Which 7200.12 is faster?

[shatter44]

What is the best 7200.12 drive? I assume it's best to have one with 32MB cache.

 

[BlueAcolyte]

They should both be about the same, right? 7200.12 uses 500GB platters, so it's a 2 platter drive either way.

 

[Rifter]

my 500GB 7200.12 is 5MB/s faster than my 1TB 7200.12. However since both you listed are 2 platter i would think they would be very close.

 

[SickBeast]

The 750gb drive may be short stroked in which case it would be faster.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The 750gb drive may be short stroked in which case it would be faster.

They do that to hit capacity points that are at odds with platter densities. At 750GB they can use two sides of one platter and one side of a second platter, thus saving on the BOM by needing one less head. I'd think that they would rather do that than to short stroke it.

Now, if there was a 640GB 7200.12 that might be short stroked.

 

[SickBeast]

The 750gb capacity drive seems dumb to me.

I do like the look of the 500gb model though and will probably buy one.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The 750gb capacity drive seems dumb to me.

Why? It is a common capacity point, plus an easy one to hit with 500GB platters.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Zap

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The 750gb capacity drive seems dumb to me.

Why? It is a common capacity point, plus an easy one to hit with 500GB platters.

IMO if they're going to add an additional platter they might as well do it properly and go for 1gb.

Personally I'm only buying single-platter drives from now on or else an SSD. They're way more reliable.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
IMO if they're going to add an additional platter they might as well do it properly and go for 1gb.

Personally I'm only buying single-platter drives from now on or else an SSD. They're way more reliable.

If a platter has any kind of defect they can rate it for one-sided operation or whatever, and package it into a 750GB drive, no?

I agree with your single-platter-for-reliability maxim, but I am planning to buy a 1TB 7200.12 to go with the 500GB 7200.12 I already have (I have 2 actually, but one will go into my wife's computer when I get the 1TB). Pairing a 2-platter storage drive with a 1-platter system drive seems ideal to me.