3TB HD from WD
- Thread starter MaxBurn
- Start date
Stereodude
Not really a
Perfect... More advanced format drives to avoid.
I thought if you had say a RECENT x64 OS with GPT you were good, no? Should be compatible with all SATA out there now for just a storage drive isn't it?
Apparently need UEFI to boot from it, need the BIOS GPT support I guess.
Apparently need UEFI to boot from it, need the BIOS GPT support I guess.
Stereodude
Not really a
Reportedly they work with x86 OS's from Vista on too. My complaint is HW RAID related.
Stereodude
Not really a
As far as I know, the HW RAID "incompatibility" is a 4k cluster issue. Not being able to boot from them is an (unless you have a properly implemented EFI BIOS) is a GPT issue.
Stereodude
Not really a
Well, you can't align the partitions when they're on the RAID controller because no utility can see the drive(s) until you create an array on them. By then it's too late to align anything.
Stereodude
Not really a
That depends on the RAID controller. Any real hardware controller requires you to create an array even on a single drive for an OS to see it. At which point the data is unaligned and likely nothing you do will be able to realign it because the blocks the RAID card will be too coarse.
Bozo
Storage? I am Storage!
Probably they will release new hardware. There is no money to be made releasing a firmware update.
Finally the press release. I'll take two.
ddrueding
Fixture
AFAIK:
To use it as a data drive, any SATA port that properly implements AHCI and any OS that can handle GPT partitions.
To boot to it, AHCI and any OS that can boot to a GPT partition (Win7)
To use it as a data drive, any SATA port that properly implements AHCI and any OS that can handle GPT partitions.
To boot to it, AHCI and any OS that can boot to a GPT partition (Win7)
Stereodude
Not really a
You need a system with EFI "BIOS" to boot as well.
Stereodude
Not really a
So did PATA drives larger than 137GB for a while, and the first generation or two of 66Mbit/sec PATA drives.
Stereodude
Not really a
Yeah, what Mooner said...
Stereodude
Not really a
So do I though I've given some away.
BingBangBop
Storage is cool
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2009
- Messages
- 667
I have a pile of those Promise/Maxtor cards somewhere.
And they don't work in Vista/Win7 because they never wrote drivers and the old XP drivers aren't compatible.
Stereodude
Not really a
No loss there... Who still uses PATA drives?
Stereodude
Not really a
FWIW, the 3TB WD seems like a dog.
You also got to love how they're leaving the XP x64 users blowing in the wind. XP x64 supports GPT and should have no problem with the drive (aside from the 4k alignment issues). Of course I have no idea if you can align GPT partitions under XP x64, so maybe they're not too far off base.
You also got to love how they're leaving the XP x64 users blowing in the wind. XP x64 supports GPT and should have no problem with the drive (aside from the 4k alignment issues). Of course I have no idea if you can align GPT partitions under XP x64, so maybe they're not too far off base.
Stereodude
Not really a
It looks like you can use diskpart to align a GPT partition, but you'll need the utility from Server 2003 SP1 if you're running XP x64.
Alignment looks to make a huge difference in the performance of the drive in SR's review. Specifically the IOmeter random transfers and 4k write latency. It also looks a lot better at SR than Anandtech.
Alignment looks to make a huge difference in the performance of the drive in SR's review. Specifically the IOmeter random transfers and 4k write latency. It also looks a lot better at SR than Anandtech.
Stereodude
Not really a
That and you can't align a drive on a HW RAID controller so it's got the same problem as every other advanced format drives there.
Stereodude
Not really a
Yes on the newer controller. However any OS that supports GPT should work. With a new RAID controller (that allows for proper alignment of advanced format drives) you wouldn't need to align anything with the OS since the controller will take care of that. However, it's hard to say if there will be drivers for old OS's like XP x64 for a new RAID controller.
I'm trying to get a stack of of the 2TB Samsung HD203WI's to hold me over until that all sorts out.
I'm trying to get a stack of of the 2TB Samsung HD203WI's to hold me over until that all sorts out.
Chewy509
Wotty wot wot.
Which IIRC, most Intel X58 and Intel boards with PCH all have (it's a BIOS option to use legacy BIOS or EFI).
PS. Geniune Intel boards like the DX58SO, not stuff made by Gigabyte, Asus, etc. (They may include it, but I only know that Intel definitely do have EFI available if needed).
Chewy509
Wotty wot wot.
Yes, Win XP x64 does support GPT, but for data drives only. It can't boot from GPT drives.
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/gpt_faq.mspx
Stereodude
Not really a
I had a hard enough time finding 8 of them to buy let alone any deals. I guess I waited too long. I ended up buying 2 each from 2 different vendors and 4 from a third vendor. The 2 orders of 2 have shipped, the 3rd order of 4 hasn't. I really hope it does since I'm not sure I can find another 4 drives anywhere. The vendor claimed to have them in stock when I ordered and now they're out of stock, so I'm hoping to see they ship shortly rather than my getting a notice that they're out of stock. :frusty:
FWIW, there are a few vendors on ebay who seem to have some stock, but their online stores don't have any in stock like EXcaliberPC, so I'm skeptical that they really have the ones they're selling on ebay (which would be a violation of ebay's TOS).