Whats the most silent harddrive you ever heard?

Vaporizer · May 14, 2002, 10:50 PM

I need an extremly silent harddrive, at least 5400rpm (doubt there will be a faster that is silent) and 40gig. And please no "mine is silent i cant even hear it, i have 10 fans in my case but i dont think thats why i cant hear it" stuff. Please dont take me wrong, i am not beeing agressive nor rude i just need a REALLY silent harddrive.

Tryed these:
IBM 60GXP = loud
DiamondMax D540X = loud

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

UberLord · May 14, 2002, 10:55 PM

IBM make the quietest drives in my experience. Segate make the loudest, whilst Western Digitial are the best all round performers.

Vaporizer · May 14, 2002, 11:10 PM

What about Samsung and Fujitsu, anyone had any experience with thoose ?

DallasStar · May 15, 2002, 02:17 AM

I have yet to hear my new maxtor 7200rpm 40 gig. Its as if it isn't even there.

JavaFox · May 15, 2002, 02:19 AM

Don't you mean "what's the most silent harddrive you HAVEN'T heard?"

A lot of people overlook this, and, a lot of reviews fail to mention it, but the quietest hard drive on the market has to be the Seagate Baracuda IV. You can only hear it when it spins up (when you first turn on your PC), and that's really about it. It uses a fluid-bearing motor rather than a ball-bearing one; it is fast, reliable, and SILENT.

I cannot really stress or emphasize this enough. You cannot hear the drive unless you put your ear to it.

It is quiet to the point that, when you first install it, you wonder if it's broken and not spinning at all.

Fujitsu's* are pretty quiet, but nothing I've heard (or not heard, rather) is nearly as quiet as a 'Cuda IV. I highly reccomend it.

Obligatory links:
http://www.seagate.com/cda/products/...81,384,00.html
http://www.storagereview.com/article...380021A_1.html

--------------

* Totally Unrelated Fact: if you pronounce Fujitsu correctly (i.e., if you're Japanese), a lot of Americans have trouble catching what company you're talking about.

~~HawK~~ · May 15, 2002, 06:09 AM

I have a Samsung SV6004H (60 GB 5400rpm), and i must say it's very quit
but that's no wonder being used to a Quantum :o
when my rig is open (most of the time -couse off heat-) the only thing i do not hear
is my HD, but there are some nasty tics, ervr'y now and then, but runnin it since
november, i'm very happy with it, and it didn't cost much

~~Crash Override~~ · May 15, 2002, 09:14 AM

From what I have heard and being in the room with one I have to say the new Maxtor ATA133 D740X L series drives with the fluid bearing mechanism is the absolute quietest HD.

IBMs are quiet but here in the US they have a very very high return rate......they just fall apart after a while

Silentst2000 · May 15, 2002, 02:02 PM

the new maxtor fluid barin ones.

Samsung's are quite too.

Fujitsu's are quite as well.

maxtor is the best due to their better performance of the 2.

Vaporizer · May 15, 2002, 04:00 PM

Thanks guys, im not very happy with the maxtor i currently own but i think im gonna give thoose fluid maxtors a chance anyway.

Alistair · May 15, 2002, 04:42 PM

I have 2 western digital drives I never hear... then again I have alot of fans that would mask any noise they made...

JavaFox · May 15, 2002, 04:58 PM

Perhaps a post of this vehemence should be confined to the Warzone, but I can't contain myself.

The Seagate Baracuda IV cannot be beat. This is not and opinion. With the possibly exception of the aforementioned Samsung drive (I've heard nice things about it), there are no quieter hard disk drives. Fact. They would have to be solid state.

Seagate was the first to bring a Fluid Bearing motor to market and their decibel rating is lower than the Maxtors. New IBMs and WDs are probably relatively quiet (compared to the Maxtors and Quantums of olde), but they do not compete with the 'Cuda.

I was so impressed with this drive that when I heard one, I bought one. Until that day, I was the biggest Maxtor fanboy around.

