Raptors - 36gb or 74gb?

johan851 · 03-16-04, 10:19 PM

I'm looking at picking up a Raptor, probably within the next week or so. I'm having difficulty deciding between the 36gig and 74gig versions though. As many of you know, RAID 0 (I would use 2x36gb) can be a little iffy on the NF7-S. If there are any success stories and/or tips to make SATA RAID a reliable option on this motherboard, I would love to hear them.

For now though, from what I know, I'm thinking I'll just avoid the hassle and get a single drive. Performance is a large part of what I'm going for, and I know that the 74gig has fluid bearings, faster write/read speeds, command queuing, and a faster access time. It's also the same $/gb (roughly) as the 36gb version. Would a single 74gig be a better option?

Money is also kinda a concern. By that I mean I'd rather not waste my money. It's not as much that I can't afford this/these drive(s) as I just want the best deal possible, not necessarily the best setup - it's all about bang for the buck.

So what do you all think? Is 2x36gb a feasible option for my NF7-S? Would I regret the limited upgradability of that setup (i.e. unable to go to 2x74gb)? Or would getting a 74gig with better technology/performance/upgradability be better?

{PMS}fishy · 03-16-04, 10:33 PM

RAID works fine on the newer BIOS versions. That was an old problem.

Im not a fan of RAID 0.

I would get the 74gb now, and then pick up another when prices come down.

Its silly all these people jumping on the SATA bandwaggon, when all a Raptor really is, is a SCSI drive with a SATA interface. The drive is not that new, just the connection.

Sophisticated · 03-16-04, 11:02 PM

its not only new but faster then all other HDD's..well there are a few up to its speed but the brand is well known...and using sata maximizes the connection doesnt it???

Digital_Cowboy · 03-16-04, 11:12 PM

Go with the 74GB. They are faster than the 36GB. I love them.

Besides, if what {PMS}fishy says is true, it's great to be able to get scsi drives without shelling out the cash for scsi controllers.

pulsarnx · 03-16-04, 11:19 PM

f all you

heres my hdtach on my wd 36gb.. the 74gb is faster but here is REAL WORLD tests..

BUY IT @#$@#$!@#

and my 80gb WD 7,200rpm

Si.Soft Bench of the SATA

johan851 · 03-16-04, 11:21 PM

Yeah, it's not like I'm getting them just for the SATA technology, although that will make them more compatible in the future. I'd just rather not put up with SCSI controllers, drives, etc. Too expensive for me.

Sophisticated - SATA has a higher ceiling (150mb/s vs. 133mb/s) than IDE, but it hasn't really seen its potential yet. IDE hasn't either. There's really little point in moving to SATA now, but it'll become more and more useful as time goes on. Just a technological progression, really. The Raptor only comes in SATA, I have SATA connections...it just works out that way.

Did PMSFishy mean a IDE drive with an SATA interface? That's what a Raptor is, basically...*shrug.* SCSI technology on an IDE platform with a SATA adapter. I don't think I'm jumping on bandwagons as much as picking up a new, faster drive.

Thanks for the input so far gentlemen (women?).

{PMS}fishy · 03-17-04, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by johan851
Did PMSFishy mean a IDE drive with an SATA interface? That's what a Raptor is, basically...*shrug.* SCSI technology on an IDE platform with a SATA adapter. I don't think I'm jumping on bandwagons as much as picking up a new, faster drive.

Thanks for the input so far gentlemen (women?).

No. I meant that it is basically a SCSI HDD with an SATA interface. There are some other differences.

I guess if I where looking to get some fast drives, Id be looking at some U320 stuff. Otherwise ATA is good enough.

johan851 · 03-17-04, 08:08 AM

So you meant it was based on SCSI technology. Alrighty. I don't need THAT much performance, and I don't want to shell out the cash for a big, expensive, loud, awkward SCSI setup. ATA is quite good enough, I don't need extreme performance. Unless you can show me a good, inexpensive route with SCSI...

PMS - Why aren't you a fan of RAID 0?

{PMS}fishy · 03-17-04, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by johan851
PMS - Why aren't you a fan of RAID 0?

You have twice the chance of failure.

Techincally RAID 0 is not RAID at all.

Its one thing to lose 1 HDD with some of your stuff on it, but both, that would not be fun.

