> Reply-to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> (PCI PowerMacs)
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> (PCI PowerMacs)
> Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 22:25:35 -0700
> From: Andrew Keller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: ST1515ON
> This is really useful. So far we have, "doorstop", "paperweight", and
> "piece of crap".
>
> All I'm asking is an explanation to this for this drive and why, and
> in who's experience. A little credibility wouldn't hurt either.
>
> _
> Andrew
Bit long but here's my part-time tech experience but still sharp on
specs. Anybody can look up the specs on their drives to find
out if their drives is slowing their machines down.
These early barracudas 3.5" HH (half height) style HDs always run hot
and very diffcult to cool. Useless cooling in many external boxes
and computer chassis unless one finds one that can do about 20 cubic
feet per minute past that HD.
Ditto to early barracudas LPs (1" height) but not as bad. Just threw
out a crashed barracuda LP ST32550W. Platters scored and spindle
bearing is gone (bit of ticks felt when I spun that platters by
hand) after I took it apart.
Heat is major killers of HDs and worse w/ early 7200rpm drives and
few early 10K rpm drives. The lube coatings on the platters softens
and at shut off, heads embeds in soft surfaces. Monday morning.
Stuck. Some users or techs had to unstick them w/ a slap or crashed
if heads manages to dig a farrow initially. Heat sometimes crashes
the chipsets or burn them out. Since then, HD makers have since
learned this lessons and designed more carefully to spin those
platters at high rpms efficiently (less heat) and efficient voice
coil design. I have couple 7200rpm drives that one were made 1 and
1/2 years ago and another one very recently and only needed bit of
air flow to keep them cool unlike that noisy 20 CFM blast of air.
Infamous ST1xx 3.5" (20MB thru 80MB w/ stepper) HH ran hot also
even it was based on shrunken famous ST225 idea. They died by large
numbers because their platters got stuck to the head caused by
long overheated runs. Even a slap is not a fix they instantly stick
again on shut down even drive was cool.
I have few early 7200rpm drives also. That 1"
IBM 1GB XP and Atlas II 2.1GB ran warm but not hot while other one
Barracuda 2 (2.1GB) tried in IIci grew blistering HOT after 15
minutes of use and real noisy when seeking. Right now that one is
sitting on shelf till I find box or something to put that HD air
cooled at high rate past that hd but I'm casting around what to put
on what "slow" machine, this HD is dog SLOW due to transfer rate from
210MB per platter (10 platters total). Even a cool running decent
540MB one platter 5400rpm drive knocks it off.
Your ST15150N is same factor form as hot barracuda 2 but still sorta
ok because of incredible 11 platters in it. Appox 400MB per platter
means fair transfer rate but 4GB made up for capacity. A
quantum fireball ST 6.4 (3 platters, 2.1GB per platter spun at 5400
rpm) will trounce that for transfer but ok on seek.
What makes 7200rpm and up attactive part was great for high rate
of seeks in least time. Regular drives (low end) 15ms or so versus
neck-snappng appox seek 4.8ms also higher internal transfer rate thru
each head.
Keep in mind:
Highest density per platter, 7200rpm and up and huge
2MB buffer is the king for getting most performance. Even 40GB per
platter spinning at 5400rpm w/ 2MB is still excellent.
Cheers,
Wizard
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