HDTach Bench on WD Raptor Drives

I thought I would run the HDTach 2.61 Benchmark on a pair of Western Digital 10,000rpm Raptor Drives to see how fast they were. I used the onboard SATA RAID 0 with a 16k Stripe.
I figure a picture is better than anything I could say so here you go.
Take Care,
Richard

The new ones are VelociRaptor and come in the 250-500-1000GB and have larger cache and a number of improvements.
$100 for 250GB / $155 for 500GB are nice price performance
They are SATA with more of a "scsi flavor" in size, 10K spindle and 180MB/sec
Maybe you want 128GB SSD for the system, or the 250GB, same prices.
they are reliable and nice.
WD Black 1TB $89
It is not about how much storage you need really most of the time. Boot drive should be lean mean and unencumbered with other stuff: media libraries and such.
I prefer to keep drives around 50% free.
Discontinued? maybe not. Last or prior model, yes. You can also find WD Black 1TB etc in old 32MB cache variety - sometimes older cost MORE not less.
I use the 150GB 32MB model as system drives and for backup system image alternate for my SSDs, in case I have trouble I can swap or dual boot between either and really can't tell difference other than slight noise - the newer VRs are quieter than those old RAPTOR which was pre-VelociRaptor and those are long gone and 2006-era.

Similar Messages

Problems copying start up disk to Raptor drive? I'm in a mess here...!

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me with this quickly, I've got work deadlines approaching and my system's not working properly... aaagh!!
(really wish I hadn't started on this plan now, but hey...)
I'm trying to copy my startup disk from a 128 GB IDE HD (of which approx only 50GB is used), onto a 74GB SATA Raptor drive (running off a Sonnet PCI card).
I want to move an exact copy of the used section (about 50Gb), so that I won't see any difference (except in speed!)... I've tried using Lacie Silverkeeper, and it boots ok, but doesn't seem to have saved all of the various prefs etc (eg. in Logic (6.4).
If I make a clone, (Carbon Copy Cloner?) it'll be about 120Gb, which obviously won't fit on my Raptor. So what can I do??? (Can I get the Carbon Copy Clone onto a drive smaller than the clone itself?)
Help please, this is stressing me out!!!!!!
Thanks!
G4 FW800 1GB/QS2001 1.25GB RAM, (OSX .3.3), iBook G4 (1.2ghz, 1GB RAM, OSX.3.5) Mac OS X (10.3.3) 3 int.HDs, 3 Lacie ext.HDs, Logic Pro 6.4, RME Fireface 800. 4GB iPod Nano.

Hi Vernon...
Have you noticed any performance boost by switching
to the SATA configuration.
Well I'm running 1 SATA Raptor as boot drive, the other 2 HDDs are still ATAs. I have noticed that things seem to have picked up a bit, before things were certainly sluggish by comparison (not that it was deathly slow before). But I'd be a lot happier if it was more stable!
My main issue with the MMD's is that that they seem
to be very picky about upgrades. Anything you add
can cause them to become unstable.
As I'm discovering...
Have you had similar problems in the past? And what was the solution?
G4 FW800 1GB/QS2001 1.25GB RAM, (OSX .3.3), iBook G4 (1.2ghz, 1GB RAM, OSX.3.5) Mac OS X (10.3.3) 3 int.HDs, 3 Lacie ext.HDs, Logic Pro 6.4, RME Fireface 800. 4GB iPod Nano.

Question about Raptor drives

I have a Mac Pro, obviously, and am considering using a Raptor drive for my boot drive.
I am new to Raptor drives, so can someone explain a few of my questions so I can determine if it is worth my money and time?
Basically, I am a photographer, shooting RAW, using Aperture and CS3. That is my main use of rthe computer. The files I shoot are from the Canon 1Ds Mark III and are huge (21 megapixel each).
If I use a Raptor drive as my boot drive with my OS and apps on it, how will this affect my red write speed on my other 3 internal drives (which are all Seagate 1 terabytes).
I also have an external RAID system for my ever growing library from Aperture as well. I shoot about 3 terabytes of images per year.
Is a raptor drive going to help me? Or because I won't sroe much on the main boot drive, is this silly?
Please, when explaining, or asking me for more information, try not to use TOO much tech speak. I know very little about this stuff.
I am learning ...

