Recommended Hard Drives

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The Legendary Barracuda IV

Designed specifically with low noise as a primary goal, the 7200 RPM Seagate Barracuda ATA IV hard drive was introduced in 2001 to acclaim by noise-conscious PC users everywhere. Idle noise for the single platter 20 and 40 GB models was cited at 2.0 bels (sound power) and 2.4 bels for seek, with AAM engaged. It was by far the quietest 3.5" hard drive of its day, and one of the first to sport FDB. Several samples still at work in various systems at SPCR sound at least as quiet as (if not quieter than) the quietest 3.5" drives we've reviewed recently. It remains active in our collection of reference quiet hard drives.

Seagate replaced the IV with the very similar V, but by the time the 7200.7 was introduced, their fascination with low noise seemed to fade. None of Seagate's current drives support AAM, and, although their drives are often quiet when idling, they have earned a reputation for exceptionally noisy seeks.

NOTEBOOK DRIVES

We've been recommending 2.5" notebook drives for desktop systems since early 2004. The 2.5" drive may become the norm in the near future. Notebook drives have many positive atributes for silent computing:

1. Much lower noise. The quietest notebook drives have been too quiet to measure at a distance of one meter. They were below the lowest ambient noise level in our lab, 16 dBA@1m. The quietest 3.5" drive measured 20-21 dBA@1m.

2. Low moving mass means very low vibration. Almost all notebook drives can achieve either an 8 or a 9 on our 10 point vibration scale. By comparison, only the best 3.5" drives can manage a 7.

3. Much lower power consumption, and correspondingly less heat, typically no more than 1W at idle, about 6~8 times lower than the power required by 3.5" 7200 RPM drives. This allows for a broader range of silencing techniques and less heat within the system, which usually translates to lower cooling requirements, and the use of quieter, slower fans.

4. Lower spindle speed means a lower primary frequency. Human hearing sentitivity drops off precipitously in the bass region. Below ~150 Hz, if all other factors are constant, the lower the frequency, the less audible the sound. The main noise of a 7,200 RPM drive falls at 120Hz. Most notebook drives spin at 5,400 RPM, and some spin even slower, around 4,200 RPM. The fundamental frequency is 70 Hz for a 4,200 RPM drive, and 90 Hz for a 5,400 RPM drive.

Now that SATA interface is tricking down to notebook drives, they are easier than ever to use in desktop systems. A huge benefit is the ease with which they can be soft-mounted in most desktop cases because of ther small size.

GUIDE to the TABLES

A Cautionary Note: In our opinion, NONE of the 3.5" drives are quiet enough to simply bolt into a case normally. Having suspended or soft-mounted all of the hard drives in our systems for a number of years, our position is that no 3.5" drive is quiet enough without such treatment. For us, this applies to 2.5" drives as well, but it may be due to our hypersensitivity (cultivated?) to PC noise, and the low ambient acoustics of our environment.

Model: Manufacturer and model number.

Date of Manufacture: Date of manufacture of our sample model.

Firmware: Firmware version of our sample model.

SPL: The amount of noise produced by the hard drive at idle and when seeking with AAM enabled and disabled.

Vibration: The level of vibration produced by the drive at idle, evaluated relative to standard reference drives on our standard vibration box.

Power Consumption: The amount of power required by the drive. Can be used to roughly gauge thermal performance.

Comments: The SPL and Vibration ratings are incomplete without these comments. The month and year at the end of the comment is the date of the entry or update.

Please note that some drives are missing some measurements; they were reviewed before such measurements were part of our testing procedure. The symbol "–" denotes this missing information.

