Warm deal - 74 GB WD Raptors for 119 at BB

[tomt4535]

These are really nice drives. Im using one on my PC right now, and they fly. Game load times are incredibly fast, Windows boots real quick. The only thing is they are a little clicky, but you cant hear them spinning.

 

[Jaxidian]

Originally posted by: Craig234

Originally posted by: jamessb9

Originally posted by: GZeus
Good find OP!

These are excellent drives and this is a real good price.
If you really want to see 'em fly, put a pair in RAID0 with your OS on it. Windows loads like its sitting in RAM.

do they load that fast even though they're SATA 1.5gb/s?

Will i notice the speed if I am running it through one of those PNY/Netcell SCURE RAID Cards that only handle 1.5gb/s? THanks.

I read somewhere that no PC's can use more than the 1.5 currently, so that the drives that can go to 3.0 don't actually work faster.

Just to clarify, at a high level (yeah, I know, you can get much deeper than this but I don't care to do so), there are 2 different kinds of speeds with hard drives that most people care about. There is time to access (how quickly it response) and then total throughput (how much data it can read or write over time - these are actually 2 different numbers to read and write but we don't care, let's just generalize it). Now the 3.0 SATA II drives probably have a higher total throughput than this drive. But I almost guarantee you that this drive has a much better time to access than any of those drives. The net result is that if you are doing something that needs to load many small things very quickly (such as booting up or loading a new level for a game or even opening an application), then this Raptor will be much "faster". But if you're using the drive to back data up and you're transferring many 10GB files or something like that, then the SATA II drive will be "faster".

I hope that helps.

BTW, I do have this 74GB Raptor that I've been running for the past year and a half and I LOVE it!!!

 

[slag]

I dont have ghost. Whats a good tool to use to make a backup of my current drive and transfer it on this drive?


My current drive is an 80 gig pata drive but i have plenty of free room so migrating it to this drive shouldn't be a stretch with the right program.

 

[videopho]

Originally posted by: slag
I dont have ghost. Whats a good tool to use to make a backup of my current drive and transfer it on this drive?


My current drive is an 80 gig pata drive but i have plenty of free room so migrating it to this drive shouldn't be a stretch with the right program.

Acronis True Image is what I've been using to do back-up or xfer.
It gets a thumb up from me.

BTW, I saw two left in BB Plano, TX (off US75) but I'm going to buy mine up in Bridgeton, MO since I'm traveling up there tomorrow anyway. Sale Tax is only 5 plus percentage there compares to where I live, a 8.25.
Hey I've done my part paying ton of property tax dollars in Collin county myself.

 

[slag]

trueimage worked great.

Wow, this thing does load stuff fast!

 

[James Bond]

I've already got one raptor drive, and I love it.

I've wanted a second one for a while now--Would it be possible to RAID0 the two, with my OS? Or do I need to reinstall my OS once they are RAIDed?

 

[Woofmeister]

Out of stock:brokenheart:

 

[videopho]

Originally posted by: Woofmeister
Out of stock:brokenheart:

Call your local BB store(s). Most store(s) I checked per zip code had them.

 

[videopho]

Originally posted by: Tizyler
I've already got one raptor drive, and I love it.

I've wanted a second one for a while now--Would it be possible to RAID0 the two, with my OS? Or do I need to reinstall my OS once they are RAIDed?

Your OS has nothing to do with RAID.
If your mobo's chip set supports it. That's all you need.
There is no need to reinstall OS either after post RAID configured.

 

[raincityboy]

Originally posted by: videopho

Originally posted by: Tizyler
I've already got one raptor drive, and I love it.

I've wanted a second one for a while now--Would it be possible to RAID0 the two, with my OS? Or do I need to reinstall my OS once they are RAIDed?

Your OS has nothing to do with RAID.
If your mobo's chip set supports it. That's all you need.
There is no need to reinstall OS either after post RAID configured.

I think he means if he uses the RAID for the boot drive will he need to reinstall, and yes he would. I wouldn't recommend it though.

