Quietest hard disks

[dave48]

I'm working on my HCPC to make it "silent". The problem is that each time I remove one source of noise, something else takes over as main noise-generator and needs to be "silenced".

The current main culprits are the hard disks. I'm using a Quantum 40 GB AS 7,200 drive and a Maxtor 4K080H4 DiamondMax D540 80 GB 5,400 rpm drive.

I've put the Quantum drive in a "Silent Drive" enclosure, which has made a huge improvement, but both drives still have an annoying whine together with drive head access noise when accessing the disk.

What are people' experience with VERY quiet hard drives? I've heard Seagate Barracuda's can be good - are there specific models which are particularly quiet + are there other manufacturers who produce REALLY quiet drives? I'm looking for 80 GB and pretty reasonable performance [the noisy drives will end up in my non-HCPC PC].

Dave48

 

[Kramer]

I'd recommend the Seagate Barracuda IV.

About the quietest I've ever used.

There's an 80gb one available now from Komplett.co.uk in "this week's" specials.

BTW, they're 7200rpm with 2mb buffer, so about as good performance wise as you're likely to get bar WD SEs.

 

[hobbes]

Originally posted by Kramer
I'd recommend the Seagate Barracuda IV.

About the quietest I've ever used.

There's an 80gb one available now from Komplett.co.uk in "this week's" specials.

BTW, they're 7200rpm with 2mb buffer, so about as good performance wise as you're likely to get bar WD SEs.

couldn't agree more, got myself the 80gb one a few weeks back (cant remember how much) but its a solid performer and very quiet.
I've just gotta shut these damn fans up now

Shaun

 

[Mark Grant]

Hello Dave48,

I will also suggest the Barracuda IV

Cheap from Komplett

Fast, quiet and cheap

£77 + £6.15 delivery including the VAT.

That is a 'this weeks' offer, so it will go up a few pounds next week maybe.



Mark.

 

[KarlRobinson]

I also would suggest Seagate.

But for a even less db's a Fujitsu MHR2040AT 2.5" only 24db !!

 

[Rob.Screene]

Storagereview.com include acoustic and thermal measurements on their tests if anyone is worried about the noise (or performance) of a particular drive they are considering.

I think the above Seagate is head and shoulders above anything similar in size. I'm sure it won't be in 6 months time though!

Rob.

 

[General Skanky]

Seagate Barracuda as said above. At £83 all in from Komplett for the 80Gb version it's a bargain.

I bought one a week or so ago at that price. I like it so much that I've just ordered another one.

Fast, inaudible and reliable. You won't find better for less elsewhere. I know, I've looked.

Note, it's OEM, no cable come with it. Plus Seagate's website have got an excellent online facility software site to set up the HDD when you install it.

 

[Squirrel God]

I also have the Seagate Barracuda IV, but the 40GB (and I can't even fill that up ). Very, very quiet and very speedy in UDMA Mode 5 If you have an Intel-based chip, download the Intel Application Accelerator which will install Intel drivers to replace the Microsoft ones and speed things up even more (end result depends on what your processor/motherboard is of course)

 

[encaser]

I've got a Western Digital 80gb Caviar SE and it is scarily quiet in that you have to listen to hear it work - 8megs of cache not to be sniffed at! Also have an IBM Deckstar 60gb drive and it's a Chieftan tank - avoid.

 

[Squirrel God]

Originally posted by encaser
you have to listen to hear it work

Don't you have to listen to hear anything in the world?

 

[encaser]

Originally posted by Squirrel God
Don't you have to listen to hear anything in the world?

Unless you are deaf and rely on an hearing aid, no. Either that or someone forgot to tell me where the off switch is for my hearing as I've heard plenty I wish I could've switched off from. But I'd imagine you're confusing listening with being heard, like many children

 

[csayers]

Has anyone got one of the latest IBM 120Gb Drives?

If so how noisy are they?

I don't really want to wait for the 120Gb Barracuda's - but will if I have to.

Chris.

 

[Gerbil]

I've got one of the 120Gb IBM's and it's not too noisy.

The old 60Gb IBM it replaced was definitely the noisiest culprit in my PC. With the new drive its now the fans and the old Pioneer DVD drive that are annoying me :-(

 

[Squirrel God]

I'm not a fan of IBM hard drives. Have always gone belly up on me in the past (even the SCSI ones!)

 

[Dubbing Mixer]

I have all three of the contenders plus a few more. The IBM is the noisiest but there is a downloadable utility which shuts it up a bit at the expense of a bit of speed. (And I've had one die on me)
The Seagate Barracuda is slightly quieter subjectively than the WDse but it really depends on the enclosure. Neither is noisy enough to bother me. I really like the WD best but I can't really put my finger on why.

I also have a couple of Maxtor 7200rpm drives which seem to be as noisy as the IBMs

 

[Squirrel God]

That reminds me to say that if you download the Intel Application Accelerator, it will let you adjust for noise vs performance with most drives (including the Seagate)

 

[dave48]

How do people mount their hard drives to get them as quiet as possible? Even my quietest disk (Maxtor) seems to be quite noisy when screwed directly into the PC case [it's the whine of disks spinning, rather than head accesses that really bugs me]. The WD disks - in Silent Drive enclosures - are quite quiet, but they are being cooked, and the drive enclosures are quite expensive.

Dave48

 

[Jenz]

I use Fujitsu Picobirds in mine. Ask Roland how quiet? He had to put his ear to the PC and still couldn't here it

In fact he didn't believe it was on!

 

[Jeff]

My HD is rated at 0db.