Which hard disk is better -Seagate ST3500830NS or Seagate ST3500320AS?

[Shashank80]

Hello everybody! I have got a new hard disk drive - Seagate ST3500830NS 500 GB (8 mb cache), for my new system which my hardware wallah has bought for me. But I wanted a 7200.11 500 GB hard disk which has 32 mb cache i.e., ST3500320AS. But I saw in this forum (Sushubh brought this to our notice, thanks to him) that ST3500320AS 7200.11 are being sold with 8 mb cache (seen in the system bios). So, before asking my hardware wallah to change the disk for me I wish to confirm that ST3500320AS will be better than my ST3500830NS. I will use the drive for my desktop but the system may be on 24 X 7 as I also will be using the drive for downloads heavily. In this conditon, which hard drive will last longer and perform better. Also ST3500830NS cost me Rs 3200. Will ST3500320AS come at the same price and how to know that it will have 32 mb cache? (On one Seagate site I saw that ST3500320AS can be used only on systems having < 3 hard disks. I may add more hard disks later, may be more than 3). So, please help me decide. Thanks.

 

[Sushubh]

ST3500320AS has 32 in the product name. ST3500830NS has 08.

i think what you might be noticing is a bug that prathapml mentioned on the forum related to what you are seeing in the bios.

https://broadband.forum/technology-views/31860-seagate-firmware-issue-7200-11-hdd-500-gb-32-mb-cache-downgraded-8-mb/

 

[appus]

ST3500820AS is my product with 8 mb cache !! i didnt know there was 32mb cache on 500 gb. bought almost a month back !!

driver assembled date is 21/6/2006 !! that old Firmware is SD35

 

[Shashank80]

ST3500320AS has 32 in the product name. ST3500830NS has 08.

i think what you might be noticing is a bug that prathapml mentioned on the forum related to what you are seeing in the bios.

https://broadband.forum/technology-views/31860-seagate-firmware-issue-7200-11-hdd-500-gb-32-mb-cache-downgraded-8-mb/


Thank you Sushubh for replying and also to prathapml. I have understood what you have said (32 for 32 mb cache and 08 for 8 mb cache) but now I actually do not have the hard disk i.e., ST3500830NS. I have given it to my hardware wallah to get it changed. And sorry, I did not check it in the bios...I have not plugged it into the Sata port. I returned it on seeing that it was not having ".11" on the hard disk sticker. Actually I was referring to prathapml's option of flashing the firmware.

Instead, what I am curious to know is that whether it is worthwhile to get ST3500830NS replaced with ST3500320AS for my above quoted purposes and would the price be the same.

 

[appus]

as i believe.. 32mb cache is always a plus if you use for downloading (write/read).. more the cache, better the peformance ! after knowing 32mb cache, i am planning to sell my 8mb one and, get a 32mb cache one !! (why the sh*t i didnt know about 32mb before a month.. LESS READING !!)

 

[Shashank80]

as i believe.. 32mb cache is always a plus if you use for downloading (write/read).. more the cache, better the peformance ! after knowing 32mb cache, i am planning to sell my 8mb one and, get a 32mb cache one !! (why the sh*t i didnt know about 32mb before a month.. LESS READING !!)

Thank appus for the reply. Yes more cache wil give me better performance. But which hard disk will last longer? Is the NS in the name ST3500830NS stand for Network Storage or what? Also ST3500320AS can be used only on systems having < 3 hard disks. I may add more hard disks later, may be more than 3. Any suggestions?

 

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[Sushubh]

hard disks are all as reliable or unrealiable as they can be. some would probably last for decades. some would die within a month...there is no guarantee of their life... seagate gives a 3-5 year warranty. so that's how long they expect it to work fine.

 

[Shashank80]

Thanks to Sushubh for the reply. But the site which I earlier referred to says that ST3500320AS is suitable for Desktop RAID 1 or 0 systems (

 

[appus]

@above, from what you have posted, i guess NS would be costlier as it is used mainly for SAN n RAID

RAID .. Redundant Array of Independent Disks mainly used for fault tolerance.


like you connect 3 500 GB hard drive, you can arrange that in different ways..


either a single 1.5TB without fault tolerence
or a 100GB with tolerence.. (there are different versions of raid )

basically.. these three will together run as say 1000GB .. so, if one hard disk fails, you can remove and connect a new one. so that the new hard disk will be rebuild again without losing data...

You dont have to worry about raids.. it is mainly for high end servers

so you can go for 32 mb cache ones which are comparatively cheaper !

Durability.. When i got the 500gb 8mb cache one.. and when installing, i had tick-tick sound and got replaced very next day..

They give 5 years warranty.. But.. hardly help for the DATA !!

MY 120GB lappy hard drive new WD is almost dead in 6 months and using a 30GB.. recovering data now and then (when it detects) .. !!

and i lost 160GB Maxtor datas !! no warranty since it was bought outside india

so.. try your luck !! if you are lucky enough you will get a good piece !!

not like me



More about RAID, you can find here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID

 

[Shashank80]

Thanks to appus for the reply and letting me know about RAID. And sorry I did not reply because I could not log on. But I am not setting up a server. I am just using it for desktop purpose. I only want to know whether I can add more than two hard disks to this PC as the ST3500320AS site says it is suitable for Desktop RAID 1 or 0 systems i.e. for less than 3 drives in one system. And ST3500830NS came at Rs. 3200. But my hardware wallah says that 7200.11 (ST3500320AS 32 mb cache wallah) is not available. If available, it could be costlier. I just want Value-for-money. Best performance and life for similar prices. Please suggest. Thank you.