Recommended 2.5" Notebook Drives
Drive Model
(linked to review)
Date of Manufacture
Firmware

SPL
Idle / AAM / Seek
(dBA@1m)

Vibration
1-10
(10 = no vibration)
Power Consumption
Idle / AAM / Seek
(W)
April 2004
UC100-10
17 / 18 / 19-20
8
0.8 / 2.3 / 2.4
The acoustics of this drive are virtually identical to the Fujitsu MHT2040AT, a considerably slower 4200 rpm drive and the quietest we've encountered. The Samsung is extremely quiet, and there is very little if any high frequency noise to speak of. It has minimal vibration, but placing it on soft foam does reduce low freq. noise audibly. Seek noise is somewhat more audible than the 1 dBA gain suggests, but very soft. It's been adopted (with elastic suspension) for use in SPCR's quietest reference PCs, including our Audio Recording PC. Added Jan/05
Seagate Momentus 5400.3
ST9160821AS
December 2005
3.ALA
19 / – / 20-21
8
1.2 / – / 2.7
The successor of the Momentus 5400.2, featuring perpendicular recording technology to boost capacity to 160 GB. It also happens to be very quiet. Subjectively, it's probably too close to call between this, the 5400.2, and the Samsung, although the Samsung measures the best. A very good, if expensive, choice for a quiet system. Added Jun/06
Seagate Momentus 5400.2
ST9120821AS
July 2005
3.04
20 / – / 20-21
9
1.5 / – / 3.3
Too close to the Samsung MP0402H to crown either drive as low noise champion, but a very good choice in any case. Idle noise has slightly more "wind noise" than the Samsung but no high frequency noise at all. Although AAM is not supported, seeks are completely inaudible when placed on soft foam. Consumes more power than most notebook drives. Added Oct/05
Western Digital Scorpio WD1200BEVS
March 2006
01.06M01
20 / 20 / 20
8
1 / 2.9 / 2.9
The Scorpio joins notebook drives from Samsung (MP0402H) and Seagate (5400.2 & 5400.3) as one of the quietest drives that money can buy. Choosing between these drives is more or less a matter of availability and price. Deciding on a firm ranking is futile; simple sample variance makes any attempt to do so impossible. The biggest strength of our sample was its seek noise, which was nearly indistinguishable from the idle noise, and nearly inaudible at one meter. Added Apr/07
Western Digital Scorpio WD800VE
December 2004
09.07D09
20 / 21 / 21
7-9
0.8 / 2.5 / 2.5
Sample variance makes it hard to rank the noise this drive, but it belongs somewhere between the Samsung notebook series and the Seagate Barracuda IV. Idle noise is mainly a low frequency motor hum with little high frequency whine. Seeks are almost too quiet to notice, and can be characterized as a low rumble. AAM has not effect, but it would be hard to improve the seeks anyway. Vibration ranged from the level of the Barracuda IV to below the Samsung MP0402H. Added Oct/05
October 2005
MCZOC10HZO
20 / 21 / 21-22
8
1.5 / 3.8 / 3.9
Hitachi's flagship 7,200 RPM notebook drive, competing directly with the Seagate Momentus 7200.1, and beating it handily in terms of both noise and idle power consumption. Power management is disabled, as the drive is targeted at the server and workstation segments, where low power is not a requirement. Unfortunately, the high rotation speed causes a lot of vibration, which resonates at the relatively high (and audible) pitch of 120 Hz. A good compromise between notebook noise and desktop performance, but not quite as quiet as the best notebook drives. Added Jun/06
19 / – / 20
The Hitachi comes very close to the Samsung, but has a slightly sharper and higher pitched sound, with perhaps a touch more vibration as well. The seek noise is a touch louder too. When inside even a very quiet desktop PC, the slightly higher noise level of this drive over the Samsung may not be audible. The performance is superior, according to SiSoftware Sandra 2005, and also subjectively. Added Jan/05
Fujitsu MHT2040AT
16 / – / –
The only noise maker in the Mappit A4F PC, which seemed virtually inaudible. The noise is not inaudible, but very low and soft, easily dismissed in the ambient noise of all but the quietest spaces. There is no high pitched whine to speak of, and the seek noise does not seem more than maybe 2 dBA higher than idle. It is the slowest performer of all the drives here. Extremely low vibration. Added Apr/04
Toshiba MK4025GAS
16 / – / –
Not inaudible, but almost, at 15~16 dBA, easily dismissed in the ambient noise of all but the quietest spaces. There is no high pitched whine to speak of, and the seek cnoise does not seem more than maybe 2 dBA higher than idle. 8 MB cache helps with slow performance of 4200 RPM speed. Extremely low vibration, but mechanical decoupling (suspension, sorbothane, etc.) still helps and is recommended. Added Apr/04