KevShootz wrote:
Please, when explaining, or asking me for more information, try not to use TOO much tech speak. I know very little about this stuff.
Then let me caution you against getting sucked into the speed-demon vortex. The minute you say Raptor, you immediately attract users who typically pay closer attention to their stop-watches than they do their retouching skills. Most don't even use Photoshop, which is why I recommend every photographer consult with MacGurus.com. The owners are photographers.
My new MacPro is FAST, especially when compared to my G4 MDD. Would I notice the millisecond differences if I had a Raptor for boot? No. I don't own a stop-watch. I sold my Raptor on eBay.
For photographers, memory seems to be the first key to speed. You may be better off budgeting for memory than trying to figure out how to put your OS safely on a Raptor so you can (not) see how much faster your system boots. Certainly, the more storage, the better. Be certain you understand the risks with RAID.
MacGurus has some great literature for photographer workstations. Don't hesitate to give them a call and speak to Rick or Brian if you need detailed answers. They are one helpful business, probably the best resource for photographers in the marketplace.

Western Digital Raptor Drives Unmounting

I put two Western Digital Raptor drives (74 gig) in my Mac Pro and they are recognized. I've formatted them and data is stored on them. I've run scans on them to ensure that they are healthy, disk checks indicate that there is no issues. HOWEVER, when I come out of sleep Mac OSX automatically unmounts both drive automatically. I can repro this every time. Apple support has no clue. Help.
Thanks,
Ryan

My 74GB Raptor does the same exact thing on my 8-core Mac Pro. I think it's a firmware issue with the drive and since Western Digital doesn't offer firmware updates on these drives, we are SOL.
It worked fine on my Dual 2.3GHZ G5. I talked to WD today and they said to put a jumper between 5 and 6 to make the drive compatible with SATA 2 logic boards but that did nothing. It still unmounts after waking up from sleep.
We just have to buy a newer Raptor. It's really frustrating to deal with this for "enterprise" products.

New 300GB Raptor Drive with Mac PRo

I just picked up a 300 gb raptor drive for my Mac PRo 4 core 3.0 machine. The drive is not lining up with the plugs in the MP.
Help.

Get the other model then, or buy an adapter sled.
There are three versions.
http://www.wdc.com
http://eshop.macsales.com/search/VelociRaptor

Would installing Cheetah or Raptor drives make inDesign data merge work faster?

Would installing Cheetah or Raptor drives make inDesign data merge work faster?

I think SSDs might turn out to be slower. There are some other posts about major slowdowns when the OS and user profile are on SSDs.
As a 32 bit program, ID can't adress all that extra RAM, so you won't affect the amount of swapping required. I don't really know how efficient an SSD is for constant read and write operations, but my undertanding is they work great for fast loading of things that don't change, but not so much for files that rewrite constantly.

Regarding 36.7gb Raptor drive...

Hi.
First, my thanks to people who helped me with hdd/windows installation.
My question:
I pretty much let windows disc do the work while installing windows xp pro.
All default settings even when formatting the drive by way of NFTS.
When I check the the drive via My Computer on the desktop,
the total disk capacity seemed to have shrunken to about 35gb.
Is this normal on SATA hard drives, specifically raptor drives?
Or did I goof along the way?
Thanks in advance.
Sincerely.

Yes it's normal

Poor SATA Performance out of K8n Neo Plat and Raptor drive

I have a k8N Neo platinum with a new Raptor drive. Is there any reason why, when I set the command queueing option for the drive, my speed test under the device manager for that channel says I am getting a normal speed of 5 and a burst of 5.5? I should be getting 50+ with this drive.
Any thoughts? I have all the latest drivers.

kweckstrom - the reason is this:
There is currently no hardware support for NCQ on Nforce 3 boards - NVidia have only just managed to add it for the NForce4 boards as you know which aint available as yet.
NCQ is running in software mode - hence the reduction of performance - I have the same problem - its a case of deciding if you really need it or not - if you do allot of multi-tasking then its worthwhile otherwise if like me you just game - then its not required.

