I am looking for a new internal HDD for my PC and I was wondering if the Seagate HDDs that are used in DVRs and such are good quality. Here's the link to the one I am looking at:
How does this compare to WD RE2? Is there another type that is more reliable than either. I usually stick with mainstream models, but I am wondering if the "enterprise" models are worth the extra money.
Also, what about the HD Pipeline Models from Seagate?
I have a question about performance. I have an older 160GB IDE WD hard drive. My new setup only has 1 IDE connector, so I have it on the same cable as my DVDRW. I thought that if I did this the HDD would be slower, but I am getting crazy results...
Windows Load is about 5 seconds from POST to Login Screen.
Launching Apps is instant, including Firefox.
Transferring files from one partition to the other is instant (largest file moved so far was 320MB).
Was I mistaken about using the same IDE cable for DVDRW and HDD? Is this normal performance for an HDD? I will not be able to see real performance until I install some software, but if anything, it seems faster than when I had it installed on its own IDE cable than not that it shares the with my DVD Burner...
Basically yes. I've heard of expensive drives go down in a short period of time, and cheapo ones last for over a decade. You may get a longer warranty with these drives, but in my mind that's irrelevant, as the cost of the drive is peanuts compared to the data that was on it, and that very often can't be replaced, warranty or not (Warranties certainly do not cover the value of lost data)
Your performance is because you haven't loaded any software, and more likely, because you haven't installed all your drivers. Driver loading is what makes the XP logo screen take a while, and software installed is what delays XP loading after you log in. Your old IDE drive will be slower than modern drives, but not by much. Being on the same IDE cable as a DVD drive probably won't harm your performance much if at all, unless you're actually using your DVD drive at full speed at the time, and the only occasions lots of HDD usage and lots of CD drive usage will be combined will be ripping a DVD, or installing a large bit of software or a game.
As for the Windows, that makes sense. I haven't had a fresh windows install in a couple of years, so I don't remember how well it performs when it is fresh.
The only real problem I have with my IDE HDD is that the DVD burner will not fit in my case (cause of the cable length between master/slave connectors). So right now my case is laying on its side with PSU wires hanging out and my DVDRW resting on top. If it slides and falls into the case, it would hit the Tuniq and the RAM fans :P So, I am forced to get a SATA HDD so that I can put my DVDRW in the case and the build can be complete. Now, all that is left is for me to find a nice deal on an HDD :P I'll just have it a toss up between WD and Seagate. Basically whichever has a nicer deal for a decent size.
