Is this $55 2TB hard drive a good choice?

[GoodEnough]

This says to avoid Seagate.
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/175089-who-makes-the-most-reliable-hard-drives

So, I shopped for HGST.
It's only $55 for 2TB.
Seagate was like $70 for 2TB.
Too good to be true?

What is the difference between these two?
Will the $55 one be good enough?

http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar...459004380&sr=1-1&keywords=HGST+hard+drive+2tb

http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar...hi+hard+drive+2tb&refinements=p_85:2470955011

 

[destrekor]

Where do you see $55? I see $69.

Oh, perhaps it is because both of the links are the same product? Meant to link a different one?

And apparently HGST makes amazing drives. Not the quietest if that is a concern, but I've heard tremendous things about their desktop and NAS drives. Before they introduced a NAS specific drive, there were numerous positive experiences with the Deskstar 7K disks in NAS units, which is a more stressful application than desktop usage.

 

[smitbret]

A lot of the Seagate hate is coming from the 3TB drives that just don't seem to be as durable as other brands when they are put into service outside of their intended use (NAS, Server, etc.). I would be willing to bet that the average home user with one in their desktop tower would never know the difference.

With that being said, the 2TB versions seem to be just as reliable as any other brand. I have had 3 Barracudas in my server since March of 2012 and they have never missed a beat.

 

[MongGrel]

To be honest, I had problem with Seagates long before even 1TB drives ever existed.

Just my two cents.

 

[Elixer]

/me looks at my pile of Seagate "recertified" drives (when the main drives failed), that also have died... sigh.

Anyway, it don't really matter what you get, just make backups.
All HDs (and ssd and..) will fail, and nobody has had a stellar run with 0 defective units, but, if you go by history, seagate isn't the best bet.
I will also down vote WD red drives. I have no idea what is up with WD these days, I am seeing more and more failures, so, seems to me that they are both going for the cheapest parts that don't last that long, so it is a race to the bottom.

 

[GoodEnough]

This was the $51 one I meant to paste.
Should I get this?

http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar-3-5-Inch-7200RPM-Internal/dp/B003GSLDRC/

 

[MongGrel]

/me looks at my pile of Seagate "recertified" drives (when the main drives failed), that also have died... sigh.

Anyway, it don't really matter what you get, just make backups.
All HDs (and ssd and..) will fail, and nobody has had a stellar run with 0 defective units, but, if you go by history, seagate isn't the best bet.
I will also down vote WD red drives. I have no idea what is up with WD these days, I am seeing more and more failures, so, seems to me that they are both going for the cheapest parts that don't last that long, so it is a race to the bottom.

I've always been a bit of a WD Fanboi, still have a several Blacks and RE'3s 1TBs running.

Have never used the Reds, personally, so I do not know.

Have a few small capacity dead Raptors around, but they lasted a very long time from back in the day when I bought them.

 

[LoveMachine]

I have a 3TB HGST drive that's a few years old now, but doesn't get much use (so no comment on reliability). It's fast, but not at all quiet. If the intended usage is for a HTPC, I'd look elsewhere. Otherwise, it's likely as good as any other drive.

 

[master_shake_]

seagate drives...

they lied about how many platters in them.

can you spot the difference?

Spoiler

the one on the right has 2 platters and the one on the left has 3 platters

same drive model and same part number.

that's a great price on that 2tb hitachi.

they're the same as my 2tb toshibas iirc.

great drives with 2 platters for real.

 

[destrekor]

This was the $51 one I meant to paste.
Should I get this?

http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar-3-5-Inch-7200RPM-Internal/dp/B003GSLDRC/

I think that's just an older model that's no longer in production.

 

[myocardia]

I think that's just an older model that's no longer in production.

Right, as is the $59.95 one. That's why they both have half the cache, 32 MB instead of 64 MB, and are SATA II, instead of SATA III, like the one that's priced at $68.95. BTW, I have four of the one you linked for $68.95, and my fifth and sixth ones will be arriving Monday, or so says Amazon. They're awesome. I got them all at $65, though. Let me see if I can find the vendor. If I can, I'll edit it in below.

edit: Okay, I ordered it from the same company that you linked. I ordered it before sunrise Wednesday, though. They must use software like Amazon does, that raises their prices a bit, as they sell out of items.

 

[smitbret]

seagate drives...

they lied about how many platters in them.

can you spot the difference?

Spoiler

the one on the right has 2 platters and the one on the left has 3 platters

That's stupid. No one lied about anything. It's still a 7200rpm 2TB drive. I never saw any marketing or materials that ever claimed a specific number of platters. If that's the case, how many times have CPU manufacturers lied when they changed processes.

