Fastest HD

[Koing]

I want to know what the fastest HD is on ATA or SATA platform. SCSI is too pricey to buy in to. The HD I *could* stomach the price of 2 or so but the SCSI card I wouldneed to power them no. £200 or so for a quick if that £200 does indeed buy me a quick card. I'd probably need a better card to take full advantage of the card. So ATA or SATA which HD is the fastest?

I have 2x WD SE 80gb not in raid. My Asus Granite Bay only does raid on SATA and I need more space anyway. I could raid SATA if I got two but then I would lose half my space on the cards and be affectively paying double for same space

The WD Raptors are fast in the reviews. Not followed much in the way of HD of late though. Anyone have one? Any comments?

Koing

 

[nick1985]

western digital raptor i think is the name. its 10,000 rpm and it can be bought at newgg i know

 

[Merethrond]

What is an ATA, SATA or SCSI platform? I also do not know what raid is, so could someone help me out here? Thank you.

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: Merethrond
What is an ATA, SATA or SCSI platform? I also do not know what raid is, so could someone help me out here? Thank you.

It'll be too lengthy to explain all these technology in one post.

That's why I'll rather post this instead and hope you'll find all your answers

 

[jackschmittusa]

It is my understanding that the cache algorithyms on the Raptor series are not optimised for regular desktop use.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
It is my understanding that the cache algorithyms on the Raptor series are not optimised for regular desktop use.

Considering WD advertises it as an enterprise drive, it wouldn't be hard to believe. However, it seems as though it will be as big a hit on the home user market as the entry level server market... I wouldn't be surprised to see a revision of it with the cache algorithym optimized for the home user.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
It is my understanding that the cache algorithyms on the Raptor series are not optimised for regular desktop use.

Considering WD advertises it as an enterprise drive, it wouldn't be hard to believe. However, it seems as though it will be as big a hit on the home user market as the entry level server market... I wouldn't be surprised to see a revision of it with the cache algorithym optimized for the home user.

The WD Raptors have the new stuff changed in them. Read the AnandTech review of th updated ones. They had something disabled and now they are enabled and LIGHTING FAST.

I was just wondering if anyone had personal experience with them or had one or two of them

Koing

 

[Sheriff]

I've got a pair and they have replaced my WD JB's...run quieter, cooler and Faster

 

[mechBgon]

Just so you're aware, SCSI cards are not necessarily outrageously priced... here in the US, you could pick up an LSI Logic from Newegg for $42 (you've got to get a cable and terminator too, I know where to get a rounded silver or copper one for $16 w/terminator hereabouts).

To answer your question, the Raptor has some good things going for it: low seek times, high RPM and a five-year warranty (!), all traits seen in SCSI drives. However, it's a 36Gb drive, not very high-capacity. Also, Western Digital ball-bearing drives do sometimes develop very pronounced bearing noise, so that could be a sour note in the scheme. The best combination of fast + quiet is a Cheetah 15k.3, which uses fluid bearings, but then you would be looking at less capacity per £ and have to get a SCSI card/cable/terminator too. For a single Cheetah, Ultra160 is adequate, and for a pair, dual-channel U160 would be the ticket.

I wouldn't be able to stand a WD drive making the ZZZZING! bearing noise, so I would lean toward a fluid-bearing drive if it were me. Good luck with your decision!

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

why bother with the Raptor, are miliseconds going to hold you up?? Seagate has a 120GB SATA drive with the same max burst rate for $13 more than the raptor available at newegg(which is only a 36gb drive.http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=property&DEPA=1

 

[addragyn]

why bother with the Raptor, are miliseconds going to hold you up??

Relative to the other components in the machine, absolutely.

 

[toant103]

Originally posted by: nick1985
western digital raptor i think is the name. its 10,000 rpm and it can be bought at newgg i know

 

[dexvx]

Its the misconception that SCSI are expensive. The drives are relatively cheap, as 18GB 15K rpm U160 drives in the US go for as low as $80, and Adaptec clone U160 cards based on the LSI U160 chipset can go for as low as $40 (single channel albeit, but still good for LVD).

That cheap setup can easily spank a WD Raptor.

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: dexvx
Its the misconception that SCSI are expensive. The drives are relatively cheap, as 18GB 15K rpm U160 drives in the US go for as low as $80, and Adaptec clone U160 cards based on the LSI U160 chipset can go for as low as $40 (single channel albeit, but still good for LVD).

That cheap setup can easily spank a WD Raptor.

can i spank you?

 

[Sheriff]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
why bother with the Raptor, are miliseconds going to hold you up?? Seagate has a 120GB SATA drive with the same max burst rate for $13 more than the raptor available at newegg(which is only a 36gb drive.http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=property&DEPA=1

Main Reason is the 5yr warranty as mechBgon stated and it's sooooo much faster as I has the Cuda.

 

[sharkeeper]

I'd be careful about those assumptions. Be careful of what you wish for!

For example, I thought that a first generation X15 on a 39160 was SLOWER than a pair of 60XP's in RAID0 via HPT370. Terrible combination on latter, but faster "feel" nonetheless. You've never experienced speed until you've worked with SCSI RAID! It's like driving a twin turbo 911. Just like the 911, most people will never be able to experience this because of the cost. Those that do are using it on server which has so much traffic and activity you cannot get the feel for the performance. (kind of like taking the 911 for a test drive in LAX rush hour traffic!!!) Believe me, it's fast. Once you use it, everything else feels like paddling a canoe through a cesspool. I want to throw my notebook in the drink! It's that bad. (or good!)

-DAK-