How to setup x2 sata W/D Raptor drives not using raid

Hi all,
I am new to this forum so please be kind.
I have just got myself this NE02 board along with 2 W/D Raptor SATA Hard Drives.
I have seem many instructions in these groups about how to configure sata drives using a raid configuration.
What I am looking to do is basically install 2 Raptor SATA drives not using raid,
And also have 2 ide cdrom drives.
Can someone please come back with a nice simple if that can be done! configuration on how i can best achive this.
Many thanks for all your help.
Silent2004

In bios under Integrated Peripherals, On Chip ATA Operating Mode set
Native Mode
ATA Configuration - SATA only
SATA Keep enabled - yes
PATA Keep enabled - yes
PATA channel selection - both
Configure SATA as Raid - no
Read the raid thread at the top anyway, as you may want to install the drivers during the XP install in case you change your mind later.
Also, during your Windows installation, just connect a single SATA drive untill you are up and running.
Read P4 Neo Unofficial Guide for more information.

What's the story on WD Raptor Drives?

I have been toying with the idea of upgrading the hard drives in my Mac Pro to something in the WD Raptor line.
What I have discovered is there are must be two "different lines" of Raptors and I don't know what to think of this.
One "line" is made up of drives that are 300 GB and 600 GB (possibly a 150 GB in there also) and they are much
less expensive than the other "line" that has 500 GB, 1 TB (and possibly a 250 GB in there).
A 600 GB Raptor can be had for $100.00 and a 500 GB Raptor runs about $170.00 (a 1 TB Raptor is about $250.00).
The amount of storage I need makes even a small drive overkill. I have 965 GB free on the 1 TB drive in my iMac.
Can anyone tell me what the difference is and which one would work best in a early 2009 Mac Pro.
Thanks,
Jim

The new ones are VelociRaptor and come in the 250-500-1000GB and have larger cache and a number of improvements.
$100 for 250GB / $155 for 500GB are nice price performance
They are SATA with more of a "scsi flavor" in size, 10K spindle and 180MB/sec
Maybe you want 128GB SSD for the system, or the 250GB, same prices.
they are reliable and nice.
WD Black 1TB $89
It is not about how much storage you need really most of the time. Boot drive should be lean mean and unencumbered with other stuff: media libraries and such.
I prefer to keep drives around 50% free.
Discontinued? maybe not. Last or prior model, yes. You can also find WD Black 1TB etc in old 32MB cache variety - sometimes older cost MORE not less.
I use the 150GB 32MB model as system drives and for backup system image alternate for my SSDs, in case I have trouble I can swap or dual boot between either and really can't tell difference other than slight noise - the newer VRs are quieter than those old RAPTOR which was pre-VelociRaptor and those are long gone and 2006-era.

875P FIS2R, no sound, no Raptor drive

I just fired up the board with the original BIOS of 1.2 and a blue chipset fan.
Do I dare flash to 1.4? CPU temp is 142 deg., seems a bit hot?
Onboard audio will not function. It doesn't seem to like the drivers. Any tricks here?
The installed WD RAPTOR 36 gig drive is NOT recognized by the board. What is the proper setting for this SATA drive in SETUP? Jumpers??
Thanks for ANY suggestions,
Bill
=======================================================
So far the board is stable with the following settings and hardware, software:
XP Pro + SP1
P4 2.8 gig Hyperthreading enabled, 800 mhz, two CPUs are shown.
Corsair 3500 C2PT 512mb X 2= 1 gig DDRAM.
MSIGF4 Ti4200 VTD8X 128 mb
WD 40gig 7200
WD 30gig 7200
WD 36gig 10,000 RAPTOR (board doesn't see it)

Bill
Quote from WD web site
The Raptor has a jumper block located next to the ATA power connector (see image below). There is generally no need to change the default jumper setting in order to use the drive. The only use of this jumper block is to enable or disable power management for the drive. The drives ship in the default position with the shunt on pins 1-2 (disabled). Alternately, the jumper can be removed completely with the same result. Placing the shunt on pins 3-4 (enabled), designates that the drive will power-up in standby mode. For most users the default position should be used.
Secondly is the drive formatted? take a look in Settings, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Storage, Disk Management (Local), see if it's there
If it is you can format it by right clicking and following the options
If it's not list your Bios On-Chip IDE configuration
Pete

Ministack case & WD raptor 10k rpm drive

Could this be done for a mac mini to help speed things up a bit. WD has the 10k rpm raptor drives, I'm thinking one of these in a ministack case could be a worthwhile exercise for photoediting. Any thoughts would be appreciated...

What Daniel said - the stack doesn't do SATA.
In tests, the drive I bought for my stack (maxtor Ultra16 a.k.a. Diamondmax 10) is "the fastest 7200rpm drive available", only just slower than the Raptor. 250GB version at New Egg for $93 (model 6L250RO).