 

[MongGrel]

That's stupid. No one lied about anything. It's still a 7200rpm 2TB drive. I never saw any marketing or materials that ever claimed a specific number of platters. If that's the case, how many times have CPU manufacturers lied when they changed processes.

It's kind of the reason forums like this exist.

 

[GoodEnough]

Should I care about buying a $50 drive that's from 2009 ?
I am just using it as a storage for rarely accessed media
and maybe to store a cloned drive image of my Win7 OS desktop

So, I will not be using it much, but it has to be dead nuts reliable that fateful day I need it.

 

[master_shake_]

That's stupid. No one lied about anything. It's still a 7200rpm 2TB drive. I never saw any marketing or materials that ever claimed a specific number of platters. If that's the case, how many times have CPU manufacturers lied when they changed processes.

LOL

Proven Quality and Performance


Desktop HDDs are the world's most popular desktop storage solutions. With consistent quality and performance-enhancing innovations and features like native command queuing and perpendicular recording, Seagate delivers time—and time again.
Additionally, Desktop HDDs are produced using the most sophisticated manufacturing process in the industry, with a focus on environmental stewardship. Advanced power modes enables you to save more energy while in idle states—without sacrificing performance. Plus, 70% or more of the materials used to build Desktop HDD drives are recyclable.

Maximizes Storage Densities


Desktop HDD, 1TB-per-disk technology incorporates 340,000 unique tracks in the width of a single inch. This incredible storage density drives new capacity possibilities and lowers your total storage costs.
Seagate AcuTrac technology enables storage densities with accurate reading and writing to nano-sized tracks that are only 75 nanometers wide! That's about 1/500th the size of the period at the end of this sentence.

Size and Performance


You get more bang for your buck with the industry's first 1TB-per-disk hard drive technology.
Your drive is up to 45% faster than the last generation thanks to Seagate OptiCache technology. OptiCache technology combines the latest advances in hard drive microprocessors, DRAM, and proprietary caching algorithms resulting in great performance improvements for you.

DiscWizard Software


The sure way to get native access to hard drives bigger than 2TB is to adopt the new BIOS standard called UEFI. If you're not there yet, Seagate has an alternative.
Free DiscWizard software from Seagate provides you a means to effectively utilize your 3TB and 4TB Seagate Desktop HDDs, even with Windows XP and using the standard PC BIOS.

uh huh.

so their own marketing isn't lying?

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop-3-5-Inch-Internal-STBD2000101/dp/B005OKQUJ6

 

[Burpo]

I also use mostly HGST drives, and have 3 of the 2Tb (HUA723020ALA641) drives with 64mb cache. Fast & fairly quiet for Enterprise Class drives..

"The HGST UltrastarTM 7K3000 is the world's first and only 7200 RPM hard drive rated at 2.0 million hours MTBF."

http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-HUA723020ALA641-Ultrastar-7200RPM-Enterprise/dp/B00HRLI2FU

 

[GoodEnough]

It seems like I am fine with whatever I posted for $50.
Thanks.

 

[smitbret]

LOLuh huh.

so their own marketing isn't lying?

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop-3-5-Inch-Internal-STBD2000101/dp/B005OKQUJ6

..... and that was posted when? If they marketed it that way after the transition to 1TB platters was completed then it's 100% truthful. And nowhere does it say that you are guaranteed to get it, anyway. It's merely a marketing piece trumpeting the fact that they were the first to market with it and there are performance benefits because of it.

I guess some people just aren't happy unless everything is spoon fed to them.

 

[nerp]

I would be careful buying this drive. Lots of bad reviews. Seller could very well be parroting server drive pulls and selling them as new. Huge scams out there on amazon. Buy only from Amazon or Newegg direct as sellers. These third party sellers are scammers, many of them. If the price seems too good to be true, it is.

 

[master_shake_]

..... and that was posted when? If they marketed it that way after the transition to 1TB platters was completed then it's 100% truthful. And nowhere does it say that you are guaranteed to get it, anyway. It's merely a marketing piece trumpeting the fact that they were the first to market with it and there are performance benefits because of it.

