Re: [SOLVED] Is squeeze compatible with WD20EARS and other 2TB drives?
On Sun, Jan 9, 2011 at 16:02, Stan Hoeppner <stan@hardwarefreak.com> wrote:
> Dotan Cohen put forth on 1/9/2011 5:58 AM:
>
>> Thanks, Klistvud. I just purchased a WD10EARS (1 TB drive) and I
>> noticed that my writes are _slow_. I think that it may be a KDE issue,
>> there even is an open KDE bug that copy/paste is vry slow. But even
>> copying via cp I feel that it's not moving, I need to benchmark the
>> drive. Your post gives me some other things to check and configure.
>> Thank you!
>
> Given the inherent performance problems Linux currently has with the
> 512/4096 byte sector hybrid drives, called "Advanced Format" by Western
> Digital, my recommendation to Linux users is to stay away from these
> drives at all costs, regardless of how attractive the price/GB ratio is.
>
> Specifically regarding the WDxxEARS drives, WD has a drive of the same
> capacity but with native 512 byte sectors in either or both of the Blue
> and Black product lines. The only advantage of the Green (EARS) line is
> a 3TB drive model not present in the Blue/Black lines.
>
> Additionally, the Blue and Black drives have full 7.2k spindles and will
> thus yield far superior performance to the Green (EARS) drives for the
> same size drive.
>
> If one is so power consumption conscious to be suckered into a Green
> (EARS) drive, then one needs to realize the CPU dissipates about 10
> times the wattage/heat of a hard drive. Thus, concentrate your power
> saving efforts elsewhere than the disk drive. Buy a non "green" drive,
> and save yourself these sector alignment/performance headaches.
>
> Dotan, in your case, you should have purchased a WD10EALS instead of the
> WD10EARS:
> http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/SpecSheet/ENG/2879-701277.pdf
>
> This Blue series 1TB drive has vastly superior performance and little
> additional power consumption compared to its WD10EARS cousin.
>
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136534&cm_re=wd10eals-_-22-136-534-_-Product
>
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136490&cm_re=WD10EARS-_-22-136-490-_-Product
>
> The Blue drive costs $5 USD more at Newegg. In all respects it is a
> vastly superior drive for Linux users over the WD10EARS Green drive--no
> sector alignment headaches, 50%+ better streaming and random IOPS
> performance.
>
...and unavailable in my market. I bought the EARS for the local
equivalent of $76 USD, the next 1TB drive costs almost double that.
Just to be sure, I checked the local price comparer website and sure
enough I see the EALS for about $90 USD, however the store is out of
stock. Actually, they haven't gotten stock yet!
But I do feel "suckered" now that you mention it: I thought that this
was a 7200 RPM drive. Oh well, what is done is done and I should have
been more careful when I bought it.
--
Dotan Cohen
http://gibberish.co.il
http://what-is-what.com
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