WD intros "fastest" hard drive at 300GB
updated 09:35 am EDT, Mon April 21, 2008
WD VelociRaptor 300GB
Western Digital says it has blurred the lines between drive classes with the release of the VelociRaptor, the latest generation of its Raptor high-speed hard disks. The 300GB drive is targeted as much at enthusiasts as professionals and holds twice as much as the most recent Raptor while outperforming it: while spinning at the same 10,000RPM, the VelociRaptor benchmarks about 35 percent faster, the company claims.
Unusually, the new drive also abandons the normal preference towards full-size, 3.5-inch hard drives by switching to a 2.5-inch disk; the switch lets Western Digital surround the VelociRaptor with a passive heatsink that safely cools the drive inside a hot computer case. The disk also modernizes the Raptor with a Serial ATA II connection and 16MB of cache to cut down on unnecessary hard drive access.
The hard drive ships as an add-in for Macs, Windows PCs, and most other SATA-capable computers in mid-May for $300. Alienware is slated as the first PC maker to offer the drive and will give buyers the option of equipping the Area-51 ALX with the VelociRaptor in late April. Up to two drives will be available in a RAID 0 stripe for even faster performance.
noise
04/21, 09:48am reply
Now if only those raptors weren't so noisy. It's like using a hard drive from 1995.
koolkid1976
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2003
2.5 inch drive?
04/21, 10:27am reply
I don't get why Western Digital makes the drive a 2.5" but then adds a 3.5" heatsink to cool it? Possibly this was intended for the mobile (laptop) line but they didn't expect it to get so hot. Maybe they can lower the RPM from 10000 to 7200 so as to replace the 320 GB Scorpio hard drive which only spins at 5400 RPM. I'd love to have this in my Macbook but not at the expense of it having a meltdown.
imagine engine
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2007
should run cool
04/21, 11:01am reply
The reason for the size is talked about here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144875-c,harddrives/article.html#
archer75
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2006
15,000RPM
04/21, 12:31pm reply
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A0971358&cs=19&c=us&l=en&dgc=SS&cid=27530&lid=627063
Well, why not take a look at all 10,000RPM/15,000RPM drives and see what's inside. 2.5" of course.
Without taking the drive apart, just cut a piece of index card into half the size and you will notice that the smaller card has relatively more strength than the larger card. By the same token, hold a 12" PowerBook and then hold a 15.4" or 17" MacBook Pro and feel the chassis flex.
Paul Huang
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 1999
Noise??
04/21, 02:59pm reply
@koolkid1976
I have the Raptor 150 in my Mac Pro it is just as quite as my Seagate 500GB ST3500641AS. Actually a very quite drive.
OzarkMtn
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Feb 2001
Re: apple should to
04/21, 04:26pm reply
The reason is that if you've got a full 10.4 installation, you may want to replace a machine but are not ready to upgrade to 10.5 because their software isn't yet ready.
It may not even be that the software isn't ready. It could be that the OS isn't ready. Or you still need to spend time to test all your apps used throughout your setup. Or you've standardized on 10.4 and want to stay that way for a good year because it's just easier to do that (why spend time and money just to upgrade an OS that currently works for you?).
They do this on machines for an unspecified period after an upgrade but then stop without telling you.
They don't, really. What happens during the crossover is that they just throw an upgrade disk into the boxes so they don't have to re-image the computer disks. But new computers coming off the line will be with the new OS.
However, the problem is that Apple makes no effort (and cares not to) in providing any updates needed to support newer hardware with the old OS. So even if you've settled on 10.4, you're stuck going to 10.5 if you make a hardware purchase that includes any new models (older models should still be able to run 10.4, but most likely aren't supported, since it isn't the OS that came with it).
Reason 108,591 why Apple will never succeed in the Enterprise.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Macnn should to
04/21, 04:31pm reply
speaking of shoulding, wouldn't it be nice if MacNN and their associates could fix the f'ing bug with the comments section on Electronista?????
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
fastest?
04/21, 08:13pm reply
not faster than my 15K SCSI drive I bet.
bigpoppa206
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2003