I guess some people just aren't happy unless everything is spoon fed to them.

the day they were released.

this is amazing.

i get called out for hating on seagate, then i provide evidence, and now i'm a whiner.

incredible.

here

both newegg tv and ltt saying they are 1tb platters

https://youtu.be/w6h4pv3AggM?t=44s

https://youtu.be/IIH3wg7yqnw?t=2m9s


then there is anandtech's write up

The new Barracuda lineup is top-to-bottom 7200RPM. Seagate makes up for the extra power required to spin at 7200RPM (vs 5900RPM for the Green drives) by moving to 1TB platters and a faster cache. Increasing platter density has been the preferred route of increasing performance in hard drives over the past decade, causing spindle speeds to stagnate but sequential transfer rates to increase steadily. The new 1TB-per-platter Barracuda disks are no exception. Despite not carrying the XT label, the new 3TB drive is capable of noticeably higher sequential read/write speeds compared to the outgoing Barracuda XT.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5034/...r-barracuda-solid-state-hybrid-version-coming

interestingly the drives paul and linus were holding were 2 platter drives.

A few weeks ago seagate debuted his family Barracuda 7200.14 hard drives, hard drives that have received good reviews for his performance, but because of a curious decision Seagate arouse controversy.
The hard drive family Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 consists of models with capacities from 1 to 3TB, and according to their website are composed dishes 1TB each, but apparently not all models comply with it, because from VR- Zone inform us that there are two variants of the 2TB model, with two 1TB dishes and other dishes with 3 666GB.
The 2TB Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 ST2000DM001 models, comes in two different editions made up between 2-3 dishes with different capacities (1TB and 666GB respectively), perhaps it would not pose major problem for the user, but unfortunately this is not the case, for the version with two plates of 1TB (190MB / s) has outperformed the three dishes 666GB (144MB / s).

http://technewspedia.com/the-confusing-2tb-seagate-barracuda-7200-14-st2000dm001/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZsLmo7HKnE

 

[GoodEnough]

So can someone post a legit 2TB drive I can buy?

 

[master_shake_]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N0960&cm_re=dt01aca200-_-22-149-407-_-Product

these.

i've bought 22 and only one failure in over 2 years.

 

[destrekor]

the day they were released.

this is amazing.

i get called out for hating on seagate, then i provide evidence, and now i'm a whiner.

incredible.

here

both newegg tv and ltt saying they are 1tb platters

https://youtu.be/w6h4pv3AggM?t=44s

https://youtu.be/IIH3wg7yqnw?t=2m9s


then there is anandtech's write up

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5034/...r-barracuda-solid-state-hybrid-version-coming

interestingly the drives paul and linus were holding were 2 platter drives.

http://technewspedia.com/the-confusing-2tb-seagate-barracuda-7200-14-st2000dm001/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZsLmo7HKnE

I agree with you, that's pretty damn shady, as it does have an impact on performance. It should have at least carried a different model number. They wouldn't even have to advertise it necessarily. Leave the marketing as is for the 2 platter HDD, state the model number, and probably don't say a word about the 3 platter model. While it would have a different model number, the descriptions would be similar so they could still achieve the market share impact they were looking for, but at least informed users (the ones who care) would have a way to get what they really want. The users who don't care, well, let them be duped. Frankly, I'd be fine with that, just so long as people who care have a way to determine the correct model.

So yeah, that's a bad move by Seagate. It's adding to the list of what I've been steering clear of them for awhile now. They have great drives more often than not, and I was a Seagate fanboy for awhile, but once they dropped their 5-year warranty advantage over WD's lower standard, I no longer focused on their products to start with. And performance reviews when I was last buying disks for my desktop led me to 2TB WD Blacks. That was over four years ago now. The disks are still going strong. Damn, I just realized they are four years old.

I've been studying disks a lot recently, and while I was trying to convince myself that WD Reds were going to be best for the NAS I'll be building this summer, having a little bit of WD fanboy status creeping into that, I've become convinced the HGST NAS disks are going to better serve me, slight power increase be damned.

 

[destrekor]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N0960&cm_re=dt01aca200-_-22-149-407-_-Product

these.

i've bought 22 and only one failure in over 2 years.

I still haven't quite figured out what happened. When Western Digital bought Hitachi's storage division, Toshiba got the production equipment as part of the anti-monopoly stipulations, is that right? But then HGST, under WD, still seems to be using their own manufacturing process distinct from WD's offerings.
And it does seem that WD is going to be slowly incorporating some of HGST's product technologies into their own market offerings in the coming years.

But how is it that HGST still maintains their own process when I've heard that all their manufacturing equipment went to Toshiba? Is HGST simply using the WD manufacturing lines, only with a certain approach that is maintaining their ability to create a unique product, as of this time, compared to that which WD produces?

 

[master_shake_]

wd got the 2.5 part and hitachi's 3.5 part went to Toshiba.