People say oh back it up on another HDD, but then whats the point.

gb25 · 03-17-04, 02:35 PM

If you decide to get the 74gb, and don't mind rebates, you can get it at buy.com today for $189 + shipping after rebate. You can also go through fatwallet cash back for another 2% off. I just ordered one today, and the total after rebate is around $203, but I chose next day shipping which added about $12 to the total. I was going to buy it from newegg, but through buy.com it was about the same price except t I got next day shipping.

#18 · 03-17-04, 05:51 PM

Newegg usually ship the same day you ordered if you ordered in the morning during the week day. If you ordered in the late afternoon, they will ship the next day. Usually you order today, you will get the stuff the day after tomorrow. The latest is extra 1 day. Your "next day shipping", I doubt it is next day arrive, it is only next day ship out of the store.

gb25 · 03-17-04, 06:39 PM

I'm not exactly expecting next day delivery, but I definitely expect to get it before the weekend. If I would have ordered from newegg, I would have to wait until next week. My last few orders from newegg all took about a day to process and anywhere from 3-6 days for me to actually receive it. The last time I placed an order from newegg on a Wednesday, I didn't get my parts until the next Tuesday. But now that newegg has dropped the price to $215 with a $20 rebate, I would probably buy from them if I didn't want next day shipping. It's pretty much the same price, but with a smaller rebate.

03-16-04, 10:19 PM	Thread Starter #1
johan851 Insatiably Malcontent Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Seattle, WA	Raptors - 36gb or 74gb? I'm looking at picking up a Raptor, probably within the next week or so. I'm having difficulty deciding between the 36gig and 74gig versions though. As many of you know, RAID 0 (I would use 2x36gb) can be a little iffy on the NF7-S. If there are any success stories and/or tips to make SATA RAID a reliable option on this motherboard, I would love to hear them. For now though, from what I know, I'm thinking I'll just avoid the hassle and get a single drive. Performance is a large part of what I'm going for, and I know that the 74gig has fluid bearings, faster write/read speeds, command queuing, and a faster access time. It's also the same $/gb (roughly) as the 36gb version. Would a single 74gig be a better option? Money is also kinda a concern. By that I mean I'd rather not waste my money. It's not as much that I can't afford this/these drive(s) as I just want the best deal possible, not necessarily the best setup - it's all about bang for the buck. So what do you all think? Is 2x36gb a feasible option for my NF7-S? Would I regret the limited upgradability of that setup (i.e. unable to go to 2x74gb)? Or would getting a 74gig with better technology/performance/upgradability be better? __________________ ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 \| 2500K @ 4.6GHz \| 2x4GB Samsung DDR3 \| GTX460 768mb 120GB Crucial M4 \| 2x 2TB Samsung F4 \| Seasonic S12 600w AV-710 --> y2 DAC --> Custom M^3 --> Custom LM3875 ChipAmp --> Modula MTs Dual Dell 2007WFP \| Watercooled
	QUOTE Thanks

03-16-04, 10:33 PM	#2
{PMS}fishy Senior A64 Killer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Boston, MA	RAID works fine on the newer BIOS versions. That was an old problem. Im not a fan of RAID 0. I would get the 74gb now, and then pick up another when prices come down. Its silly all these people jumping on the SATA bandwaggon, when all a Raptor really is, is a SCSI drive with a SATA interface. The drive is not that new, just the connection. __________________ Pick 2: Speed -- Reliability -- Cost Trouble Shooting 101: 1. RTFM 2. Repeat Step 1 6ghz Club Member. cw823 Fan Club Founding Member, are you?
	QUOTE Thanks

03-16-04, 11:02 PM	#3
Sophisticated Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Missouri	its not only new but faster then all other HDD's..well there are a few up to its speed but the brand is well known...and using sata maximizes the connection doesnt it???
	QUOTE Thanks

03-16-04, 11:12 PM	#4
Digital_Cowboy Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: 192.168.1.1	Go with the 74GB. They are faster than the 36GB. I love them. Besides, if what {PMS}fishy says is true, it's great to be able to get scsi drives without shelling out the cash for scsi controllers. __________________ Core I7 970 @ 3.6GHZ \| Asus Rampage III Formula \| 12GB Patriot DDR3 \| EVGA GTX 580 SC \| OCZ Revodrive X2 240GB \| PCP&C Silencer 940 \| Hyper 212+ Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 3.0GHZ \| Gigabyte X38-DQ6 \| 8GB DDR2 \| 2 x ATI 4870 1gb in Crossfire \| 2 x 2tb \| PCP&C 940 Silencer \| Cooler Master Cosmos \| hyper 212+
	QUOTE Thanks

03-16-04, 11:19 PM	#5
pulsarnx Registered Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada	f all you heres my hdtach on my wd 36gb.. the 74gb is faster but here is REAL WORLD tests.. BUY IT @#$@#$!@# and my 80gb WD 7,200rpm Si.Soft Bench of the SATA
	QUOTE Thanks

Raptors - 36gb or 74gb?

