Looking to buy a new HD

Ihmhi · 08-06-2008, 01:44 PM

I'm looking to buy a new Hard Drive. I have two - a 40 gig for Windowz and Programs, and a 180 gig for media, documents, etc.

The 40 gig was bought brand new about two years ago. It still runs pretty well. The 180 gig was bought secondhand and it's starting to go. (At the time of this writing, I am currently backing up my data to a friend's USB HD.)

I'd like to buy a new Hard Drive from TigerDirect. Purchasing it from them is non-negotiable and not open to discussion - I've never had problems with them and they often ship it really fast because they have a distribution center in my state.

I'm looking to spend $150 tops with S&H and tax included, and I'd like to get at least 500 gigs out of the thing.

What I need from youse gais is reliable brands and models - what have you used and what's worked well? I used to trust the big three (Seagate, WD, Maxtor), but nowadays I read about one model of a HD just dying etc.

So here are the details of what I need: any help is appreciated here:

Budget: $150 (includes tax + shipping)
Purchased from: TigerDirect.com
SATA 300
500 gigs+
The longer the warranty, the better
OEM is fine, I have plenty of cables

I'll be busy for the next few days so I'll check this topic when I'm not. Thanks in advance guys, I really appreciate the help!

Gwarsbane · 08-06-2008, 05:49 PM

I'm going to assume that the shipping from the US version of Tigerdirect starts at 20 bucks just like it does at the Canadian version.

So here are my suggestions...

500gig with 16meg cache
Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, SATA-300, OEM
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...126&CatId=2459
On sale right now for $75 bucks

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, Serial ATA-300, OEM
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...393&CatId=2459
Regular price $80

500gig with 32meg cache
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB Hard Drive - 7200RPM, 32MB, SATA-300, OEM
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...505&CatId=2459
Regular price $80

750gig with 16meg cache
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 750GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, Serial ATA-300, OEM
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...982&CatId=2459
Regular price $120

Western Digital Caviar SE16 750GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, SATA-300, OEM
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...230&CatId=2459
Regular price $120

750gig with 32meg cache
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 750GB Hard Drive - 7200RPM, 32MB, SATA-300, OEM
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...102&CatId=2459
Regular price $130

I would suggest going with the 32meg cache drives because many people have reported that there is a very noticible speed difference between the 16meg ones and the 32meg ones.

I only have the ATA drives by these companies but I have had no problems with them. I am looking at getting my hands on a SATA2 based drive soon and these are all the drives I am looking at.

Innoc · 08-06-2008, 06:22 PM

I'd second Gwarsbane's recommendations. I am, presently, running 2 of the WD SE16 drives and they've performed well. I also like the Seagate drives but I would qualify that with one point. The 7200.11 series drives are farily new. I tend to shy away from relatively new lines until they've proven themselves. 7200.10 was the first generation to employ PMR technology. They've been a good series. 7200.11 may be more of the same. I just don't have a feel for it yet.

I would also point out that you may want to buy better SATA cables than the stock ones that come with your motherboard or in retail drive packaging. Commonly what will happen is that the thin plastic on the connectors of the cable will crack and make for weak contact with the drive contacts. I've used these before. They are nice as they are metal reinforced and more durable. Just food for thought.

Ihmhi · 08-11-2008, 10:08 PM

Ooookay... so the 32MB one is what I'd want to go with here.

Quote:

750gig with 32meg cache
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 750GB Hard Drive - 7200RPM, 32MB, SATA-300, OEM
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...102&CatId=2459
Regular price $130

I'm thinking about this one... and maybe getting the cable that Innoc was talking about.

Gwarsbane · 08-12-2008, 02:10 AM

Sure sounds good.

illogicality- · 08-13-2008, 04:22 PM

Ihmhi - take the cut on the space and get a Western Ditital Raptor X 150gb hard drive. You can find them new on ebay for 100-150 (sometimes with free shipping). The main thing about these drives is that they're 10,000RPM opposed to 7200rpm with the VAST majority of other drives. You sacrifice some storage capacity but the Raptor X drives EASILY make it up in performance gain. I went from a 320gb sata II, 7200rpm seagate to a 150gb raptorx and there is a very noticable difference in speed.

One thing to let you know, though - even though the Raptor X is a SATA I drive (meaning throughput of 1.5gbp/s) it still has a faster write speed than the sata II (3.0gbp/s) 7200rpm drives. I did thorough research before buying the raptor x and I definitely made the right choice.

I promise you won't be disappointed.

Ihmhi · 08-14-2008, 12:59 AM

The higher storage space would be a bigger advantage for me than the speed.

