Opinion: How would you utilize two HDDs

[loaba]

I was digging around in my parts bin and I came across a pair of old Seagate Barracuda 500gb units. They're matched, each one is 7200rpm, probably SATA-2.

I have no idea what the specs are for the TB drive that came stock with the box (HP pavilion P-6777 c-b.) I'm just guessing here, but I figure it's minimum SATA-2/5400rpm. What the specs, the thing is slow.

I've installed on of the 500's and it seems to be working well. So my question, per the title, is how would you configure these two drives? I'm thinking that I should do a fresh install on the 500 and then use the TB drive for mass storage.

Sub-question - I'm considering installing the 2nd 500, but my stock PSU is giving me pause. Its a 250 watt unit and don't want to overload it. I don't have an outrageous video card (GT 8800) but still, I think it could be risk.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'd try to run benchmarks on the 1 TB versus the 500 GB drives to get some insight as to relative speed. And then maybe install to the faster drive. If that is a desktop PC, I'd think the 1 TB should be 7200 rpm, but I could be wrong.

Hard drives use no more than 10 watts. I seriously doubt adding a second drive is going to cause PSU issues.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Honestly, I'd sell both of the drives, and put that money towards an SSD and a usable PSU. 250W is FAR below what a current system should be running.

 

[loaba]

Honestly, I'd sell both of the drives, and put that money towards an SSD and a usable PSU. 250W is FAR below what a current system should be running.

I used to subscribe to that theory, but not anymore. First, when I did believe in 600 watt PSU's, I was running 3 or 4 HDDs, 2 optical drives and big video cards. Nowadays, I'm running a very stripped down system that seems to working just fine* on a 250.

Having said all of that, Newegg is offering a 550w PSU for $27.00 so I might just order that up.

*I say the 250w has been fine, but in reality there have been times on Steam (playing Renegade Ops) when the box has locked up. So is that because my video card is behind the times, or because my PSU is wimpy?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Without knowing any details of that 27 dollar 550 watt PSU, you may be better off with what you have.

 

[Fantail]

Fresh off browsing newegg so this opinion is biased
Pick up a external 3.5/usb case for the 1tb, use it on any pc you need it then.
Some guys are into the raid thing, seems like noise to me. Use one 500/7200 as a main drive then use the other as a ghost drive.

 

[loaba]

Without knowing any details of that 27 dollar 550 watt PSU, you may be better off with what you have.

Newegg.com - COOLMAX V-500 500W ATX Power Supply

My bad - 500w, $27.99. It should be noted that it only has a 3-egg rating.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

There are numerous Seasonic/Antec/Corsair power supplies at Newegg in the 350 to 400 watt range for under 50 dollars that I would buy rather than that Coolmax.

 

[loaba]

Fresh off browsing newegg so this opinion is biased
Pick up a external 3.5/usb case for the 1tb, use it on any pc you need it then.
Some guys are into the raid thing, seems like noise to me. Use one 500/7200 as a main drive then use the other as a ghost drive.

This seems like a solid solution. I'm big into torrents these days (mainly TV series and movies) and being able to pass off a "media" drive would be useful. I could set up a mirror raid with the 2x 500gb units.

 

[DeaconFrost]

I used to subscribe to that theory, but not anymore.

Under-powered PSUs aren't the stuff of theory. I'm surprised you can play any game at all on that system. Yes, many people go way over-board, such as running 1000W in a standard system. But you should always ive your system a cushion over what it requires, and then add extra to that as well.

I say the 250w has been fine, but in reality there have been times on Steam (playing Renegade Ops) when the box has locked up. So is that because my video card is behind the times, or because my PSU is wimpy?

That could be very possible. I would think your video card's minimum suggested is around 400W or so.

I have three OCZ PSUs, from 500W to 700W. The most expensive was $60. If you shop around and stick to quality brands, you can get a good deal.

 

[loaba]

I have three OCZ PSUs, from 500W to 700W. The most expensive was $60. If you shop around and stick to quality brands, you can get a good deal.

Newegg.com - OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom

The $10.00 promo runs through today, but I do hate rebates.

 

[DeaconFrost]

That's one of the PSUs I have. Their rebates have been great, although they come in the form of prepaid Visa cards.

 

[loaba]

After testing the 1TB and the 500GB drives, it would appear that the 1TB drive is just a bit faster.

Test file size: 1000mb
1TB: Read 119.5 / Write 116.2
500GB: Read 96.99 / Write 95.24

I wonder what the results would be if I were to RAID the 500's. That might be the very best way way to get maximum efficiency.

Thoughts?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

There are many versions of RAID. Which are you considering?

RAID has kind of fallen into disfavor for the typical user, at least on these forums.

With so little difference in performance between those 2 drives, I would base my decision on other factors----how much storage space do you require for data? What is your backup scheme? How old are those drives? Etcetera.

 

[loaba]

There are many versions of RAID. Which are you considering?

In terms of performance gain (if any), I'd be looking at striping, or Raid 0.

RAID has kind of fallen into disfavor for the typical user, at least on these forums.

I used to run Raid 0 all the time but have never done so on my current box.

With so little difference in performance between those 2 drives, I would base my decision on other factors----how much storage space do you require for data? What is your backup scheme? How old are those drives? Etcetera.

The 1TB drive is less than 2yrs old while the 500GB units are probably more than 3yrs old.

What I'm really trying to do is simply separate Windows from everything else (System drive and a Data drive.) Looking at my current usage for each drive, it seems like Windows could happily live on one of the 500's and data could live on the 1TB.

As per a previous suggestion, getting a USB enclosure for the 1TB and using the 2x 500's (non-Raid) for System and Data might be the very best configuration.

 

[DeaconFrost]

I wouldn't consider RAID at this point. That hype died out a while ago. If the two drives are close in performance, you could use a 500 GB for C and the TB for D. Then in time, if you go with an SSD, you can move your TB drive over to be D for data storage.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Looking at my current usage for each drive, it seems like Windows could happily live on one of the 500's and data could live on the 1TB.

I'd agree---but.

The 1 TB is younger and may last longer before a failure?

Which drive would you prefer drop dead: your Windows drive or your data drive?

Shouldn't matter much if you have a decent backup strategy in place.

But if you have 400 plus GB of data, it's pretty tough to put it on a 500 GB drive.

 

[loaba]

The 1 TB is younger and may last longer before a failure?

Which drive would you prefer drop dead: your Windows drive or your data drive?

Shouldn't matter much if you have a decent backup strategy in place.

But if you have 400 plus GB of data, it's pretty tough to put it on a 500 GB drive.

In terms of security, having Windows on the 500 isn't bad at all. If the 500 dies, then I install its twin and keep on rolling. Data on the newer (and therefore more reliable) 1TB drive makes more sense.