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Recommended 3.5" Desktop Drives
Drive Model
(linked to review)
Date of Manufacture
Firmware

SPL
Idle / AAM / Seek
(dBA@1m)

Vibration
1-10
(10 = no vibration)
Power Consumption
Idle / AAM / Seek
(W)
Samsung Spinpoint T HD400LJ
June 2006
ZZ100-15
20 / 21 / 22-23
3
6.3 / 8.3 / 9.1

An excellent addition to Samsung's range. It upholds Samsung's reputation for low noise, and fixes the only real complaint we had about the P120 series: Sharp seeks. Only a notebook drive is likely to be quieter. Acoustically, the Spinpoint T only has one real competitor: The WD Caviar SE16. Neither drive clearly has the upper hand, and a choice between the two is likely to come down to the kind of noise that bothers you personally. Heavy users who want to avoid seek noise will probably prefer the Western Digital, but users whose drives spend most of their time in idle may prefer the smoother idle noise of the Spinpoint T. Soft mounting is strongly recommended, as usual; our sample had higher vibration than either the older P80 or the WD SE16 samples. The 500GB model HD500LJ has identical specs, so it's probably the same. Added Apr/07

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000KS
March 2006
07.02E07
21 / 21-22 / 23
4
8.5 / 8.6 / 10.7
The only high capacity drive we've seen that we feel comfortable recommending. Idle noise is slighly louder than a Samsung P80, but seek noise is lower than any other 3.5" available, including the famous Barracuda IV. Seeks are close to inaudible even without AAM. With AAM, they are unlikely to be noticed. As with all 3.5" drives, soft-mounting is highly recommended, since vibration is quite high. There is no sign of the "rattling chain" noise that affected earlier revisions of the Caviar SE. Current revisions can be identified by the distinctive label (see the review) or by seeking out drives with the revision number 00MNB0. Added June/06
Samsung Spinpoint P80 SP0802N
June 2004
TK100-24
21 / 23-24 / 24-26
4
6.3 / 8.3 / 9.1
Single platter model with low idle and super low seek (w/AAM enabled by default) close to Seagate Barracuda IV, w/ much better performance and 3-year warranty. The entire P80 line is very quiet, though there are some reports of higher-than-usual sample variances and vibration. They have become the SPCR reference quiet 3.5" drives. There is evidence that some production samples are made with JVC motors and others with Nidec motors. The JVC motor variants generally have some high pitched noise; the Nidec ones do not. A stamp on the bottom of the drive indicates which motor is inside. We recommend only the Nidec motor version. Check user comments in many forum threads. The P series is still listed in Samsung's web site, but readers report poor availability; they are probably on their way out. Updated Apr/07
February 2005
31.08F31
21 / 24-26 / 25-26
6
7.4 / 11.5 / 11.9
Western Digital's 10,000 RPM performance-oriented drive is surprisingly quiet at idle, about the level of the Samsung P80. Seeks are quite sharp and loud compared to other drives, and AAM might as well not be implemented for all the good it does. Some people may consider the significantly faster seeks a worthwhile trade for the slight increase in noise. Thanks to its higher than usual rotation speed, power consumption is also a bit high. The newer 150 GB Raptor has louder, more intrusive seeks, so for now this recommendation only applies to the older 00FLA2 revision. Updated June/06

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HDD NOISE REDUCTION PRODUCTS

HDD Noise Reduction products typically take the form of enclosures, although the category is not strictly limited to such devices. Noise reduction products are tested using the loudest and most vibration-prone drives in the lab. The noise levels are compared with and without the device. The measurements below reflect the sonic improvement effected by the products.