GIVE the CUDA A CHANCE!

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MONTRESOR!

Ryoko · May 15, 2002, 10:51 PM

fujitsu is the quietest HDD i've ever heard, but i haven't really compared in 2 years...

Candyman · May 16, 2002, 01:58 PM

My 40GB Seagate Baracuda IV is the quiestest hard drive I have ever owned...it is quietter than my other 40GB Maxtor too.

peroni · May 16, 2002, 07:26 PM

It looks like Javafox is right on putting forward the Cuda IV.

Check out http://www.storagereview.com and click on the database link.
You can see all the drives they have tested and the CUDA IV performs very well at 41.3 dB
The absolute winner is another Seagate product, the U6 at 38.8 decibels

~~Crash Override~~ · May 17, 2002, 09:40 AM

I really like the fact that the above review doesnt even list the L series D740X at all on the decible meter which comes out to 43.9

and the 80GB L series is only $110

andrewfee · May 18, 2002, 06:46 AM

i'd say an ibm drive, they're quiet at default speeds, but you can download a utility from their website that allows you to make the drive silend, although you sacrifice some speed

btw, the high returns is usually due to a lack of cooling on the drives, just stick an 80mm fan underneath it and dont think about it again

Zardon · May 18, 2002, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by andrewfee
btw, the high returns is usually due to a lack of cooling on the drives, just stick an 80mm fan underneath it and dont think about it again

good point, ive been saying this for months, case cooling is important due to the fact they run HOT, and the general public think cooling is leaving the window open downstairs.

Vaporizer · May 18, 2002, 10:06 AM

hmm... i have had my IBM drive in my main computer for a very long time now and all this time it has been in a Silent Drive, that means no fans and totaly isolated. It runs as smooth as ever and aint showing no signs of breakdown. Oh i have no casefans either.

WyreTheWolf · May 18, 2002, 12:35 PM

The most silent would be a RAM DRIVE. They are completly silent... but expensive.

Vaporizer · May 18, 2002, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WyreTheWolf
The most silent would be a RAM DRIVE. They are completly silent... but expensive.

Can you post some links about RAM DRIVE, im not sure i know what it is =)

WyreTheWolf · May 20, 2002, 04:35 AM

The RAM DRIVE is an idea that IBM is working on .. basically a crap load of RAM, in a box.. no moving parts ... so ... it is silent ... and because it is based on ram, it is really fast.

Right now the best solution is this.

BTW, if you are wanting a super quiet computer system

endpcnoise.com is a great site.

Good Luck.

Asmoday · May 21, 2002, 10:30 PM

I never hears my harddrives at all......because all the fan in my case are SOOO loud....

:o

May 14, 2002, 10:50 PM	#1
Vaporizer WTF Join Date: May 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 174 Rep Power: 0	Whats the most silent harddrive you ever heard? I need an extremly silent harddrive, at least 5400rpm (doubt there will be a faster that is silent) and 40gig. And please no "mine is silent i cant even hear it, i have 10 fans in my case but i dont think thats why i cant hear it" stuff. Please dont take me wrong, i am not beeing agressive nor rude i just need a REALLY silent harddrive. Tryed these: IBM 60GXP = loud DiamondMax D540X = loud Any help would be greatly appreciated.

May 14, 2002, 10:55 PM	#2
UberLord A Legend in Underwear Join Date: May 2002 Location: Unknown Posts: 5,255 Rep Power: 0	IBM make the quietest drives in my experience. Segate make the loudest, whilst Western Digitial are the best all round performers. __________________ Gentoo Linux - Developer (baselayout) Read my blog "I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." Stephen Roberts

May 15, 2002, 02:17 AM	#4
DallasStar Junior Join Date: May 2002 Location: Wave Existence Posts: 2,065 Rep Power: 0	I have yet to hear my new maxtor 7200rpm 40 gig. Its as if it isn't even there. __________________ "A picture of my existence... would show a useless wooden stake covered in snow... stuck loosely at a slant in the ground in a ploughed field on the edge of a vast open plain on a dark winter night." --- Franz Kafka

