actually due to a problem with the power cable from the PSU. I'm going to get a replacement drive anyway. Thanks again!