Hardware components related to HDD

[i.shaun]

Another thread. .

If I cannot get anyone to fix my iMac, I would attempt to do it myself, what would I have to lose, right?


Problem is: HDD. Disk verification comes up good, I hear no unusual sounds, but if I try running something like a torrent app, the disk usage spikes like crazy and everything freezes. It's as if the disk it too slow to keep up or something. It never used to be like this.


I had run an apple hardware test before to see what it would say, and I got this error:
4MOT/1/40000003: HDD\


Currently It displays:
4MOT/2/40000004: HDD\



This is definitely for the Internal HDD, but my question is: Does this mean it's definitely the HDD? What other hardware components are related to the HDD that could be causing this? Anything to control or run it aside from the HDD itself?



I'm just wondering because if I try to open this, and replace the HDD -- will that work, or would I be overlooking another issue? I'd rather know more about the hardware before attempting to open it up and fix anything. I would rather make sure I fix the problem the first time.

 

[spinnerlys]

What's the S.M.A.R.T. status? You can use Disk Utility and SMART Reporter to find out.

You can also use XBench to test the read and write speed of you HDD.

As I can see from your sig, it seems to be the HDD of you old 15" iMac (is it the old CRT or the lamp shade model?), which means the HDD is old too and it could be dying.

 

[i.shaun]

What's the S.M.A.R.T. status? You can use Disk Utility and SMART Reporter to find out.

You can also use XBench to test the read and write speed of you HDD.

As I can see from your sig, it seems to be the HDD of you old 15" iMac (is it the old CRT or the lamp shade model?), which means the HDD is old too and it could be dying.

I should update that sig haha, It's actually a late 2006 Intel iMac 17".


I'll check into it and get back.


----------------------------------------------
Edit: Signature error fixed*

S.M.A.R.T Status: Verified. (both in disk utility, and in smartreporter)

Xbench.app reports the following for my disk test:

Sequential 2.18
Uncached Write 1.27 0.78 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Write 0.98 0.55 MB/sec [256K blocks]
Uncached Read 79.56 23.28 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Read 117.02 58.81 MB/sec [256K blocks]

Random 7.61
Uncached Write 21.78 2.31 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Write 2.17 0.70 MB/sec [256K blocks]
Uncached Read 80.03 0.57 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Read 137.58 25.53 MB/sec [256K blocks]



I don't know what to make of it though


Btw, nice photos on your site. I'm interested in photography but I can't seem to do it properly lol. I tried making an HDR photo in my backyard but it didn't turn out anything like professional ones do. I guess I need better lighting or something

 

[i.shaun]

Okay my External HDD says this for the results:

Disk Test 17.43
Sequential 12.56
Uncached Write 28.11 17.26 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Write 30.32 17.15 MB/sec [256K blocks]
Uncached Read 4.42 1.29 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Read 41.96 21.09 MB/sec [256K blocks]
Random 28.47
Uncached Write 10.74 1.14 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Write 55.54 17.78 MB/sec [256K blocks]
Uncached Read 61.31 0.43 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Read 76.36 14.17 MB/sec [256K blocks]

Some of the results are way off (in comparison)

 

[spinnerlys]

Thanks for the comments on my photos. As for HDR, there is a thread or maybe two about HDR photography in the Photography sub-forum, if you don't already know it. I for myself suck at making HDR photographs, even if I have three different exposures in RAW at hand. Hmmm.

As to your internal HDD, as you already have noticed, it has quite a low write speed, in fact real slow.

Is you HDD full?

What about saving the torrents on the external HDD?

I don't know much about fragmentation under OS X with HFS+, but afaik HFS+ is quite good in handling such issues, that plague Windows' NTFS, which can be solved by defragmentation.

If you're handy, you could exchange the internal HDD by yourself via the guides at ifixit.com if the problem isn't solved by tools like Disk Warrior or similar ones.

 

[i.shaun]

I never thought of trying on the external HDD.


I just did a small fast torrent to test it out (eminem's new album, may as well preview it to see if it's any good).


It downloaded quite fast, and iTunes didn't even skip a beat (normally iTunes would be the first to go). All this evidence suggests it is definitely an internal HDD issue, and so I will have to attempt to open this iMac up and fix it.


I failed by last attempt but I'll check iFixit to see if they have any tips. I didn't want to break anything when I tried before, but I'll risk it (I have no choice but to risk it).



Hopefully all goes well, and the iMac is in working order when I'm finished.

-backed everything up, I just need a new HDD. . Hopefully I can find one compatible with the imac.




Thanks for the help, spinnerlys!