Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Hard drive RPMs and data speed.

[Volker Armin Hemmann <volkerarmin@googlemail.com>]

Am Donnerstag 27 Oktober 2011, 13:09:17 schrieb Nikos Chantziaras:
> On 10/27/2011 11:15 AM, Dale wrote:
> > Howdy,
> > 
> > I'm wanting to get a hard drive that is pretty good size. I'm looking
> > for about 1 to 2TBs or so. Thing is, a lot of them seem to be 5900 or
> > even 5400 rpm drives. I realize that the data on there is packed pretty
> > tight so I want to ask a few people that may have one or more of these
> > things a few questions. Are they as fast as a slower RPM drive?
> 
> I assume you meant to say "as fast as a faster RPM drive".  No, of
> course not.  If we're speaking about the same capacity and amount of
> platters, of course.  If we're not, then yes, they can be as fast
> because of the higher data density.
> 
> > Would
> > they be fast enough to play HD videos and such? I have quite a few 1080
> > HD videos. I don't want the drive to cause issues.
> 
> The transfer speed required for playing HD videos is virtually zero.
> 1080p video compressed using an 8mbps rate require 2MB/s.  This can be
> done even with the slowest drive from 10 years ago.  Today's slowest
> drive are able to play about 40 or 50 of those HD video simultaneously.
>   So the answer is yes.  They can play HD video :-)
> 
> Most of those 5900/5400 disks are meant for pure data storage.  The
> lower RPM is used to market them as "green and silent", meaning they
> don't consume much power and aren't noisy.  Installing your OS on them
> though isn't going to give you good speed.  They have good transfer
> rates, but their access times usually suck.
> 
> > Can someone that has one or more of these post their hdparm -Tt results?
> > Different speeds would be great too. I'd like to compare what a 5400rpm
> > drive would do compared to a 7200rpm drive.
> 
> Simply Google around for benchmarks of the drivers you're interested in.
>   Note that is in area where it doesn't make any real difference that
> the benches or reviews you find are performed under MS Windows.  The
> results are applicable to every OS.
> 
> As a rule of thumb when buying drives: if you want to install software
> on it, buy an 7200RPM drive with good access times.  Of course they're
> more expensive  If you just want to store all your downloaded HD porn
> and music collection on it, a silent 5400RPM drive is a good choice.
> 

indeed. Additionally they don't get really warm. Which reduces the overall 
thermal load in the case.

One important thing:

most if not all 2TB drives have 4K sectors, which means you have to be 
carefull while partitioning those beasts.
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