Harddrive for HTPC

04rex · Mar 18, 2015

Hey guys, quick question. Does the RPM speed of the harddrive really matter for HTPC usage? I wouldn't really be using it for more than that. Just regular computing. No real gaming or anything.

Thanks for any input.

TornadoTJ · Mar 18, 2015

Not at all. In fact, the slower the better - less heat and noise.

04rex · Mar 18, 2015

Nice. Thank you.

Any manufacturer or model that is recommended? I would be looking at 4TB.

My options right now are:

Seagate - ST4000DM000
HGST - 0S03355 (never heard of his company)
WD - WD3000F9YZ
WD - WDBSLA0040HNC-NRSN

Any input or recommendation from the above is very much appreciated.

captain_video · Mar 18, 2015

5400 rpm drives are fine for use as a DVR. Most people here seem to prefer using a SSD for installing the OS and apps and a standard drive for recording storage. Pretty much any off-the-shelf retail drive will work just fine.

ES_Revenge · Mar 18, 2015

04rex said:
Nice. Thank you.

Any manufacturer or model that is recommended? I would be looking at 4TB.

My options right now are:

Seagate - ST4000DM000
HGST - 0S03355 (never heard of his company)
WD - WD3000F9YZ
WD - WDBSLA0040HNC-NRSN

Any input or recommendation from the above is very much appreciated.

HGST = Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. In other words Hitachi...but not really. Originally it was IBM owned (the Deskstar years), then Hitachi bought it from them, and then WD bought the division from Hitachi some years ago with Hitachi retaining some stock in WD. Note that HGST drives are not the same as WD drives as they continue to operate as separate subsidiaries creating their own drives/technologies.

Some people here say they're "the best" drives and most reliable (as some studies have shown), and they do typically hold a price premium over other drives. However others are not as convinced as to the alleged "greatness" of Hitachi. The one guy with the 80TB RAID server says he had more HGST drives fail than any other...

StardogChampion · Mar 18, 2015

It's really luck of the draw with drives. I buy whatever is on sale. I've had lots good luck and a little bit of bad luck with all of the brands. I think most of my drives have either been WD Green or Seagate which it's easy to find plenty of hate for -- but they've worked fine for me.

04rex · Mar 18, 2015

Ok, thanks for all the info guys. I can actually get the Seagate ST4000DM000 for the cheapest at 4TB right now for $179 Canadian. So i will most likely go with them.

Thanks for all the info.

Ken.F · Mar 18, 2015

04rex said:
...Seagate ST4000DM000 for the cheapest at 4TB right now for $179 Canadian.

That sounds expensive to me but I'm in the US. Do computer parts typically cost more up there? Is it the currency exchange rate?

04rex · Mar 18, 2015

Unfortunately it is more expensive here. That is the cheapest price i have found for 4TB HDD. Things are usually more expensive in Canada for some screwed up reason. Unless of course you find a crazy sale or deal.

TornadoTJ · Mar 18, 2015

ST4000DM000

The 3TB version of this drive was absolute junk. I haven't heard anything bad about the 4TB version though. I prefer to use WD red drives.

Falcon2915 · Mar 18, 2015

For a HTPC, I did a build a couple of years ago and still use WD 2TB Green drives for storage paired with a Crucial SSD for OS. Works really well.
The WD drives go for about £50 in the UK for 2TB

aliaskary77 · Mar 19, 2015

Ken.F said:
That sounds expensive to me but I'm in the US. Do computer parts typically cost more up there? Is it the currency exchange rate?

for a while prices were on par with the US when the x-change rate was at par. however we always get dinged on high taxes and crazy expensive shipping. in the last 4 months though CDN has fallen about 25% against the USD so prices will or have been rising again. i always try to time my big purchases with trips down to the US when seeing family.

ES_Revenge · Mar 19, 2015

Ken.F said:
That sounds expensive to me but I'm in the US. Do computer parts typically cost more up there? Is it the currency exchange rate?

It's not really any more expensive... Same drive on US Newegg is $140. $140 US is roughly $175 CDN right now. Insignificant difference really.

04rex · Mar 19, 2015

I ordered the Seagate, so hopefully it works out good. Thanks for the info guys.

And yes, the Canadian dollar sucks right now.

emcdade · Mar 20, 2015

04rex said:
I ordered the Seagate, so hopefully it works out good. Thanks for the info guys.

And yes, the Canadian dollar sucks right now.

That's too bad, 3TB Seagate drives are on sale at Microcenter for $85 USD right now.

Ken.F · Mar 20, 2015

emcdade said:
That's too bad, 3TB Seagate drives are on sale at Microcenter for $85 USD right now.

I've had terrible luck with those. I only ever bought three of the 3TB Seagate HDDs and all three of them died. I have 15 other Seagate HDDs (1TB, 2TB and 4TB) and they are all doing fine.

smitbret · Mar 20, 2015

A little over 2 years ago I built my Server with 4 x 2TB Seagates. They have been screaming fast, cool and quiet. I have had no problems at all with them.

I have been adding 3TB HDDs recently because they are the current sweetspot for GB/$. I was gonna do Seagates, but the BackBlaze articles came out just in time to save me. I don't know what it could possibly be about those 3TB drives that make them so much more unreliable but I put them right up there with the old 40GB IBM "Death Stars" from a few years back:
https://www.backblaze.com/blog/best-hard-drive/

43% Annual failure rate!!!??? Are you serious?. Been doing the Toshiba DT101ACA thing instead.

Ironically enough though, my parents had a "Death Star" for about six years. Never had a problem a with it.

blueiedgod · Mar 20, 2015

04rex said:
Unfortunately it is more expensive here. That is the cheapest price i have found for 4TB HDD. Things are usually more expensive in Canada for some screwed up reason. Unless of course you find a crazy sale or deal.

1) Universal Healthcare is funded by the VAT, which is 30%. Hence all of your prices are 30% higher. i.e. there is no free healthcare.

2) Exchange rate - Canadian dollar dropped to like CA$0.80 to US$1.

As to the question, use non-spinning drives, i.e. SSD for OS, and whatever spinning ones you can get your hands on for data.

IF you are in GTA, both NCIX and TigerDirect have physical stores.

Edit: Don't even think about installing OS on the 4TB drive. You are asking for a beating.

Mike99 · Mar 21, 2015

blueiedgod said:
IF you are in GTA, both NCIX and TigerDirect have physical stores.

I was in one of my local Illinois Tiger Direct stores last Monday. They are having a liquidation sale & closing 31 stores & all warehouses except the one in Florida. They will be strictly an online store.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article13654826.html

04rex · Mar 25, 2015

Hey guys, quick question.

So I bought the Seagate 4TB drive. Everything is done. When I installed Windows, I noticed that when I go to my computer, the harddrive says 1.99TB free of 2TB. How is this possible if my harddrive is 4TB? I know that it is never exactly 4TB, and usually a bit less, but half??

All I have installed is Windows 7 64 bit.

What do I do or what can I do?

Thanks for any help

Harddrive for HTPC

Top Contributors this Month