Comparing 2tb hard drives. WD vs Seagate

[computergeekguy]

Hi I have been looking at 2tb hard drives and am (once again) considering getting one.

I have always decided against it due to price and reliability. The prices have gotten semi affordable on them and I have found the best deal on hdd's is 2tb and up. They hover around $40-$50 per tb.

There reliability has seemed to have improved a little but there are still a lot of people complaining about hd failures.

If the smaller hard drives such as the 1tb have a SIGNIFICANT jump im reliability i might get one of them. I don't want to go that way because they are above the $40-$50 per tb rule

I will first start comparing the WD hdd's.

What is the difference between this one? $85 after code
Western Digital WD AV-GP WD20EURS 2TB 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive - Newegg.com
and this one $80 after code
Western Digital WD Green WD20EZRX 2TB IntelliPower 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive - Newegg.com
besides the later one only has a 2 year warranty? They both seem to be a green drive.

I know this black caviar hdd is more reliable and has a nice 5yr warranty but it is $50 over my price range.
$150 no code available.
Western Digital WD Black WD2002FAEX 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive - Newegg.com



Next is the Seagate drives.
This one is $20 over my rule but it is a hybrid drive so i would still consider it. $120 after code
Newegg.com - Seagate Hybrid Drive ST2000DX001 2TB MLC/8GB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s NCQ 3.5" Desktop SSHD

This one is just a 2tb nothing special. $90 after code
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive - Newegg.com

Im am mostly after reliability.

Feel free to add drives to my list of any size.

Thanks

Edit: Also if anyone knows of the same drive with a lower price that is very welcome.

 

[whs]

I own one of these but as a 1TB 2.5" model. Works well.

I have made some performance comparisons - see here.

I have made a little video booting a Linux system running under VMware Player. That system happened to be on the SSHD. Should give you an impression of the speed which I think is pretty good considering that the SSHD is in an external enclosure.

The faint noises you hear in the background is my webradio what was running but not really recorded because I had not set up the recorder for that.

 

[indianacarnie]

I hesitate to recommend any drives anymore. From MY experience, I repeat "MY" experience the WD's are much more reliable. My usage is a little different from most peoples as I travel in my work, use only a lap top, and all my externals are portables. I'm as careful as I can be with them but still they have more bumps and nudges than most "normal" users put them to. I've had 3 external Seagates fail on me now, and one looking mighty sick, while my 1t WD's are all still going strong. They get a little more usage too, as they hold all my movies/videos. SO, from MY experience with external or internal (see my spec.'s) spinner HDD's I would recommend the WD. Others may have different views. Also, full disclosure, I haven't owned a desktop in over ........ gosh.... 8 years maybe?

 

[whs]

Scott, did you ever consider using SSDs for travel. Newegg has a nice 256GB (240GB plus overprovisioning) Mushkin for $130 right now, I think it's good - I own two Mushkins.

Newegg.com - 240gb mushkin ssd

 

[computergeekguy]

From my research the SSHD looks to see what files are used the most and puts that in the 8gig of solid state memory.
Im not huge with games however I do have portal and portal2. I have downloaded so many mods that I have about 50gig of maps for portal 1&2. As I usually choose the mod i play randomly I don't know that it would help the speed much. I could see how it would be great technology for gamers who play the same game often enough but what about someone who plays random games?

The next thing that the hdd would probably choose to put in memory is the os, but wouldn't i need to move my os to that drive for that to happen? Is there a way to choose what gets put in the 8gig of memory? I could also see how it could be good technology for those who have many virtual machines. As for me I like to set up dual boots.

I like the drive and am very tempted to choose the sshd but I am looking at the practical use if it is the right drive for me.

Please correct me if I am misinformed about any of it.

Thanks

 

[whs]

Is there a way to choose what gets put in the 8gig of memory?

No there is not. It is a cache for the HDD and cannot be seperately addressed.

 

[Britton30]

Now MY personal experience. I never have bought an assembled external drive but have two Seagates in enclosures and 4 in desktop machines. In 16 years I had two drive fail, both were WD models, this was a few years ago and they were 120-250GB ones, I think. Maybe WDs are great for rough external use and Seagate for desktop use. This is MY experience and certainly not scientific at all.

Oh yeah, I also have a Samsung Spinpoint in a desktop, nice drive but always makes a click at start up.

 

[computergeekguy]

Oh yeah, I also have a Samsung Spinpoint in a desktop, nice drive but always makes a click at start up

Well the Samsung might work fine. I found one on amazon for $77 free shipping. It is certainly in my price range.
Amazon.com: Samsung Spinpoint F4EG 2 TB SATA2 5400rpm 32 MB Hard Drive HD204UI/Z4: Electronics

It is not a 7200rpm but a 5400 RPM What do you guys think of this drive

Edit: hmm a lot of the reviews say it is really a seagate not a samsung.

 

[Britton30]

Yup Seagate acquired the Samsung HDD business awhile back. I think you'll be sorry if you go with a 5400RPM drive.