Innoc · 08-14-2008, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ihmhi

The higher storage space would be a bigger advantage for me than the speed.

Busting at the seams with midget porn eh?

Ihmhi · 08-15-2008, 03:14 AM

Score, turns out I'll have enough money for some RAM and the cables.

Any way I can find out exactly what kind of RAM I have installed without having important things like the box, receipts, or labels on the RAM?

Innoc · 08-15-2008, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ihmhi

Score, turns out I'll have enough money for some RAM and the cables.

Any way I can find out exactly what kind of RAM I have installed without having important things like the box, receipts, or labels on the RAM?

This application will tell you what's installed. Go to the HARDWARE section and then the MEMORY category and then look for MEMORY TYPE under each of the DEVICE LOCATORS that your system shows.

edit: The SIW Standalone is what you need.

Ihmhi · 08-15-2008, 04:57 PM

Oh man, I know all about SIW. See man? I'm all burned out from work, I forgot something simple like that. x_X

illogicality- · 08-17-2008, 01:38 PM

www.woot.com TODAY.. 750gb drive for $77

Gwarsbane · 08-17-2008, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by illogicality-

www.woot.com TODAY.. 750gb drive for $77

Its a good deal, but thats the 16meg cache one.

Ihmhi · 08-17-2008, 06:51 PM

Already ordered the 32MB one yesterday.

Next paycheck - new graphics card possibly? O:

I wonder how much those newfangled 8800s cost...

08-06-2008, 01:44 PM	#1
Ihmhi [AE] 0112 Ihmhi SJB Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Newark, NJ, United States Class/Position: A little bit o' everythin' Gametype: Also a little bit o' everythin' Affiliations: [AE] Asseater, SJB Straight Jacket Brigade Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	Looking to buy a new HD I'm looking to buy a new Hard Drive. I have two - a 40 gig for Windowz and Programs, and a 180 gig for media, documents, etc. The 40 gig was bought brand new about two years ago. It still runs pretty well. The 180 gig was bought secondhand and it's starting to go. (At the time of this writing, I am currently backing up my data to a friend's USB HD.) I'd like to buy a new Hard Drive from TigerDirect. Purchasing it from them is non-negotiable and not open to discussion - I've never had problems with them and they often ship it really fast because they have a distribution center in my state. I'm looking to spend $150 tops with S&H and tax included, and I'd like to get at least 500 gigs out of the thing. What I need from youse gais is reliable brands and models - what have you used and what's worked well? I used to trust the big three (Seagate, WD, Maxtor), but nowadays I read about one model of a HD just dying etc. So here are the details of what I need: any help is appreciated here: Budget: $150 (includes tax + shipping) Purchased from: TigerDirect.com SATA 300 500 gigs+ The longer the warranty, the better OEM is fine, I have plenty of cables I'll be busy for the next few days so I'll check this topic when I'm not. Thanks in advance guys, I really appreciate the help! __________________ Support FF: Anime: The Thread: Reloaded The one and only anime thread on these here forums. Select the pistol, and then, select your horse.

08-06-2008, 06:22 PM	#3
Innoc Hitman 2 1 Actual Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: "Oscar Mike" Gametype: FPS or RTS (just say NO to MMO) Affiliations: Your Mom Posts Rated Helpful 8 Times	I'd second Gwarsbane's recommendations. I am, presently, running 2 of the WD SE16 drives and they've performed well. I also like the Seagate drives but I would qualify that with one point. The 7200.11 series drives are farily new. I tend to shy away from relatively new lines until they've proven themselves. 7200.10 was the first generation to employ PMR technology. They've been a good series. 7200.11 may be more of the same. I just don't have a feel for it yet. I would also point out that you may want to buy better SATA cables than the stock ones that come with your motherboard or in retail drive packaging. Commonly what will happen is that the thin plastic on the connectors of the cable will crack and make for weak contact with the drive contacts. I've used these before. They are nice as they are metal reinforced and more durable. Just food for thought. __________________ Mooga on Obama: He can cut taxes. Actually do something useful. Punch Nancy Pelosi in the face. Just to name a few. You eventually run out of other people's money to spend.

