Got|Apex? Review: Seagate Barracuda ES2 and IV ATA Hard Drives 06/27/2002

[Leon]

Thanks for reading the review. Please post any questions or comments in this thread.


http://www.gotapex.com/reviews.php?rev=misc/seagate/index.html

[KillerG]

I just happen to have picked up the Barracuda ATA IV myself for my new P4 2.53 gaming rig. The real beauty for me was that this drive was the cheapest 40 gigger that my supplier had. Sweet or what!?!

The only problem is that now I am gonna have to buy another for my testing set-up as well. Nothing but the best for our readers, I say.

[KillerG]

Heyya Chosen :)

Yet again, I sure do wish that I lived in the US. I had to cough up $120 (CDN) for the Barracuda Drive. I have not compared it directly to my WD with b'm'ing apps as yet but I am gonna as soon as I get a sec.

[LegendKiller]

It really is a great drive, ultra quiet, cool, but still fast enough to keep up with the best performers. I should be able to review the Barracuda V when it comes out, not to mention the new drive on the way.

LK

[KillerG]

Speaking of drives, have ya seen any CDRW Drives about that are looking for homes? If so, I just happen to know where there is a shiny new P4 2.53 GHz system that is crying for a nice fast burner.

:)

[LegendKiller]

I have some other SCSI HDD's that I could swap for a nice video card ;)

[KillerG]

SCSI you say? Hey, you have seen my picture, Bro. I am quite scuzzy enough already.

Heh heh :p

[jase71]

I put a pair of Barracuda IVs in my pc tonight in an IDE Raid config... and reinstalled Linux on 'em...

And let me just stress that when LK says these babies are quiet, he means they're QUIET.

Prior to these I had a pair of Quantum Fireballs that whined like a banshee. We switched over to Barracudas at work recently, so I thought I'd give 'em a shot at home, since they sounded so nice... and the difference is night and day.

Performance hasn't much changed. The Quantums were decent drives in that respect.

But I absolutely can't hear the drives run... even with both of them chugging hard in a RAID config, they never even come close to being louder than my Enermax Whisper power supply... that's quiet!

[LegendKiller]

They are great drives, let me know if you have any low scores in raid. There used to be a problem with the IV drives in raid, Seagate had tweaked them for single drive use and the firmware had to be changed to make them perform right in RAID...I think they are now selling drives that are fixed, but you never know.

The IV with its fluid dynamic bearings is the quietest drive around, no doubt about it. Its still wicked fast also.


LK

[Apex]

Baracuda ATA V with 60GB platers press release:

Seagate (http://www.seagate.com/cda/newsinfo/newsroom/releases/article/0,,1455,00.html)

[jase71]

Originally posted by LegendKiller
They are great drives, let me know if you have any low scores in raid. There used to be a problem with the IV drives in raid, Seagate had tweaked them for single drive use and the firmware had to be changed to make them perform right in RAID...I think they are now selling drives that are fixed, but you never know.
LK

Seat of the pants benchmark says they're just as fast as the Quantum Fireballs were in my RAID setup... but then I'm running them in Linux, so I can't exactly run Sandra on 'em.

Just out of curiosity, though, did you benchmark the drive with AAM enabled or disabled on the IV, LK?

[LegendKiller]

I believe enabled, I didn't check into the acoustic management. Whichever is default, I just wanted to benchmark the drive in a way most people would get it and probably not change it. I should look into what would happen if I did change it...



Apex, we should post some of the press releases for drives on the front page...I might start getting some other manufacturer drives soon...and I might be getting a SATA-RAID combo sometime soon ;).


LK