Precision M6400 Owner's Lounge

OK, thanks. Since Dell isn't offering the X25-M drives anyway, I'll stick with my dual 160GB hooked up as RAID 0 and see how the laptop runs. I can always replace them later on when the prices settle a bit in 6 months or so.

 

What's the noise like?
Wondering what two of these would sound like in a notebook.

 

Thanks.

Wondering how much quieter in might be in the M6400.

Nothing like being in a quiet meeting or doing intense work with two noisy HD's under ones fingertips.

 

soooo....i just had a Dell customer service rep over at my house to replace the graphics card that is giving me issues. after two hours of taking my new machine to pieces...the new quadro 3700 he put in doesnt even work at all. after almost watching him walk out without putting the old card back, he called dell to tell them the issue and they had to force him to stay and make my computer workable...not to mention i had files on it i needed to work on...he told me to find someone with the same computer to swap hard drives to get the files off because he didnt want to take it apart again to put the original card back in. now i have to go through this all over again in two days....

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by LLavelle
The reason for data on RAID 0 is that video editing and computations are HD intensive. Although I'm now thinking of OS, app, and long term data on RAID 1 with all cache, temp files, hibernation, etc., on smaller RAID 0. A lot safer and the HD intensive part is using the RAID 0.

I would configure CS to write all temp files to RAID 0 and all permanent data files to RAID 1. Similarly for all temp files created by Gaussian and HyperChem, which like CS, nothing ever seems fast enough. Anyone doing this (permanent data files to RAID 1, scratch files to RAID 0) for their video edits, or rendering, etc., ?

I have not used RAID before. If I get M6400 with one 7200rpm then some months later I get another one and want to set up RAID 1 or 0. Will I need to redo/reinstall everything? Would 2nd 7200rpm need to be identical in size?

Would I be able to setup RAID 0 and 1 as described above without reinstalling everything?

Comments. Thanks.

 

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Thanks.

 

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Thanks

 

Apparently yes, IRRT will do this automatically. See above post. Hopefully someone will confirm bot our questions.

 

Yesterday I had the WD 7200rpm 320 (Black) running on my desk, seeking all over, attached to the SATA connector of an external USB enclosure, but not actually inside the box. (The drive itself is visible on my desk, next to my keyboard.)

Very slight seek noise, nothing that even reach outside the case of a closed box. Completely inaudible when just spinning. One of my quieter drives for sure.

Today, I have the WD Black inside my Covet, with the 7200rpm 160GB Seagate attached to the enclosure. (Also uncovered.) I'll venture a guess that the Seagate might be quieter, but to be fair my transfer right now involves no seeking whatsoever, and I can't hear either drive at all. I would say that, if someone were to first run the Seagate and then run the WD, with me blindfolded in a dark room, I would probably tell him he's pulling my leg and to plug the drives in already.

Keep in mind that sometimes you get a drive that has something rubbing that some others don't. It probably doesn't decrease the life of the drive. But if you read 100 reviews of the same exact hard drive online, there will be something like 10 to 20 people saying the drive is loud even if the rest can't hear it at all.

 

I have two WD320GB 7200rpm in RAID1 in my m6400 and I can't hear them at all.

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