May 15, 2002, 02:19 AM	#5
JavaFox E Pluribus Unum Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 3,203 Rep Power: 0	Nice topic :) Don't you mean "what's the most silent harddrive you HAVEN'T heard?" A lot of people overlook this, and, a lot of reviews fail to mention it, but the quietest hard drive on the market has to be the Seagate Baracuda IV. You can only hear it when it spins up (when you first turn on your PC), and that's really about it. It uses a fluid-bearing motor rather than a ball-bearing one; it is fast, reliable, and SILENT. I cannot really stress or emphasize this enough. You cannot hear the drive unless you put your ear to it. It is quiet to the point that, when you first install it, you wonder if it's broken and not spinning at all. Fujitsu's* are pretty quiet, but nothing I've heard (or not heard, rather) is nearly as quiet as a 'Cuda IV. I highly reccomend it. Obligatory links: http://www.seagate.com/cda/products/...81,384,00.html http://www.storagereview.com/article...380021A_1.html -------------- * Totally Unrelated Fact: if you pronounce Fujitsu correctly (i.e., if you're Japanese), a lot of Americans have trouble catching what company you're talking about.

May 15, 2002, 06:09 AM	#6
~~HawK~~ Banned Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 2,092 Rep Power: 0	RE: Whats the most silent harddrive you ever heard? I have a Samsung SV6004H (60 GB 5400rpm), and i must say it's very quit but that's no wonder being used to a Quantum :o when my rig is open (most of the time -couse off heat-) the only thing i do not hear is my HD, but there are some nasty tics, ervr'y now and then, but runnin it since november, i'm very happy with it, and it didn't cost much

May 14, 2002, 11:10 PM	Thread Starter #3
Vaporizer WTF Join Date: May 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 174 Rep Power: 0	What about Samsung and Fujitsu, anyone had any experience with thoose ?

May 15, 2002, 09:14 AM	#7
~~Crash Override~~ Banned Join Date: May 2002 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 2,448 Rep Power: 0	From what I have heard and being in the room with one I have to say the new Maxtor ATA133 D740X L series drives with the fluid bearing mechanism is the absolute quietest HD. IBMs are quiet but here in the US they have a very very high return rate......they just fall apart after a while

May 15, 2002, 02:02 PM	#8
Silentst2000 Can I be cool? Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 355 Rep Power: 0	the new maxtor fluid barin ones. Samsung's are quite too. Fujitsu's are quite as well. maxtor is the best due to their better performance of the 2. __________________ P4@2.4ghz Radeon 9700pro DDR 400 Nuff said

May 15, 2002, 04:00 PM	Thread Starter #9
Vaporizer WTF Join Date: May 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 174 Rep Power: 0	Thanks guys, im not very happy with the maxtor i currently own but i think im gonna give thoose fluid maxtors a chance anyway.

May 15, 2002, 04:42 PM	#10
Alistair Spoos Join Date: May 2002 Location: State College, PA, USA Posts: 435 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	I have 2 western digital drives I never hear... then again I have alot of fans that would mask any noise they made... __________________ - Alistair

May 15, 2002, 04:58 PM	#11
JavaFox E Pluribus Unum Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 3,203 Rep Power: 0	WDs and IBMs don't come close! Perhaps a post of this vehemence should be confined to the Warzone, but I can't contain myself. The Seagate Baracuda IV cannot be beat. This is not and opinion. With the possibly exception of the aforementioned Samsung drive (I've heard nice things about it), there are no quieter hard disk drives. Fact. They would have to be solid state. Seagate was the first to bring a Fluid Bearing motor to market and their decibel rating is lower than the Maxtors. New IBMs and WDs are probably relatively quiet (compared to the Maxtors and Quantums of olde), but they do not compete with the 'Cuda. I was so impressed with this drive that when I heard one, I bought one. Until that day, I was the biggest Maxtor fanboy around. GIVE the CUDA A CHANCE! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MONTRESOR!