 

[ximhkx]

oos

 

[Steven the Leech]

Thanks OP, bought 2 to replace my 2 36g raptor's in raid 0. I like the feel of tearing open a new anti static bag on a new hard drive [esp when it is for my rig] !!!!!!!!!!

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: raincityboy

Originally posted by: videopho

Originally posted by: Tizyler
I've already got one raptor drive, and I love it.

I've wanted a second one for a while now--Would it be possible to RAID0 the two, with my OS? Or do I need to reinstall my OS once they are RAIDed?

Your OS has nothing to do with RAID.
If your mobo's chip set supports it. That's all you need.
There is no need to reinstall OS either after post RAID configured.

I think he means if he uses the RAID for the boot drive will he need to reinstall, and yes he would. I wouldn't recommend it though.

Why would you not recommend raiding the boot drive?

 

[raincityboy]

Originally posted by: Tizyler

Originally posted by: raincityboy

Originally posted by: videopho

Originally posted by: Tizyler
I've already got one raptor drive, and I love it.

I've wanted a second one for a while now--Would it be possible to RAID0 the two, with my OS? Or do I need to reinstall my OS once they are RAIDed?

Your OS has nothing to do with RAID.
If your mobo's chip set supports it. That's all you need.
There is no need to reinstall OS either after post RAID configured.

I think he means if he uses the RAID for the boot drive will he need to reinstall, and yes he would. I wouldn't recommend it though.

Why would you not recommend raiding the boot drive?

very unreliable. I have done it with raptors myself.
If you do want to do it buy 2 new drives

 

[enis083]

Its out of stock online but there are still a few available in the Pittsburgh area. Check for your zip code.

 

[wildwilly]

Just got my tracking number

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: GZeus
Good find OP!

These are excellent drives and this is a real good price.
If you really want to see 'em fly, put a pair in RAID0 with your OS on it. Windows loads like its sitting in RAM.

That's really not true. I'm not going to dig for the link but I saw benchmarks showing minor, if any, benefit. Add in it's 2x the cost and 2x the failure rate plus additional space/heat in the case. In short, don't do it.

 

[EvilRage]

$85 bucks more on Newegg gets you a Raptor 150. Price per gig is better on that deal.

 

[James Bond]

I just went down to BB last night and picked one up in store.

Thanks op.

 

[blacklit]

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: GZeus
Good find OP!

These are excellent drives and this is a real good price.
If you really want to see 'em fly, put a pair in RAID0 with your OS on it. Windows loads like its sitting in RAM.

That's really not true. I'm not going to dig for the link but I saw benchmarks showing minor, if any, benefit. Add in it's 2x the cost and 2x the failure rate plus additional space/heat in the case. In short, don't do it.

i see a noticeable difference in my rigs -- 2x 74gb 16mb (total 32mb?) vs 1x 150gb 16mb -- when handling media (torrentz).. say transferring files or extracting rar/zip archives, as well as load times.. os, rdbms, games. i have three of each config in may lab (in silver and black p180s), they're all fast but the raptor raids sodomize the raptor 150's -- and every other non-scsi pc in the herd.

i don't like waiting for msi's and rar's (dvd/warez?) to extract. additional space and heat are ridiculous concerns [to me] -- like saying get a smaller heatsink to save space, a slower processor to reduce heat. i'm sure this 10,000+ post dude is trying to help but in short.. do what you want.

 

[Craig234]

I got two, and am deciding whether the expected performance improvement is worth the 5x premium (half the size and more than twice the cost of 320GB 7200.10).

I see the oos broken heart posts and if I don't want to keep them, I'd rather they go to those people for the same price, but shipping is a hassle... pickup in the SF area east bay might be ok.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: blacklit

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: GZeus
Good find OP!

These are excellent drives and this is a real good price.
If you really want to see 'em fly, put a pair in RAID0 with your OS on it. Windows loads like its sitting in RAM.

