Looking for a quite HTPC Hard Drive

[Andrew1990]

I am looking for a quite drive for my HTPC. It doesnt need to be a large drive, just bigger than 120GB.

I can go either IDE or Sata, I really dont mind either. The price needs to be lower than $50 which leads me to these drives on this page.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...name=%2425%20-%20%2450

I would just grab another seagate 250GB 7200.10, but if I can get quieter then I would prefer that.


The drive will be used to stream movies across my network and be a backup drive.


The system it will go in is

Intel Celeron 220
1GB Crucial Ballistix 4-4-4-12 @ 533MHz
40GB 5400rpm WD IDE Hard Drive
120GB 7200rpm Samsung IDE Hard Drive
250w LiteOn Power Supply



Any recommendations on a drive? Like I said, as long as it is over 120GB, it should do.

 

[Zap]

How about a notebook hard drive? They're considered to be quieter than desktop drives. If it weren't out of stock, you can get a 160GB 7200RPM SATA notebook drive for $50 shipped. Alternately go for a 5400RPM unit for maximum quietness.

 

[Andrew1990]

Those look interesting. Do they use normal desktop Sata Connectors or some mini Sata connector?

Also, are the Seagate 7200.10s somewhat quite? I found an OEM version for $49 shipped. I really dont need that much space but for that price I can find a use for it.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: Andrew1990
Those look interesting. Do they use normal desktop Sata Connectors or some mini Sata connector?

Also, are the Seagate 7200.10s somewhat quite? I found an OEM version for $49 shipped. I really dont need that much space but for that price I can find a use for it.

same connectors as a desktop drive.

I don't think any name brand HDD is going to be really loud. Your fan will be louder and for a HTPC you'll probably not even ever hear the HDD spin.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I know it's outside of your budget, but the WD 6400AAKS is a rather quiet drive, besides being quick and roomy. It's my new "standard" drive for builds, I like it a lot. Only problem is, it's $70, not $50. But hey, think of the future.

 

[Andrew1990]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I know it's outside of your budget, but the WD 6400AAKS is a rather quiet drive, besides being quick and roomy. It's my new "standard" drive for builds, I like it a lot. Only problem is, it's $70, not $50. But hey, think of the future.

Ya I took a look at that drive. For my needs though I think it may be a bit too much.

I ordered the 500GB Seagate 7200.10 Drive I found and will order that 160GB 7200rpm laptop drive as soon as it comes in stock.


Thanks for pointing the drive out to me zap.

 

[Concillian]

Take pretty much any drive and suspend it in the case like the guys do at http://www.silentpcreview.com/ and you hard drive will be barely audible. I've been doing this with all my drives for like 5 years. $2 worth of 1/8" shock cord from REI and some time stringing them up and drives are WAY quieter.

If you buy a notebook drive, you can suspend it in a normal 3.5" bay by running the shock cord through the normal 3.5" hard drive mounting holes.

Here's the thread of user pics of suspended drives at Silentpcreview:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/...ostorder=asc&start=300

Partway down that page shows a notebook drive in a standard cage. Nice and clean. You can see other people get incredibly and unecessarily elaborate. Me I do 3.5" drives in the 5 1/4 inch bays just like that one with the notebook drive in the 3.5" bay. Keeps it nice and simple.

As I mentioned earlier, shock cord is available very cheap at REI. I think it's 15 cents a foot. 10 feet was enough to do two computers with 2 3.5" drives. I have normal hard drives, mostly Seagate 7200.10 and .11 drives and I can't hear them even when they seek when they're mounted with the shock cord. By the pics in the SPCR thread the drives look like they may not be securely mounted, but you'll see when you do it, they are not going anywhere. You can push them out if you want to, but no natural force is going to do that.

 

[Concillian]

Take pretty much any drive and suspend it in the case like the guys do at http://www.silentpcreview.com/ and you hard drive will be barely audible. I've been doing this with all my drives for like 5 years. $2 worth of 1/8" shock cord from REI and some time stringing them up and drives are WAY quieter.

If you buy a notebook drive, you can suspend it in a normal 3.5" bay by running the shock cord through the normal 3.5" hard drive mounting holes.

Here's the thread of user pics of suspended drives at Silentpcreview:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/...ostorder=asc&start=300

Partway down that page shows a notebook drive in a standard cage. Nice and clean. You can see other people get incredibly and unecessarily elaborate. Me I do 3.5" drives in the 5 1/4 inch bays just like that one with the notebook drive in the 3.5" bay. Keeps it nice and simple.

As I mentioned earlier, shock cord is available very cheap at REI. I think it's 15 cents a foot. 10 feet was enough to do two computers with 2 3.5" drives. I have normal hard drives, mostly Seagate 7200.10 and .11 drives and I can't hear them even when they seek when they're mounted with the shock cord. By the pics in the SPCR thread the drives look like they may not be securely mounted, but you'll see when you do it, they are not going anywhere. You can push them out if you want to, but no natural force is going to do that.

 

[Andrew1990]

Originally posted by: Concillian
Take pretty much any drive and suspend it in the case like the guys do at http://www.silentpcreview.com/ and you hard drive will be barely audible. I've been doing this with all my drives for like 5 years. $2 worth of 1/8" shock cord from REI and some time stringing them up and drives are WAY quieter.

If you buy a notebook drive, you can suspend it in a normal 3.5" bay by running the shock cord through the normal 3.5" hard drive mounting holes.

Here's the thread of user pics of suspended drives at Silentpcreview:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/...ostorder=asc&start=300

Partway down that page shows a notebook drive in a standard cage. Nice and clean. You can see other people get incredibly and unecessarily elaborate. Me I do 3.5" drives in the 5 1/4 inch bays just like that one with the notebook drive in the 3.5" bay. Keeps it nice and simple.

As I mentioned earlier, shock cord is available very cheap at REI. I think it's 15 cents a foot. 10 feet was enough to do two computers with 2 3.5" drives. I have normal hard drives, mostly Seagate 7200.10 and .11 drives and I can't hear them even when they seek when they're mounted with the shock cord. By the pics in the SPCR thread the drives look like they may not be securely mounted, but you'll see when you do it, they are not going anywhere. You can push them out if you want to, but no natural force is going to do that.

Looks interesting. IS that cord the same thing as a Bungie strap? I just got a pack of bungies yesterday and if I can use them that would be great.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Andrew1990
Those look interesting. Do they use normal desktop Sata Connectors or some mini Sata connector?

Notebook SATA HDDs use normal connectors. Notebook SATA optical drives use "mini" connectors that need an adapter for desktop use.