Computer/audio nerds: help me buy a new harddrive

[dj_soo]

So my powerbook is rapidly running out of space and it's time for me to get an external. I figure rather than buying an expensive external, I'd go for a harddive and an enclosure to save some cost.

I've been out of the computer building scene for a while (never really was a part of it) so I just had a couple questions to the comp geeks on here:

IDE? SCSI? SATA? SATA2? What do these even mean? What should I go for?

Just to clarify, I'm using this strictly for Serato use (i.e. audio streaming from the HD) and would prefer a 2.5" 7200 rpm HD (3.5 will do) with an enclosure that supports both USB 2.0 and Firewire and it needs to be compatable with my old G4 powerbook. I'm also looking for minumum of 250 gigs - preferably in the 360 range.

Any recommendations?

[dj_soo]

on further investigation looks like a 320GB HD at 2.5" is a pipedream. oh well - i'm still undecided on whether convenience or space it preferred. Still help me out :)

[tiedye]

Western Digital's Raptor X hard drive - The Tech Report - Page 1

Western Digital's "Raptor X" drive is deadly. The series was originally designed for high-end commercial use but it was adopted by the gamer world. This review should give you all the info you need.

Also, there is a table on the page that compares it to its predecessor, which I am currently running three of on a RAID3 system. Both run on 10 000rpm and I've yet to have an issue with the WD740GD.

[thebobman]

Make sure you get an enclosure with a fan. it'll be louder, but the HDD will last longer. Also, move as much of you long term storage shit off your computer and onto the HDD and keep the data you'll be accessing frequently stored locally, no external HDD is as fast as an internal one. Unless it's eSATA or something. Also external HDDs die far faster than internal ones, back up your shit frequently.

Recommendations for enclosures:

Coolermaster RX-3SB - $47



NexStar 3 - $54

[dj_soo]

here's the deal tho, I'm going to use this for serato and gigs so it's really going to need to stand up to the rigours of nightclub use and travelling. I've been told it's probably a better idea to go for a true external rather than an internal and an enclosure for longevity's sake.

Right now, I'm trying to decide between this:

Costco Western Digital® 160 GB WD Passport™ Portable 2.5-in. External Hard Drive

or this:

Costco Western Digital® My Book™ Premium Edition™ 500 GB External Hard Drive

one is way bigger but i worry that the larger drive will be less sturdy for some reason.

thoughts?

[tiedye]

Take care of your equipment and an enclosure will hold up. I'll take a look at those links though.

[tiedye]

Does Serato support firewire?

[dj_soo]

no, serato is still USB 1.0 :-\

but since the sustained transfer of firewire is better, i'm hoping it'll help me avoid any potential audio dropouts

[Goodfellow]

sorry to hijack a bit, but I had a quick questions about externals..

are they exact same speed basically as a internal? as in.. if you have a bunch of sample packs and programs on the external and you're producin.. it won't slow down the same way a CD rom would right??

[dj_soo]

Originally Posted by tiedye

Take care of your equipment and an enclosure will hold up. I'll take a look at those links though.

incidentally, that's why i want something sturdy - i need something that will withstand the occasional drunken flail (within reason of course) or just the stress of being carried in my backpack whilst travelling for gigs or survive 3 days camping or something - i already have a big 500 gig drive that i wouldn't dare bring out to any gig.

[tiedye]

Originally Posted by Goodfellow

sorry to hijack a bit, but I had a quick questions about externals..

are they exact same speed basically as a internal? as in.. if you have a bunch of sample packs and programs on the external and you're producin.. it won't slow down the same way a CD rom would right??

If you go with an enclosure, it depends on whether you're rocking firewire or USB 1.0 or USB 2.0. The drive I use is painful because my comp still uses USB 1.0 so I switched to firewire. It's deadly.

If you go with a true external, it really depends on the model and what you do with it. If you're using it to mule large batches of file (like 20-60gb like I've had to do in the past) I highly recommend getting one that supports firewire.

[tiedye]

Originally Posted by dj_soo

incidentally, that's why i want something sturdy - i need something that will withstand the occasional drunken flail (within reason of course) or just the stress of being carried in my backpack whilst travelling for gigs or survive 3 days camping or something - i already have a big 500 gig drive that i wouldn't dare bring out to any gig.

For that... either will do. Just make sure it doesn't brake your fall and it'll hold up.