Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB

I have two of these in RAID and I love them. Very responsive, very quiet, and awesome value in terms of MB per €.

Originally Posted by p3n
Can they do 1.5tb in 3 platters yet? I got the F1 originally because it was the only tb drive on 3 platters (less heat, energy etc)

Not until 500 gig platters come out. Then we'll have a dual platter 1 TB too. Anywho...

Originally Posted by Oclocker
Interesting review - makes the Raptor seem overpriced - makes me wonder if my 640gb F1 is twin platters?

Yes, it is twin platter just as the WD 640 is. THough WD uses just 320 platters and they are used only in 640 and 320 models. And as far as i know, SAmsung uses 334 pallters only in the 1 TB, 750 and 640 gig drives. 320 is still on dual 160s (at least there is no word on single 334, though that size sector is almost dead) and AFAIK the 500 is also on dual 250s. Even the 750 with 3 platters wastes a lot of space - it's basicly the same as a terabyte only with 250 gigs cut off.

So, bit-tech, you at least forgot the 640!

EDIT: apparently Samsung is basing all of their HDs on the 334 platter size, even the tiny 160 gig (yes, half of the platter is empty). So the 500 and 320 gigs also use 334 platters, but you still forgott the 640!!

Originally Posted by page 2

To get a decent idea of drive performance across the three SSDs in a variety of real world circumstances we tested each independently using a variety of tools.

Really? You were just testing SSDs... again? :p

Back on topic: This might just happen to my next drive, replacing my 250GB SATA and my 2 120GB IDE drives. Yes, I still have some. Up and running for more than 5 years now... seem to be built for eternity.
I think this test really shows how long the way for SSDs still is. Especially price wise.

Originally Posted by Oclocker
Interesting review - makes the Raptor seem overpriced - makes me wonder if my 640gb F1 is twin platters?

Do remember that the raptor we tested is last generations - NOT the newer 2.5" Velociraptor.

How come the 300GB WD VelociRaptor wasn't included in the comparison? Would have liked to have seen how that compares to your other test drives...

Originally Posted by aon`aTv.gsus666

Quote:

Originally Posted by page 2

To get a decent idea of drive performance across the three SSDs in a variety of real world circumstances we tested each independently using a variety of tools.

Really? You were just testing SSDs... again? :p

thanks - fixed.

Originally Posted by ChaosDefinesOrder
How come the 300GB WD VelociRaptor wasn't included in the comparison? Would have liked to have seen how that compares to your other test drives...

We're still waiting to get a velociraptor in, as we've only recently started testing HDDs. We'll publish a full review when it arrives.

Could you put the new 1TB WD RE3 drive on you list to test as well please? I'd really like to see how this compares to to the SpinPoint F1, WD Raptor and WD VelociRaptor.

velociRaptor vs samsung spinpoint f1

http://www.storagereview.com/php/benchmark/suite_v4.php?typeID=10&testbedID=4&osID=6&raidconfigID=1&numDrives=1&devID_0=366&devID_1=361&devCnt=2

good website for purely HDD reviews, however they don't have much of any SSD content yet

I forgot to mention the velociraptor can be found for about $200 so you're paying twice for 1/3 the storage and the performance gain, while real is not hugely noticable in non server related tasks. Performance would be higher with 2 f1's in raid which would cost the same and offer much more storage capacity

that's for doing HDD reviews!
Do you have any plans for testing RAID controllers too?

Originally Posted by metarinka
I forgot to mention the velociraptor can be found for about $200 so you're paying twice for 1/3 the storage and the performance gain, while real is not hugely noticable in non server related tasks. Performance would be higher with 2 f1's in raid which would cost the same and offer much more storage capacity

But would run hotter and use more juice. The Velociraptors are the low heat/low power option.

Got 3 of these, and I'm eyeing up 3 more. Lovely drives.

I've had one of these in my old Shuttle SB81P next to my TV for a little while now, lovely, lovely drive. Quiet and cool. :)

thanks, u've just choosen my new hdd for me :D

Hmmmm. I've owned this drive for just over a month now and looking at how everyones replies say how lovely and quiet it is I'm wondering now if there is something wrong with mine. I have it mounted on anti vibration blocks and it is the only thing in my system that i hear, it makes a clunking noise as it reads and writes. Its certainly doesnt sound like something is broken but it has irratted me as its in my HTPC setup. Hmmm possible RMA time.

Originally Posted by Boost
it makes a clunking noise as it reads and writes.

Dont think any hard drive should be clunking hehe, defo send it back.

Originally Posted by nukeman8

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boost
it makes a clunking noise as it reads and writes.

Dont think any hard drive should be clunking hehe, defo send it back.

Ha Ha yeh i know, its just its audible enough as to the point where it bothers me as in I want a near silent system but its still much quieter than most Maxtor or Seagate drives i've used. But yeh RMA time me thinks.

You could try the Samsung tool for adjusting the acoustic level of the hard drive. Iirc, there are three settings. Slower/Quieter, 'Middle', Faster/Noisier.

I am gonna get one as soon as I have cash, my 320GB drive is full.

Good review, and it's nice to see that everyone here with a F1 is happy. But the user reviews at the Egg (at least for the 750 gb drive I was looking at) are abysmal. Tremendously disappointed users vis-a-vis other manufacturers' drives. The last time I saw such anguish was when WD 40 meg drives were failing left, right and centre.

High DOA and failure rates within 6 months. Synopsis of comments: fast, if it works.

Perhaps reviews here should take into account the reams of reviews that are in evidence at NewEgg, as an additional point in conclusions. Just point readers that way if there is a problem, indicating YMMV.

The problem with those reviews is that if 10,000 buy the drive and 1% have problems and half of those people post bad reviews then that's 50 bad reviews, most of the time the people who get a fully functioning drive don't post feedback. So all those negative reviews would only be indicative of a small percentage of peoples experiences.

@r4tch3t: Fair point, but considering that WD & Seagate probably sell shedloads more drives to consumers than Samsung does, I think it's rather telling by the skewed ratio of complaints against Samsung's F1 than, say WD's & Seagate's latest offerings --- Black editions or .11's. However, if in the end the commenters are happy with their F1's, that's fine. But for casual readers, fail-rates are an important balance within an article. That's all I was trying to get at. Ciao, and season's greetings to all.

Huge capacity for the money, good review and drive.

I just bought a 1TB Caviar Black over the Samsung Spinpoint F1 do to hearing about its higher than average failure rate. I was wondering what you guys at bit-tech think about Samsung's F1 failure rate? Especially since you guys said you bought half a dozen of them.

I think the "higher than average" failure rate is just because so many people are buying them. Therefore you hear of more failures even though the rate is the same as normal drives.