New drive, silence priority #1

[rahlquist]

Ok picked up a used DSR704 for a song with a dying HD, imaged an 80G drive I had laying around and tried using it, since its 3 years old its excessively loud! This unit is going to be in my bedroom with my light sleeper wife. Any suggestions for a super quiet 80-160G drive?

[JamieP]

Ok picked up a used DSR704 for a song with a dying HD, imaged an 80G drive I had laying around and tried using it, since its 3 years old its excessively loud! This unit is going to be in my bedroom with my light sleeper wife. Any suggestions for a super quiet 80-160G drive?You might check the SilentPCReview hard drive recommendations (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article29-page2.html). Laptop drives are the quietest, of course, but they are expensive in terms of $/GB. Samsung and recent Western Digital drives seem to be the quietest desktop drives among those currently available.

[rahlquist]

Unfortunately their drives in the table are mostly no longer made.

[Deja-vue]

Check out Samsung Drives on Newegg.com.
These are dead silent and run very cool.
:up:

[JamieP]

Here's (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822152014R) a Samsung P80 160GB that was rated well for noise by SPCR for $70 shipped. Not the cheapest $/GB. You do better in the 320GB range for that.

[Deja-vue]

Jamie, that is a "open Box" Item.
The same Drive new is $9.00 more, a no Brainer.

I know it is not exactly a Deal, but if you want it silent, you pay for it.
;)

[dnahas]

You may be able to reduce your current drive noise with the Hitachi Feature Tool

hitachigst.c m/hdd/support/download.htm#FeatureTool

The feature tool can change the drive Automatic Acoustic Management settings from Lowest acoustic emanation setting (Quiet Seek Mode) to Maximum performance level (Normal Seek Mode).

I just installed a Western Digital 320GB 7200RPM 8MB, WD3200JB, from Newegg for $92.99. Before I sacrificed performance without knowing if my new drive would be too loud, I decided to leave the drive on normal seek mode. Its be running for two days now and I have not heard a thing.

[wscannell]

The Hitachi Feature Tool does not work on Seagate drives. Performance reduction in other drives due to acoustic management should not be an issue with TiVo.

[dagap]

Also consider some sort of isolation mounting for both the fan and the hard drive. They make special rubber "sticks/plugs" for such things, or you could roll your own with some rubber washers or whatever.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3294

[SteelersFan]

I have put Seagates (120gb and 400gb) into two different units and I can't hear either of them over the fan especially from a few feet away. YMMV :)

[dlmcmurr]

I put a Seagate 250gb 7200.9 in my bedroom and a 200gb 7200.7 in the living room. The 200 might be slightly louder, but I consider both very good for the bedroom with the fan masking most of the seek noise. The Maxtor 40gb original drive was almost silent, though. Note that putting a dTiVo on standby at night will make it quieter, too, as it's not buffering live tv. I understand that doesn't apply to a SA unit.

Dave

[zalusky]

Does it do service updates when its on standby as they happen at 2am or so?

[dlmcmurr]

Does it do service updates when its on standby as they happen at 2am or so?
Works just fine for me. Does any scheduled recording as requested, too. The red light comes on, just no green light. Also, rather than negotiating the menu to select standby, I just hit the front panel button as I go to bed.