Gah - difficult HD choice, help?

[Nico Silius]

I'm currently trying to decide between a Western Digital 36 GB and a Western Digital 120 gb.

The 120 gb isn't too bad, 8.9 seek time, 8mb buffer, 7200 RPM.

However, the 36 gb has a teeny 5.2 seek time, 8mb buffer, 10k RPM. And I'm not worried by it's stability... not only is it WD, but it also comes with a free 5 year manufacturers warrenty.

This choice is tearing me apart. One the one hand, the 120 gb is a ton bigger. On the other hand, the 36 gb is a ton faster (though even smaller than my current 40 gb drive).

Price isn't an issue: they're within $1 difference.

Any help/advice?

[InuTrunks]

Go with the 36gig one. the seek times are a BIG difference (along with the rpm's) Unless you're going to use the 120 for storage then don't get it. PUt your OS and games on the 36 (but, leave enough for windows to run. I'd say use about 30 of it). Make sure you'd derfrag it. Also, do you have serial ATA. is it IDE? Send me a link to both, and I'll help you make a decision.

[Nico Silius]

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch...ct_Code=150237 --36 GB

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch...ct_Code=150117 --120 GB

Both are serial ATA drives.

Thanks for any help

[InuTrunks]

Can you do Serial ATA?

Edit: If you're going to do any games, get the 36, if you just want storage, hell, go for a slow as hell 120 5400.

My advice, Get the 36, install windows on that, transfer your data, format the 40, and then transfer the data (besides windows of course, just data you want to keep). Format again (c drive). install windows again on the 36.


Bassicly it goes like this

1) Set 40 to slave, 36 to master
2) install windows onto 36.
3) Copy over everything you want to keep off the 40.
4) format the 40.
5) copy everything you kept back to the 40
6) boot off xp cd, format 36
7) install windows on 36 again.
8) install drivers, programs, games on the 36, keep the 40 for storage.


Trust me, get the 36, You have 80 GB total then. You don't need the 120.


(my current setup, but, I do video editing so....)

Soyo KT-400 Dragon Ultra (shitty mobo ><)
Athlon XP 2400 @ 2.0GHZ FSB OC'd to 333.
1x 512 DDR 2700 (1x more on the way from crucial)
1x 120GB 7200 HDD, 2mb Cache (sucks I know). 6 gig partition (needs to be changed to 10). rest is storage (going to fix that problem soon.)
1x 80GB 5400 (Storage). (About to be put in a different computer, my old 40 7200 is sitting on the shelf right now.

Radeon 9000pro 128/128 (mb/bit) version. (Gonig to be a 9800pro).

I get about 2700-H on the benchmark.

I'm going to upgrade my MOBO to a abit, and get a 3000+ barton (333fsb). along with dual channel ram (nforce2), and a 9800pro I'm hoping to pull score of about 5000+ (hopeful).

[Nico Silius]

Yes, my motherboard supports serial ata drives (Up to 2x and RAID as well).

[InuTrunks]

Check my edit post.

[Nico Silius]

Thanks for the advice, that's probably exactly what I'll do.

[InuTrunks]

I'm going to sleep now. If you do decide to do what I said. Make sure you do know what your doing ^_^. I mean, do you really need the 120? The 36, although smaller, is ALOT better (I'm assuming your going to run FFXI on it ).

Anyway, if you need anyhelp (Although, I'm assuming you're quite smart because you know about cache, and seek times ect).

Feel free to message me on aim. But, I'm going to bed.

TrunksAnime00 (zeros, AIM SN).

I'll try to get back with you.... Also, if you don't have aim, feel free to e-mail me: InuTrunks@hotmail.com.


Goodnight :D
And goodluck.