08-13-2008, 04:22 PM	#6
illogicality- pwning CTF since 1999 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Atlanta, GA Class/Position: Yes Gametype: CTF Affiliations: [ gr. ], UGC-FF Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Ihmhi - take the cut on the space and get a Western Ditital Raptor X 150gb hard drive. You can find them new on ebay for 100-150 (sometimes with free shipping). The main thing about these drives is that they're 10,000RPM opposed to 7200rpm with the VAST majority of other drives. You sacrifice some storage capacity but the Raptor X drives EASILY make it up in performance gain. I went from a 320gb sata II, 7200rpm seagate to a 150gb raptorx and there is a very noticable difference in speed. One thing to let you know, though - even though the Raptor X is a SATA I drive (meaning throughput of 1.5gbp/s) it still has a faster write speed than the sata II (3.0gbp/s) 7200rpm drives. I did thorough research before buying the raptor x and I definitely made the right choice. I promise you won't be disappointed. __________________ [ gr. illogicality- ] #ff.gr #ugc-ff

08-14-2008, 12:59 AM	#7
Ihmhi [AE] 0112 Ihmhi SJB Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Newark, NJ, United States Class/Position: A little bit o' everythin' Gametype: Also a little bit o' everythin' Affiliations: [AE] Asseater, SJB Straight Jacket Brigade Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	The higher storage space would be a bigger advantage for me than the speed. __________________ Support FF: Anime: The Thread: Reloaded The one and only anime thread on these here forums. Select the pistol, and then, select your horse.

08-15-2008, 03:14 AM	#9
Ihmhi [AE] 0112 Ihmhi SJB Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Newark, NJ, United States Class/Position: A little bit o' everythin' Gametype: Also a little bit o' everythin' Affiliations: [AE] Asseater, SJB Straight Jacket Brigade Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	Score, turns out I'll have enough money for some RAM and the cables. Any way I can find out exactly what kind of RAM I have installed without having important things like the box, receipts, or labels on the RAM? __________________ Support FF: Anime: The Thread: Reloaded The one and only anime thread on these here forums. Select the pistol, and then, select your horse.

08-06-2008, 05:49 PM	#2
Gwarsbane Slayer of humans D&A Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mostly on earth though in some alt dimensions Class/Position: I'm an Offensive Defensive person Gametype: Fortress Forever Affiliations: I'm a merc, only thing that talks is money Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	I'm going to assume that the shipping from the US version of Tigerdirect starts at 20 bucks just like it does at the Canadian version. So here are my suggestions... 500gig with 16meg cache Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, SATA-300, OEM http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...126&CatId=2459 On sale right now for $75 bucks Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, Serial ATA-300, OEM http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...393&CatId=2459 Regular price $80 500gig with 32meg cache Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB Hard Drive - 7200RPM, 32MB, SATA-300, OEM http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...505&CatId=2459 Regular price $80 750gig with 16meg cache Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 750GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, Serial ATA-300, OEM http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...982&CatId=2459 Regular price $120 Western Digital Caviar SE16 750GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, SATA-300, OEM http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...230&CatId=2459 Regular price $120 750gig with 32meg cache Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 750GB Hard Drive - 7200RPM, 32MB, SATA-300, OEM http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...102&CatId=2459 Regular price $130 I would suggest going with the 32meg cache drives because many people have reported that there is a very noticible speed difference between the 16meg ones and the 32meg ones. I only have the ATA drives by these companies but I have had no problems with them. I am looking at getting my hands on a SATA2 based drive soon and these are all the drives I am looking at.

08-12-2008, 02:10 AM	#5
Gwarsbane Slayer of humans D&A Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mostly on earth though in some alt dimensions Class/Position: I'm an Offensive Defensive person Gametype: Fortress Forever Affiliations: I'm a merc, only thing that talks is money Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	Sure sounds good.

08-15-2008, 04:57 PM	#11
Ihmhi [AE] 0112 Ihmhi SJB Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Newark, NJ, United States Class/Position: A little bit o' everythin' Gametype: Also a little bit o' everythin' Affiliations: [AE] Asseater, SJB Straight Jacket Brigade Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	Oh man, I know all about SIW. See man? I'm all burned out from work, I forgot something simple like that. x_X __________________ Support FF: Anime: The Thread: Reloaded The one and only anime thread on these here forums. Select the pistol, and then, select your horse.

08-17-2008, 01:38 PM	#12
illogicality- pwning CTF since 1999 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Atlanta, GA Class/Position: Yes Gametype: CTF Affiliations: [ gr. ], UGC-FF Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	www.woot.com TODAY.. 750gb drive for $77 __________________ [ gr. illogicality- ] #ff.gr #ugc-ff

08-17-2008, 06:51 PM	#14
Ihmhi [AE] 0112 Ihmhi SJB Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Newark, NJ, United States Class/Position: A little bit o' everythin' Gametype: Also a little bit o' everythin' Affiliations: [AE] Asseater, SJB Straight Jacket Brigade Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	Already ordered the 32MB one yesterday. Next paycheck - new graphics card possibly? O: I wonder how much those newfangled 8800s cost... __________________ Support FF: Anime: The Thread: Reloaded The one and only anime thread on these here forums. Select the pistol, and then, select your horse.

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