Western Digital Caviar Black: 640gb or 1TB model - Which is better

[StarsFan4Life]

In terms of "performance", are these both equal? I have two of them on the way to my as we speak, but want to know which one I should put in my main rig (gaming and HD video editing) and which to use in a file server.

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136284


Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136319

 

[Blain]

* Flip a coin for main rig
* "Heads" = 1TB Black
* "Tails" = 640GB Black

* Flip a coin for file server
* "Heads" = 1TB Black
* "Tails" = 640GB Black

 

[StarsFan4Life]

Originally posted by: Blain
* Flip a coin for main rig
* "Heads" = 1TB Black
* "Tails" = 640GB Black

* Flip a coin for file server
* "Heads" = 1TB Black
* "Tails" = 640GB Black

So I am assuming they are equal in performance?

 

[brblx]

afaik they're pretty much the same drive, the 1tb just has an extra platter.

 

[GundamF91]

1TB is 3 platter, 640GB is 2 platter, really the same. But if you have to nitpick, then 2 platter should run cooler, maybe even slightly quieter.

 

[Absolution75]

I believe the 1TB drive has a 3x333GB platter design while the 640 has 2x 320GB - so its every so lightly more dense leading to an ever so slight increase in performance.

 

[dbcooper1]

I'd put the larger drive in the file server just based on capacity.

 

[taltamir]

id use the 1tb in a fileserver because it is bigger, and file servers serve files.
id use the 640gb in the gaming rig because it has 1 less platter, which makes it quieter, cooler, and faster.

 

[brblx]

less platters are only faster when the platters are more dense. but yes, it should produce less heat and noise. probably marginally so, though.

 

[taltamir]

marginal benefits are better then flipping a coin

 

[geokilla]

Originally posted by: Absolution75
I believe the 1TB drive has a 3x333GB platter design while the 640 has 2x 320GB - so its every so lightly more dense leading to an ever so slight increase in performance.

Is there a way to determine what platter the new hard drives use? By new, I mean like the Seagate 7200.11 1.5TB and Seagate 7200.12 500GB and Western Digital Black 500GB. I know the 640GB ones have 2X320GB platters.

 

[taltamir]

the ways of determining are unique per drive model... some only have one platter configurations, others have more than one and there is usually a unique way to tell.

 

[sxr7171]

1TB. Get it.

 

[najames]

I have been testing writing to the ICHR10 using different disk configurations. Some with older WD640s = blue model, some with new black 1TB. Running ATTO this is the last line on the default settings listed as "8192.0".


Two WD 640GB in 100GB RAID0
Read=221847 MB/s
Write=229432 MB/s

Two WD Black 1TB in 100GB RAID0
Read=232411 MB/s
Write=224163 MB/s

Given the amount of variance in the test, I don't think there is a lot of difference. Reads are slightly faster on the Black 1TB.

 

[Eureka]

I do believe that the 1TB is slightly faster... pull up a few benchmarks on google.