3.5" HDD's with <5 Second "Ready Time", do they exist?

Quad5Ny

Member
Feb 10, 2011
135
5
91
I know most 2.5" drives have really quick spin-up but all 3.5" ones I've looked at are 11-21 seconds.

Not only that but WDC has started completely removing the spec from their drive data sheets. :|

Suggestions? Anything in the 1-6TB range will do.
 

Elixer

Lifer
May 7, 2002
10,371
762
126
Hmm, what are you using these for, OS booting ?
If OS, I would just get a SSD.
 

Quad5Ny

Member
Feb 10, 2011
135
5
91
Media and scratch mostly, maybe some older games.

I had a 2TB (WD) Black but removed it becasue whenever it would spin down Windows would pause everything for 13 seconds and wait for it to spin back up. It was most noticeable when opening a Explorer Window or waking from sleep (also I missed 6 second boot times).

I know, I'm spoiled by SSD's. :p
 

Essence_of_War

Platinum Member
Feb 21, 2013
2,650
4
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Can't you just tell windows not to power down your hard drives?

WD Blacks shouldn't have any head parking or anything like that baked into them.
 

Quad5Ny

Member
Feb 10, 2011
135
5
91
Can't you just tell windows not to power down your hard drives?

WD Blacks shouldn't have any head parking or anything like that baked into them.

My hard disk power off setting is 60 minutes. I don't see a reason to turn it off completely.
 

Elixer

Lifer
May 7, 2002
10,371
762
126
There is more wear & tear on the HD if you do that...
It is better to let them spin all the time, unless you are on a laptop.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,587
10,225
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It is better to let them spin all the time, unless you are on a laptop.

AFAIK, this. I've always done that, and I can't really recall the last time I "lost" a HDD.

All of my 320GB, 500GB, and 640GB WD HDDs were either sold or repuposed, with zero bad sectors.

Well, now that I think about it, there was a 500GB Seagate that started throwing bad sectors, but it had literally been on a cross-country trip in the back of a van.