Recommended HDD Noise Reduction Products
Model
(linked to review)

SPL Improvement
Idle / Seek
(dBA@1m)

Vibration Improvement
(on our standard 10 point scale)
Smart Drive HDD Enclosure (also Smart Drive 2002 and 2002Copper versions)
6 / 6
2
Smarter realization of the seal-up-that-hard-drive idea, with slick metal / damping foam / metal construction and great attention to detail. Acoustic isolation is excellent, 6 dBA@1m for both idle and seek noise. Does not eliminate seek noise when mounted normally and has only a minimal effect on vibration. Does not overheat 7200 RPM drives. Mounts in a 5.25-inch drive bay. Updated Oct/05
Scythe Silent Box SBX-1000 HDD Enclosure
4 / 4
4
A foam-padded box that uses a heatlane to transfer heat away from the drive. Less effective at blocking acoustic noise than the Smart Drive but better at reducing vibration. Our review showed that it improved temperature slightly, but real world evidence has contradicted this. Fits into a 5.25-inch drive bay with difficulty. Added Oct/05

 

Reduces vibration-caused noise by decoupling the HDD from the case using elastic bands (industrial O-rings) in a 5.25-inch drive rack. Great for drives with low acoustic noise. Just about eliminates seek noise with many drives. Sturdy, simple, and effective. Among the commercial HDD noise reducers, this is SPCR's preferred product, mounted not in a 5.25" bay but rather, at the bottom of the case in the intake airflow path. Added Dec/02 Not tested with the latest methodology.

RETIRED HARD DRIVES

As we continue to update the recommended list with newer and better models, some models inevitably lose the luster that they had when we first looked at them. These drives end up on the retired list. The most common reason for retirement is because the model that we reviewed is no longer being made, but occasionally a model gets retired early if it is clearly outclassed by another model on the recommended list.

Recommended 3.5" Desktop Drives
Drive Model
(linked to review)
Date of Manufacture
Firmware

SPL
Idle / AAM / Seek
(dBA@1m)

Vibration
1-10
(10 = no vibration)
Power Consumption
Idle / AAM / Seek
(W)
Samsung P120 SP2004C
June 2005
VM100-33
21 / 23-24 / 23-24
5
7.1 / 8.9 / 10.4
Successor to the P80 line with more capacity, but all models have two platters. Idle is about as quiet as our favorite P80 line, with very little motor hum. However, AAM is ineffective and some users have complained that the seeks seem sharper and louder, although no difference in SPL was measured. Vibration is slightly lower than the P80, but only average compared to other drives on the market. A very good choice if you need the capacity or performance improvement, but those interested only in noise will want to stick with the P80 series or find a notebook drive. Retired June/06
Seagate 7200.7 PATA
Parallel ATA only, no bigger than 2-disc, preferably made in China
~20 / ~23 / –
7?
This recommendation is based not on a formal review but a careful subjective assessment and discussion in the SPCR forum, which is linked to the model name on the left. The particular 7200.7 sample was an 80GB single-disc PATA model, made in China in Q3-2004. It exhibited the lowest noise and vibration of any 3.5" drive I've heard. AAM was enabled (but not adjustable), unlike all SATA models from Seagate, which are officially not AAM enabled. This assessment may or may not hold true for 7200.8 or the upcoming 7200.9. Comments by MikeC. Retired June/06
March 2005
31.08F31
22 / 23-24 / 28-30
6
7.1 / 8.2 / 10.7
Those who need more capacity than two platters can supply may want to explore the newer Caviars, but beware of the older models without FDB motors! Safe versions have a black casing. This 250GB model is fairly quiet, although it is louder than the Samsung P80 at idle, and seeks are decidedly loud unless AAM is enabled. Fortunately, AAM is especially effective. Our sample had a strange, intermittent ringing during seek that sounded like a chain being dragged in the distance, but some users have reported that this sound was not present in their drives. Vibration is on par with the relatively low-vibration Seagate Barracuda IV. Retired June/06
3.10
20 / 23 / 25~26
6
6.7 / 11.3 / 11.6
This model from 2002 is still the quietest desktop drive we've encountered. We still keep several samples in use around the lab, even though Seagate has long since stopped making them. Unfortunately, they have long since been outclassed in speed and capacity, and notebook drives are often quieter. Still worth it for a cheap second-hand purchase for a low end system. Retired Oct/05

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