 

[essenbe]

I think when you ask about Western Digital vs Seagate you are asking for everyone's opinion and/or experience. I use and have used both and see no difference in them. I, for one, have had much better luck, reliability wise, with Seagate drives than Western Digital. I have had 5 hard drives die on me in the past about 15 years. 4 of the 5 were Western Digitals. I know others have had similar experiences just the results were reversed. I buy an awful lot of hard drives. My experience is that reliability is just a crap shoot (gambling). Brand makes no difference either. But, Western Digital is a lot 'prouder' of their drives than Seagate. They tend to cost more for roughly the same thing. I regretted it when Seagate bought out Samsung's hard drive business. I own about 6 of the Samsung Spinpoint's HD103SJ's 1TB. They are excellent (and Gary, every one of them make 1 click every time they start up. I just assume it is the actuator moving into position). The Spinpoints have been the best drives I've ever owned. But, to finally end this opinion, I will buy either one. Based on what I believe, I just try to find the cheapest because I personally find only minor differences between any of them. Sure, a few are a little faster than others, but in the long run, there is little difference in my experience.

 

[computergeekguy]

I agree......if i had a time machine i would have gone with the samsung but now that it is owned by seagate.

Once again feel free to offer a whole other brand. I am only after reliability and from what im seeing and reading it looks like 2tb hard drives are still unreliable.

Maybe i should dish out the money for the wd caviar black.

Edit: Im sorry essenbe I didn't see your post till after i posted mine. Yes i agree with what you are saying all drives seem the same in the long run.

I have been reading that after like 2-3 years (both brands of drives) would fail.

So that is why i am once again considering the caviar black due to its warranty and im hopping it is built better.

 

[DocBrown]

My 2 cents. I have had best luck with, Seagate, Samsung, & Hitachi. WD comes in last for me, even though I have numerous ones in use presently & some just in storage if I need a replacement to toss into use at a moments notice.

 

[whs]

5400RPM is noticably slowert than a 7200RPM drive. But if you are in no hurry, that will be OK.

I would not buy by price only. The $20 back and forth you will have forgotten after 3 days, but if it is not what you really wanted, you will regret it.

 

[indianacarnie]

Scott, did you ever consider using SSDs for travel. Newegg has a nice 256GB (240GB plus overprovisioning) Mushkin for $130 right now, I think it's good - I own two Mushkins.

Newegg.com - 240gb mushkin ssd

Actually I have and the Mushkin is one of the ones I've been looking at. Saw one on Tiger Direct a week or so ago. I will remember your recommendation.

Yup Seagate acquired the Samsung HDD business awhile back. I think you'll be sorry if you go with a 5400RPM drive.

I agree about the 5400. You can't go wrong with the extra speed imho.

 

[whs]

Once again feel free to offer a whole other brand

The very best spinning disk I own is a 2.5" Fujitsu external. That thing gets so much beating travelling overseas since 5 years and it has never failed - knock on wood.

 

[SIW2]

I just had two seagates in a row crap out. The WD is working great. I think the aggressive seek and constant head parking of the Seagates is a worry.

So that is why i am once again considering the caviar black due to its warranty and im hopping it is built better.

I have no idea if it is built better than the blue. It may just be exactly the same, but you are paying for an extra warranty.

These Seagates have been very fragile - noisy, too. The WD blue I am using is smooth and quiet, I may get another.

 

[computergeekguy]

Im surprised the wd blue only goes up to 1tb. That is strange. It also has higher reviews on reliability. It is the only one i saw were you don't have a 1 in 5 chance of a doa.

Newegg.com - Western Digital WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive, Blue

I was saddened to see the caviar black wd had the exact same reviews. It too seems to fail just as much for $70 more lol

 

[computergeekguy]

Here is an interesting review. How much of this is accurate do you think.

Faulty drive geometry reported: logical 512 but physical 4K

This review is from: WD BLACK SERIES WD2003FZEX 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

Pros: On Linux, do a smartctl -a, display the real physical geometry of this drive: it is advanced format, 4K sectors.
Now do a fdisk, and you'll see it is masquerading a logical 512, so WD can force these drives on all these machines with OS prior to 2012.
WD alliance to Microsoft Windows 8 has made such a false geometry a killer for other OS that understand the 512 NOrrmal Format that has been known for the past 27 years.
Cons: Faulty drive geometry that will render the drive work harder. Known and classical OS are using the geometry mistakenly because WD lies about the drive format.

Stick to Normal Format as there is almost no gain in performance, rather a mess and a faulty transparent format that penalize the drive seek sector, more rotation, cause of drive premature aging.

WD is forcing Adanced Format drives to support large capacity drives, typically used for media content. If you care about your data, go with Normal Format and <2TB drives.
Other Thoughts: I do not know much about these eggxperts, but one thing for sure: there is nothing scientific about their reviews, and WD is pushing AF drives with false geometry.

Western Digital, THE END CONSUMER IS NOT A BETA TESTER, AND DO NOT FOOL THE NOVICE WITH FAULTY DISK GEOMETRY.

I plan on putting dual booting xp on whatever disk i buy. With the review above should i go with a 1 tb? will it stick with the older format? If you guys would explain this to me i would be grateful.

 

[whs]

I think you are going thru a lot of trouble to install XP. I would install XP in VMware Player - a lot easier and you can run 7 and XP side by side.

And to install 7 I would buy a SSD. That is very fast and very reliable. E.g. this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236

 

[computergeekguy]

I have tried xp in several players and it has never worked the same as if it were on a real machine. My games couldn't find my graphics card my mouse would (vibrate) for lack of a better term and my keyboard had problems. So buying a hdd was going to be the fix to my virtual machines having so much trouble. Maybe im just not experienced enough with virtual machine to get them to work properly.

The new world (EUFI and this new 4k advanced format) is really making my old world difficult. All i want to do is play my old games .
The reason i don't play games anymore is my old ones are not compatible with 7

Just know I AM very grateful for all the help and suggestions you guys are giving me. Without you guys i wouldn't be computergeekguy