That's really not true. I'm not going to dig for the link but I saw benchmarks showing minor, if any, benefit. Add in it's 2x the cost and 2x the failure rate plus additional space/heat in the case. In short, don't do it.

i see a noticeable difference in my rigs -- 2x 74gb 16mb (total 32mb?) vs 1x 150gb 16mb -- when handling media (torrentz).. say transferring files or extracting rar/zip archives, as well as load times.. os, rdbms, games. i have three of each config in may lab (in silver and black p180s), they're all fast but the raptor raids sodomize the raptor 150's -- and every other non-scsi pc in the herd.

i don't like waiting for msi's and rar's (dvd/warez?) to extract. additional space and heat are ridiculous concerns [to me] -- like saying get a smaller heatsink to save space, a slower processor to reduce heat. i'm sure this 10,000+ post dude is trying to help but in short.. do what you want.

I know it is hard to take the news, it was hard for me to read as well

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2101&p=1

Our very own anandtech did a great article on RAID0 and RAID1.
It turns out, than it every day use such as gaming and extraction, RAID0 on two drives will give you *maybe* a 3% increase in performance.

To me, a 3% increase in performance is not worth the doubled risk.

The truth can be cruel.

And so I ask myself... why do SO many people RAID0? Because they don't know, because, they just don't know

 

[blacklit]

Originally posted by: Craig234
I got two, and am deciding whether the expected performance improvement is worth the 5x premium (half the size and more than twice the cost of 320GB 7200.10).

I see the oos broken heart posts and if I don't want to keep them, I'd rather they go to those people for the same price, but shipping is a hassle... pickup in the SF area east bay might be ok.

i dont' think it's worth it.. but it's subjective no? begs me to ask.. how frustrated do you get now with your wait-times? i doubt you even do ~

i [also] have the 320gb in raid (and single). my 74gb raids (and singles) are always faster.. and more audible. by how much, it varies ~16 seconds booting on one [loaded] pc. how many times do you expect to boot [in a hurry]?

 

[blacklit]

Originally posted by: Tizyler

Originally posted by: blacklit

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: GZeus

I know it is hard to take the news, it was hard for me to read as well

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2101&p=1

Our very own anandtech did a great article on RAID0 and RAID1.
It turns out, than it every day use such as gaming and extraction, RAID0 on two drives will give you *maybe* a 3% increase in performance.

To me, a 3% increase in performance is not worth the doubled risk.

The truth can be cruel.

And so I ask myself... why do SO many people RAID0? Because they don't know, because, they just don't know

do you own these configs? i mange 3 of each. i even have raid5's of BOTH 74gb and 150gb raptors. i don't know? suuure... how could i possibly know? oh wait, u said "people" don't know -- thanks that was appreciated.

why do SO many people RAID0? i offer a different answer...

simply because i disagree -- no one should take that hard, it isn't personal. and i wouldn't dream of debating or arguing my reality with any well-read Core2Duo-overclocking, TuniqTower-cooling CCNA certified gamer.

again, in short... do what YOU WANT -- my only point. i hope that's not nearly as painful as your reading.. i can't imagine it would be.

 

[Omniprezent]

I got lucky on these...

Last week, I ordered 2 of them, online, for local pickup, PRIOR to the clearance(they were $169 each, at the time). When I went to print the ready for pickup email, so I could take it with me, when I picked them up, my printer crapped out. Thinking I needed a new printer, I cancelled the harddrive order, since I didn't quite have the cash for both.

After dealing with the printer issues, yesterday. I was in Best Buy and saw the clearance price tag, but the shelf was empty. I asked customer service to do an inventory check and it said they had 2. After searching and not finding them, I asked them to go look on in the back, on the rack where they keep online orders for pick up.

Sure enough, the 2 drives were still sitting there, from when I ordered them last week(still had my name on them too), then cancelled. Somone never put them back on the shelf. So I grabbed them both. Saved me over $100.

I've already set them up in raid 0 and just need to clone my boot drive to them.

Oh and BTW, it's not about OVERALL system performance for me. That's too broad a category. Knowing, from first hand experience, how much a raiding setup has increaded my performance on specific tasks, like windows load times, game loads and other things, there is absolutely no doubt that raid 0 makes a very noticeable difference(much more than 3%) and was the way to go.