Fastest Boot Drive - Non-Raptor

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: d3n
Well, I have seen a server or app that is running something with logs. Somehow the log filled up the HD and the OS install was corrupted. I just think its good practice to seperate your OS with a partition.

that was just poor computer management.

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: The Mailman
just stick with the seagate, the extra half second off of the boot time isnt gonna put a few hundred bucks back in your pocket

I've been amazed at how fast my 320 GB 7200.10 has been. And I haven't even tried it in SATA 2 mode yet.

 

[kenji4life]

I always partition my drives out, it cuts down on fragmentation and speeds it all up where it counts

in the first partition c:\windows system files msft files
d:\ programs and games
e:\files, media, movies, music etc
f:\ dedicated swap drive

of course that's not counting any linux partitions

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: yuchai
I think the 7200.10 is one of the fastest 7,200rpm drive out there right now so I'm not sure what you're getting at here...just partition the first 80GB or so of the drive for OS/Apps.

If you really need another drive for OS/Apps just get a smaller 7200.10 or latest gen Hitachi/WD. Doubt you'll see the performance difference between these 3.

:thumbsup:

I agree


Ausm

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: kenji4life
I always partition my drives out, it cuts down on fragmentation and speeds it all up where it counts

I find this brings harmony & balance...
C = Windows
D = Programs
E = Text files
F = Jpeg's
G = Mp3's
H = Wav files
I = AVI's
J = Mpeg's
K = Internet shortcuts
L = Backup emails
M = Quicken backups
N = Word backups
O = PowerPoint backups
P = Jpeg backups
Q = Mp3 backups
R = Wav backups
S = AVI backups
T = Mpeg backups
U = Passwords
V = Linux
W = Linux backup
X = DVD-ROM
Y = CD-RW
Z = DVD-RW

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: myocardia

Originally posted by: The Mailman
just stick with the seagate, the extra half second off of the boot time isnt gonna put a few hundred bucks back in your pocket

I've been amazed at how fast my 320 GB 7200.10 has been. And I haven't even tried it in SATA 2 mode yet.

word

 

[drum]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: kenji4life
I always partition my drives out, it cuts down on fragmentation and speeds it all up where it counts

I find this brings harmony & balance...
C = Windows
D = Programs
E = Text files
F = Jpeg's
G = Mp3's
H = Wav files
I = AVI's
J = Mpeg's
K = Internet shortcuts
L = Backup emails
M = Quicken backups
N = Word backups
O = PowerPoint backups
P = Jpeg backups
Q = Mp3 backups
R = Wav backups
S = AVI backups
T = Mpeg backups
U = Passwords
V = Linux
W = Linux backup
X = DVD-ROM
Y = CD-RW
Z = DVD-RW

and just where exactly do you store zip and rar????

 

[The Mailman]

Originally posted by: drum

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: kenji4life
I always partition my drives out, it cuts down on fragmentation and speeds it all up where it counts

I find this brings harmony & balance...
C = Windows
D = Programs
E = Text files
F = Jpeg's
G = Mp3's
H = Wav files
I = AVI's
J = Mpeg's
K = Internet shortcuts
L = Backup emails
M = Quicken backups
N = Word backups
O = PowerPoint backups
P = Jpeg backups
Q = Mp3 backups
R = Wav backups
S = AVI backups
T = Mpeg backups
U = Passwords
V = Linux
W = Linux backup
X = DVD-ROM
Y = CD-RW
Z = DVD-RW

and just where exactly do you store zip and rar????

im sure he has a ZIP drive for that

 

[Zepper]

I think they have Seagate 7200.10 (perpendicular recording) drives as small as 200GB now (and no, larger drives aren't necessarily faster). A perp. drive will be faster as a single drive than anything short of Raptor. My Hitachi 7K80 SATA-300 drive in single configuration is pretty fast for me (and I don't even have a SATA 2 controller), but they really shine in RAID-0 (also mentioned and linked above) (see my review here: http://www.techimo.com/reviews/ for more links) but I wouldn't want my boot drive to be a RAID-0 array.

