7200rpm vs. 10000rpm?

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bobsaget

Supreme [H]ardness
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I am in the process of building a low end gaming computer.

Specs:
Athlon XP 2500+ @ 3200+
Asus A7N8X-X MB
512mb pc3200 RAM
9700Pro? (Still deciding, but something close to that)
40gb 5400RPM hard drive

I want to get a new hard drive because I want a 7200RPM or 10000RPM hard drive. Would it be worth it to spend more than double for a 10000RPM drive than that of a 7200RPM drive?

Thank you!
 
I assume your talking about the mainstream 7200 RPM ATA drives vs the 10000 RPM Raptor, in which at this time it's not really worth it to spend the extra amount on the Raptor. If you want to use SATA then the Hitachi 7K250 is currently the fastest 7200 RPM drive and it can hang with the 10K Raptor in several benchmarks, and considering the price differences and the amount of drive space then the Hitachi would win there bar none.

Check out www.storagereview.com and look at the leaderboard and choose a benchmark and you'll get an idea.
 
Originally posted by bobsaget
I am in the process of building a low end gaming computer.

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Why would you even consider a Raptor? By your own admission your looking at "low end"; the Raptor is anything but.

As to 7200rpm drives - the Hitachi is a nice drive but know that when not in use it emits an annoying "meow" type noise every ten minutes - it's a maintenance seek and if it doesn't bother you then you'll love the drive. The Seagate 7200.7s are okay but run way too hot, have poorer performance than the Hitachi, and also have an annoying maintenance sound every ten minutes or so. The best drive if you're looking for something without noise is the Samsung SP80 SATA drives - performance in between the Seagates and the Hitachi but cooler running than either and quieter than both with no annoying maintenance noises.
 
for gaming a 7200rpm ATA drive is fast enough..
personally i prefer WD for ATA and seagate for SCSI
 
Don't pay the price premium for SATA, it's just not worth it for that setup. ATA drives right now are a bit cheaper, and perform just as well. Just get a nice 40 gig 7200 rpm drive, and you should be happy.
 
Originally posted by Bar81
As to 7200rpm drives - the Hitachi is a nice drive but know that when not in use it emits an annoying "meow" type noise every ten minutes - it's a maintenance seek and if it doesn't bother you then you'll love the drive.
Click to expand...
OT - I've got a pair of the Hitachi's, and I know the sound you are referring to. But imo I don't understand how so many people describe it as annoying, it's not very loud, you almost have to listen for it. The drives are nearly slient with that exception. I would think the whine of virtually every other drive (particularly Raptors) would be more objectionable. Just my 010.
 
....I was almost convinced to buy the 74GB Raptor when I read this post! :(

uff....guess you`re right guys that its not worth it.
Back to consider what should I get.
 
Originally posted by Bar81
As to 7200rpm drives - the Hitachi is a nice drive but know that when not in use it emits an annoying "meow" type noise every ten minutes - it's a maintenance seek and if it doesn't bother you then you'll love the drive.
Click to expand...

So that's what the hell that damn noise was when I had my old IBM drive. Always scared the bejesus out of me too, wasn't sure if some part in my computer was making it's last pleas of death. Why exactly would such a feature exist and why would it have to be so noisy?
 
It's some sort of maintenance recalibration of the heads. It doesn't have to be there as not every drive has it but the current gen Hitachis and Seagates do. It's beyond annoying to me but some people don't seem to mind.
 
Originally posted by Bar81
The Seagate 7200.7s are okay but run way too hot, have poorer performance than the Hitachi, and also have an annoying maintenance sound every ten minutes or so.
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Uh, what are you talking about with the maintenance noise on a Seagate? And running hot? I have two 7200.7's and both run cool and are very quiet.
 
Originally posted by tdg
Uh, what are you talking about with the maintenance noise on a Seagate? And running hot? I have two 7200.7's and both run cool and are very quiet.
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Maybe you're just going deaf from all the fans in your system :p
 
The maintenance seek noises are all relative - some people aren't bothered while others, like myself, are driven to near madness. Just depends on your acoustical sensitivity. Nevertheless, they're there whether you "hear" them or not.

The meow seek on the Hitachis and the buzzing seek on the Seagates are well documented. If you still are a doubting Thomas then check on over the forums at www.storagereview.com and www.silentpcreview.com
 
The raptor drives are a bit pricey. If you do have a little extra money, you COULD get the 36GB Raptor, which is much cheaper than the 74GB one. Then get a regular IDE ATA hard drive of your size choice. Put the OS and all Program files on the Raptor, which should still only be at MOST 10GB. Put all other stuff (mp3s, videos, etc.) on the IDE dive. That will give you a NICE boost in speed of running all your programs and the OS. Just a thought.

SuperG
 
Originally posted by tdg
Uh, what are you talking about with the maintenance noise on a Seagate? And running hot? I have two 7200.7's and both run cool and are very quiet.
Click to expand...
I have never heard any maintenance noise on my seagate... also a 7200.7, mine runs very cool (I do have good airflow right over it though) and its not the most quiet thing in the world.... but its definitly fast.
 
I find it amusing (from the number of posts I have read) that more people find the 'meow' noise utterly annoying than the screaming of a caseful of fans. It must be a case of the type of noise rather than the decibel level.

[edit] Or the anxiety of imminent drive death due to the history of the DeathStar.
 
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