May 15, 2002, 10:51 PM	#12
Ryoko American Soldier Join Date: May 2002 Location: Williamsburg, VA Posts: 1,725 Rep Power: 0	fujitsu is the quietest HDD i've ever heard, but i haven't really compared in 2 years...

May 16, 2002, 01:58 PM	#13
Candyman [DH] Lover! Join Date: May 2002 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 284 Rep Power: 0	My 40GB Seagate Baracuda IV is the quiestest hard drive I have ever owned...it is quietter than my other 40GB Maxtor too. __________________ AMD Athlon XP 1700+ @ 2.53GHz Abit NF7-S v.2 Thermalright SP-97 w/ TT Smart Fan 2 2 x 512MB GeIL PC3500 Platinum DDR 2 x 120GB WD HDD - RAID-0 2 x 80GB Barracuda V HDD - RAID-0 ATI Radeon AIW 9800PRO SB Audigy 2 HP L2335 23" LCD (DVI-D) WinXP Pro SP2

May 16, 2002, 07:26 PM	#14
peroni DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 591 Rep Power: 0	It looks like Javafox is right on putting forward the Cuda IV. Check out http://www.storagereview.com and click on the database link. You can see all the drives they have tested and the CUDA IV performs very well at 41.3 dB The absolute winner is another Seagate product, the U6 at 38.8 decibels __________________ Gaming Rig 3DMark2k1 PCMark2k2 The Server 3Dmark2k1 PCMark2k2 Notebook 3Dmark2k1 PCMark2k2

May 17, 2002, 09:40 AM	#15
~~Crash Override~~ Banned Join Date: May 2002 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 2,448 Rep Power: 0	I really like the fact that the above review doesnt even list the L series D740X at all on the decible meter which comes out to 43.9 and the 80GB L series is only $110

May 18, 2002, 06:46 AM	#16
andrewfee DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: May 2002 Location: Scotland Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	i'd say an ibm drive, they're quiet at default speeds, but you can download a utility from their website that allows you to make the drive silend, although you sacrifice some speed btw, the high returns is usually due to a lack of cooling on the drives, just stick an 80mm fan underneath it and dont think about it again __________________ Athlon TB 1400MHz 768 PC133 Ram 64Mb Radeon 8500 Retail Soundblaster Audigy Player A7V133

May 18, 2002, 10:06 AM	Thread Starter #18
Vaporizer WTF Join Date: May 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 174 Rep Power: 0	hmm... i have had my IBM drive in my main computer for a very long time now and all this time it has been in a Silent Drive, that means no fans and totaly isolated. It runs as smooth as ever and aint showing no signs of breakdown. Oh i have no casefans either.

May 18, 2002, 12:35 PM	#19
WyreTheWolf Wolfish Bastard Join Date: May 2002 Location: Cave; Ozark Mountains Posts: 2,110 Rep Power: 0	The most silent would be a RAM DRIVE. They are completly silent... but expensive.

May 20, 2002, 04:35 AM	#21
WyreTheWolf Wolfish Bastard Join Date: May 2002 Location: Cave; Ozark Mountains Posts: 2,110 Rep Power: 0	The RAM DRIVE is an idea that IBM is working on .. basically a crap load of RAM, in a box.. no moving parts ... so ... it is silent ... and because it is based on ram, it is really fast. Right now the best solution is this. BTW, if you are wanting a super quiet computer system endpcnoise.com is a great site. Good Luck.

May 21, 2002, 10:30 PM	#22
Asmoday Demonic Join Date: May 2002 Location: In the cold, dark north... Posts: 5,198 Rep Power: 92 System Specs	I never hears my harddrives at all......because all the fan in my case are SOOO loud.... :o __________________ How You can help Hardwareheaven by using Digg