In any case, if you run RAID-0 keep good verified backups: "Running RAID-0 without a good verified backup is like flying experimental aircraft without a parachute." (c) Me - many years ago.

.bh.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: farkedup2
I stick with the seagate 320Gb drives for $95 and RAID them I'm under $200 AND have 640Gb of storage AND I'd stand by it being faster than the raptor in anything.

I'm about to RAID my 7200.10s and put an XP boot on it. Single 7200.10 has a fresh XP installation and is still not beating my Raptor yet. I love my Raptor, and it will continue as my OS drive, but my 7200.10s will house a backup XP boot.

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: kenji4life
I always partition my drives out, it cuts down on fragmentation and speeds it all up where it counts

I find this brings harmony & balance...
C = Windows
D = Programs
E = Text files
F = Jpeg's
G = Mp3's
H = Wav files
I = AVI's
J = Mpeg's
K = Internet shortcuts
L = Backup emails
M = Quicken backups
N = Word backups
O = PowerPoint backups
P = Jpeg backups
Q = Mp3 backups
R = Wav backups
S = AVI backups
T = Mpeg backups
U = Passwords
V = Linux
W = Linux backup
X = DVD-ROM
Y = CD-RW
Z = DVD-RW

Are you serious? I'm at Q and R for my DVD / CD-RW drives... It's about to get pushed back a little more with my seocnd 7200.10 coming in today.


finally, back to the OP... 7200.10s are the fastest, and next are the T7K500s by Hitachi (read: T7K500 not 7K500). Go read SR Forums for the benches, but in sequential transfer tests they are right behidn 7200.10s. Those are the only two drives that can do 60+ mb/sec of sustained transfer (excluding Raptors). WD's 3200KS drive and the 7200.9 series can only hit high 50s.

 

[Rubycon]

What happens when you run out of drive letters? I had to get my logon scripts modified because of this. Using the B drive for my CF reader helped but this is a serious problem. No partitions on the system - physical drives and network drives only, two burners (one is bluray) and a rip drive. Kind of ridiculous!

 

[Kinslayer777]

Why is it flash drives can't be used as a bootdrive? IT seems to be they've be fastest- in 8gig, 16gig, even 32 gig variants (compact flash and others) i'm wondering why that. I mean even Sd is at 8gig i think...?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: Kinslayer777
Why is it flash drives can't be used as a bootdrive? IT seems to be they've be fastest- in 8gig, 16gig, even 32 gig variants (compact flash and others) i'm wondering why that. I mean even Sd is at 8gig i think...?

I believe they can be used as boot drives. I can choose to boot from my cardreader from bios. I often run into problems when I leave my CF cards in there.

Also, while they are fast in terms of access speeds, the sustained transfer speeds aren't that great. Solid state is great because the seek time is virtually 0. Look at the old CF tests when they tested like the budget, pro and then microdrives against each other. All the CF cards beat the IBM Microdrive out because when you have heads and platters, seek time and latency becomes an issue. This is why conventional storage is SLOWWwww.

But then you have sustained transfer rates that aren't that great with SD and CF cards. I don't think they can really beat Raptors that have sequential transfer tests averaging 75 MB/sec.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: Kinslayer777
Why is it flash drives can't be used as a bootdrive? IT seems to be they've be fastest- in 8gig, 16gig, even 32 gig variants (compact flash and others) i'm wondering why that. I mean even Sd is at 8gig i think...?

The high queue depth in modern operating systems will kill a flash drive fairly quickly.

 

[Zepper]

A flash card reader can add several drive letters (which I'll be adding shortly). If you've already got C thru Z, where do they go? Looks like M$ will have to come up with a two-digit drive lettering scheme. I'd suggest A0 thru Z9. That will give 100 labels which should be enough - for a while...

.bh.

 

[Atlantean]

I have a few 7200.10's from Seagate and from what I have read about them and seen, they are very fast drives.