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    Dual platters and perpendicular technology question.

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by freddychain, Jul 2, 2009.

  1. freddychain

    freddychain Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'm getting a new Scorpio Black WD3200BEKT which I'd like to set up to dual-boot Windows 7 or Vista. I'm trying to determine the best way to set up the partitions but am unsure of how perpendicular technology works on these dual-platter hard drives which will affect my decision. Will a 40GB partition, for example, all be on one platter or will it be 2 20GB sections alligned vertically between the two platters? I'm guessing the latter, hence perpendicular, but couldn't find any info on the internet to verify this. Any ideas?
     
    freddychain, Jul 2, 2009
    #1
  2. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    I don't think it matters much. Perpendicular has to do with the way the pits are made on the the platters, not how data is assigned to each platter.
     
    ZaZ, Jul 2, 2009
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  3. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

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    Usually the first partition (closest to the boot sector?) is the fastest and gets slower. You can check by looking at a HD Tune graph for the hard drive in question.
     
    namaiki, Jul 2, 2009
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  4. ratchetnclank

    ratchetnclank Notebook Deity

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    Although correct you didn't answer his question.
     
    ratchetnclank, Jul 2, 2009
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  5. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

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    If you relate the information, you will see the latter of freddychain's situations is true in most cases but not all, so you have to look at the chart and decide for yourself, if the chart looks like 2 'N's then the hard drive might be the first situation.
     
    namaiki, Jul 2, 2009
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  6. freddychain

    freddychain Notebook Enthusiast

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    If a partition is halved vertically between the platters then I will put the two OS partions side by side, otherwise I will put one on the first partition of the top platter and the other OS on the first partition of the second platter. Also, if the second case is true, I would want to make sure that my first partions added up to 160GB so as not to split a partition between the platters.
     
    freddychain, Jul 2, 2009
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  7. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

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    I think the partitions will be split across platters no matter what you do.

    From what I gather, the platters are all read from the outside-in at the same time, ie the outer tracks of all the platters are read first and then the next inside track, which is why it goes from fastest to slowest.
     
    namaiki, Jul 2, 2009
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  8. chunlianghere

    chunlianghere Notebook Consultant

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    example this hdd has 2 platters, 4 heads.

    if u were to partition 20gb, than these 20gb wil be split to 2 platters, which 4 heads wil read/write them. of these 2 platters, it wil be 4 surface.

    20 / 4 = 5. therefore, each surface of 4 wil use 5gb.

    *correct me if i'm wrong.
     
    chunlianghere, Jul 2, 2009
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  9. chunlianghere

    chunlianghere Notebook Consultant

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    chunlianghere, Jul 2, 2009
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  10. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

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    That's what I meant, except explained a lot clearer. :eek:
     
    namaiki, Jul 2, 2009
    #10