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Western Digital 10k rpm "Raptor" in G5?
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Well... I have no first hand experience yet, but if nobody else does either, at least I can tell you that MacGurus will sell you one. I don't know if they're still the reliable company they used to be, but they used to have a hell of a site, and it still looks pretty good.
I'm planning on buying one of the next-gen fluid bearing models for my coming G5 once both ship, so I guess I'll be finding out soon enough.
I'm planning on buying one of the next-gen fluid bearing models for my coming G5 once both ship, so I guess I'll be finding out soon enough.
If you are going to get one...
you should wait. WD is comming out with a 70 GB version very soon that is also a bit faster.
you should wait. WD is comming out with a 70 GB version very soon that is also a bit faster.
*drool*
The 36G size of the Raptor always seemed like not quite enough. I just hope they don't price the 70G through the roof.
fraeone
The 36G size of the Raptor always seemed like not quite enough. I just hope they don't price the 70G through the roof.
fraeone
And hey, if the 70 gig model is too expensive, they're also putting out a 36GB version of the new drive, so you can still get the bonus features. I have a feeling I'll end up with that one to save cash.
For reference, the new models will have:
-Fluid Bearings (as opposed to ball bearings--quieter)
-Slightly Higher data density (faster peak transfer rates)
-Tagged Command Queuing (I don't think the first gens had this--should mean more speed)
All around, cool stuff. I guess I'm the only one who feels like 36GB is enough; since I'm planning on using it just for a boot drive, and I keep most of my data on a seperate drive (makes OS problems less risky, and with the drives on an independant controller, also increases speed a bit), 36GB is more than enough for OSX and any reasonable volume of non-multimedia data.
Considering the fan design of the G5s it seems worth waiting for the next gen Raptors just for the quieter motor.
Beware, the 72 GB version will sport "Command Cueing", not all SATA controllers will support that feature. It's a SATA 2 feature on a SATA controller. I think that the drive will function without command cueing support, but I'm not sure. The 36 GB version does not have that feature.
(Command Cueing is a SCSI borrowed feature that reorders incoming data requests to increase performance.)
(Command Cueing is a SCSI borrowed feature that reorders incoming data requests to increase performance.)
Yeah, a cheaper, more advanced 36 would still be awesome. I agree with you that 36 is an adequate size for an OS drive, I should have been more clear that a 36G drive for more than $4/GB is a little tough to stomach. ATA drives are readily available at $.50/GB if you are willing to wait on a rebate. And it seems that $4 is much cheaper than it was six months ago. I think it was more like twice that
So maybe an older Raptor will eventually be the way to go.fraeone
Hold out for the 70 gig. The 36 gig is not that high performance, its spins a lot faster but due to its lack of density it only seems to be even with 120 gig SATA from Seagate and others.
That's not entirely true; although they're Windows tests, StorageReview found that the Raptor was the fastest of any non-SCSI drive; several of the latest-model 250GB SATA drives came close, but none matched it. (I suppose that smaller-capacity drives in the same families would perform similarly, so long as they use the same platters.)
The low density means that it doesn't have a transfer rate wildly higher than much higher capacity drives, but the low latencies perk up performance any time random access is involved.
Whether the large price premium is worth the comparitively small performance increase is a whole 'nother matter, of course. Depends on your taste. But if it is, I'd almost guarantee it's worth waiting for the next generation, since the seek time and density are both supposed to be significantly better, even in the smaller version, and assuming the G5s support it TCQ should further bump up performance.
Personally, I'm as interested in the drive's 5-year warranty as in its performance; although the StorageReview reliability database figures are looking ugly at this point, it's worth the extra money for a boot drive if it really is more reliable than other ATA drives.
Double post, but I forgot to mention something: Assuming that the next-gen Raptors both use the same harware (so the 70GB version uses two platters, but there are no other differences, which looks to be the case), then there will be no real speed advantages to buying a next-gen 36GB vs the 70GB, since drives only read from one platter at a time anyway.
Re: Apple Drives
Probably no way to be sure until your computer gets there.
Judging by G5 owner comments here, it seems to vary--I've heard at least Seagate and Maxtor mentioned, and I know Apple used to use IBM/Hitachi a lot with older G4s.
Probably no way to be sure until your computer gets there.