WD Raptor hard drives

Now that this forum has saved me $$ by presenting solid advice about not getting faster CPU's for my proposed MP, I'd like to spend the savings on hard drives. Does the MP accept WD 10,000rpm Raptor drives? Does the faster spin help Leopard very much?

For a long time the 10000rpm 150 Gb Raptor was regarded as the fastest boot drive, but I think it is accepted now that the new generation of 750 Gb drives, especially the Western Digital and Seagate are faster and also much cheaper per Gb. I replaced my raptor with a 1Tb Seagate with a 150 Gb boot partition. Quickbench results for the Seagate are faster but in all honesty I have not noticed a difference in normal use.
The Mac Pros are a bit prone to HD vibratiional buzz which I have not experienced since having all 7200 rpm drives.

*SOLVED* - 2D draw very slow, intel / fglrx Xorg driver

Hey all,
My very first support post to the forums
I have an issue on a few computers whereby the 2D drawing in X is very slow. This happens on my laptop with Intel vga and also on a desktop when using the proprietary fglrx driver. I did not have this problem a few months ago when using stable. At that time, I installed testing and discovered the problem, so I went back to stable. Some time later an update to Xorg came into stable and since then the problem is now in the that tree also.
I thought it might be the new GEM stuff for the Intel driver, so I installed the 2.6.28 kernel when it was released - it did not solve the problem. Installing an NVIDIA card into the desktop box does solves the problem (can't do that for my laptop!). Because it's happening with the intel and fglrx drivers, but not with NVIDIA, I think it might be a problem with some Xorg component that the NVIDIA driver performs itself? But I've no idea..
Essentially, I'm using wmii as my desktop, which is a tiled window manager. Creating a new terminal window, switching between them and closing them all is very slow (taking a second or more), when it should be pretty much instantaneous.
When doing these things, Xorg takes up 90% CPU usage. By comparison, on the same laptop under Debian it only uses 10% CPU (and the problem does not exist).
I have created two desktop screencasts of what I mean. In the videos I am quickly opening a bunch of xterms and then later holding down 'switch between terminals', then holding down 'close terminal'. I run htop to show the CPU usage.
Arch, 4.9 MB, OGV - http://christophersmart.com/videos/archlinux-wmii.ogv
Debian, 5.7 MB, OGV- http://christophersmart.com/videos/debian-wmii.ogv
Any ideas?
Thanks a bunch!
Chris
Edit: FYI, the desktop has an Intel Core2 CPU with 8GB RAM and 2 x WD Raptor drives in RAID 0. With an ATI card, wmii is unusable.
Last edited by csmart (2009-01-17 00:19:57)

Well I first discovered the problem with the 'intel' driver and later when I set up Arch Linux on a desktop I was met with the same issue. I think it might be some part of Xorg that they both share, but it's not just a problem with the catalyst driver.. unfortunately

WD external drive not recognized with 10.7.5 update

I've got a Western Digital external drive that was working just fine an hour ago, then I installed the 10.7.5 update and now my Mac Pro is saying that it's not recognized by the computer and asking if I want to initialize it. I went to Disk Utility and the drive itself shows up but no disc image. It's connected via a RocketU USB 3.0 dual hub, which has also worked fine and aparently still is (it's recognized in my system report). I updated my drivers for the USB 3.0 hub anyways but still no disc being recognized.
It's not a complete disaster because this is a backup disc, but I'd love to avoid having to back up all that data again (about a terabyte, which happens to be all my work files and iTunes files - it's a LOT of stuff). I also wanted to post in case this is some kind of issue with this current update, but I digress.
This is what my disc utility currently looks like:
The destination and source can't be the same (as is pictured) when doing a Restore, right? That accomplishes nothing but a blank drive, I'm guessing.
I also have Drive Genius 3 and tried to "scan" the drive several times, all of them producing failure to scan results. I could try a bench test on the drive, but as I've already stated, it was working fine an hour ago. I'm pretty sure it's the update, not the drive.
So is there any way for me to save the information that's currently on there or do I have to bite the bullet and re-backup all that data?
Thanks for any help here. Every time I think I know what I'm doing on the mac I get something stupid like this that I should know but don't. :-)

Wow, no help at all. Thanks, Apple!! Another stellar performance. That's the last time I ever install an update as it comes up.

HDTach Bench on WD Raptor Drives

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