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03-16-04, 11:21 PM	Thread Starter #6
johan851 Insatiably Malcontent Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Seattle, WA	Yeah, it's not like I'm getting them just for the SATA technology, although that will make them more compatible in the future. I'd just rather not put up with SCSI controllers, drives, etc. Too expensive for me. Sophisticated - SATA has a higher ceiling (150mb/s vs. 133mb/s) than IDE, but it hasn't really seen its potential yet. IDE hasn't either. There's really little point in moving to SATA now, but it'll become more and more useful as time goes on. Just a technological progression, really. The Raptor only comes in SATA, I have SATA connections...it just works out that way. Did PMSFishy mean a IDE drive with an SATA interface? That's what a Raptor is, basically...shrug. SCSI technology on an IDE platform with a SATA adapter. I don't think I'm jumping on bandwagons as much as picking up a new, faster drive. Thanks for the input so far gentlemen (women?). __________________ ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 \| 2500K @ 4.6GHz \| 2x4GB Samsung DDR3 \| GTX460 768mb 120GB Crucial M4 \| 2x 2TB Samsung F4 \| Seasonic S12 600w AV-710 --> y2 DAC --> Custom M^3 --> Custom LM3875 ChipAmp --> Modula MTs Dual Dell 2007WFP \| Watercooled
	QUOTE Thanks

03-17-04, 08:08 AM	Thread Starter #8
johan851 Insatiably Malcontent Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Seattle, WA	So you meant it was based on SCSI technology. Alrighty. I don't need THAT much performance, and I don't want to shell out the cash for a big, expensive, loud, awkward SCSI setup. ATA is quite good enough, I don't need extreme performance. Unless you can show me a good, inexpensive route with SCSI... PMS - Why aren't you a fan of RAID 0? __________________ ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 \| 2500K @ 4.6GHz \| 2x4GB Samsung DDR3 \| GTX460 768mb 120GB Crucial M4 \| 2x 2TB Samsung F4 \| Seasonic S12 600w AV-710 --> y2 DAC --> Custom M^3 --> Custom LM3875 ChipAmp --> Modula MTs Dual Dell 2007WFP \| Watercooled Last edited by johan851; 03-17-04 at 09:47 AM.
	QUOTE Thanks

03-17-04, 02:35 PM	#10
gb25 New Member Join Date: Mar 2004	If you decide to get the 74gb, and don't mind rebates, you can get it at buy.com today for $189 + shipping after rebate. You can also go through fatwallet cash back for another 2% off. I just ordered one today, and the total after rebate is around $203, but I chose next day shipping which added about $12 to the total. I was going to buy it from newegg, but through buy.com it was about the same price except t I got next day shipping.
	QUOTE Thanks

03-17-04, 05:51 PM	#11
#18 Member Join Date: Mar 2002	Newegg usually ship the same day you ordered if you ordered in the morning during the week day. If you ordered in the late afternoon, they will ship the next day. Usually you order today, you will get the stuff the day after tomorrow. The latest is extra 1 day. Your "next day shipping", I doubt it is next day arrive, it is only next day ship out of the store.
	QUOTE Thanks

03-17-04, 06:39 PM	#12
gb25 New Member Join Date: Mar 2004	I'm not exactly expecting next day delivery, but I definitely expect to get it before the weekend. If I would have ordered from newegg, I would have to wait until next week. My last few orders from newegg all took about a day to process and anywhere from 3-6 days for me to actually receive it. The last time I placed an order from newegg on a Wednesday, I didn't get my parts until the next Tuesday. But now that newegg has dropped the price to $215 with a $20 rebate, I would probably buy from them if I didn't want next day shipping. It's pretty much the same price, but with a smaller rebate. Last edited by gb25; 03-17-04 at 06:57 PM.
	QUOTE Thanks

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