what to look for in hard drives?
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Ive been trying to find deals on refurbs and such on hdds but I don't know what to look for as far as specs. there's like cache and stuff, and im not sure how much any of these things matter. any help is appreciated. thanks!
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@jhip626 Cache doesn't really matter for mining, it will help a little with plotting. Basically you're looking for the highest capacity at the lowest price. Rotational speed matters a bit, but more so for unoptimized plots than optimized ones - If you plan on using xplotter or gpuplotgenerator in direct mode, 5400 RPM drives are fine, but for any other plotting method that produces unoptimized plots, you want 7,200 RPM or higher.
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@haitch said in what to look for in hard drives?:
@jhip626 Cache doesn't really matter for mining, it will help a little with plotting. Basically you're looking for the highest capacity at the lowest price. Rotational speed matters a bit, but more so for unoptimized plots than optimized ones - If you plan on using xplotter or gpuplotgenerator in direct mode, 5400 RPM drives are fine, but for any other plotting method that produces unoptimized plots, you want 7,200 RPM or higher.
If its an external drive will a usb2.0 be much worse than a 3.0?
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@jhip626 said in what to look for in hard drives?:
@haitch said in what to look for in hard drives?:
@jhip626 Cache doesn't really matter for mining, it will help a little with plotting. Basically you're looking for the highest capacity at the lowest price. Rotational speed matters a bit, but more so for unoptimized plots than optimized ones - If you plan on using xplotter or gpuplotgenerator in direct mode, 5400 RPM drives are fine, but for any other plotting method that produces unoptimized plots, you want 7,200 RPM or higher.
If its an external drive will a usb2.0 be much worse than a 3.0?
Yes. USB 3.0 or don't bother.
Also, my preference, avoid the Seagate SMR drives - they mine fine, but are such a PITA to plot.
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I can get 2 1.5 tb external seagates for $40. I suppose if they are only usb2.0 I could take em apart and make them internal. but idk if its worth the trouble.
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@jhip626 They are probably SATA II (3 Gb/s), go for SATA III instead ( 6 Gb/s). You can get good deals sometimes on ebay, but unless you buy new you have no warranty(so expect a failure rate of 15% or more) . You can get offers too on Amazon, although more expensive you do have a warranty in case of an issue.
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what about usb powered drives? I have one of those, they are usually easy to get. or are they way too slow to be useful?
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@jhip626 said in what to look for in hard drives?:
what about usb powered drives? I have one of those, they are usually easy to get. or are they way too slow to be useful?
anyone?
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@jhip626 you probably wont get an "big capacity" 3.5" Drive wich is USB powered.
4-5Tb 3.5" USB3 Drives seem to be the most economical at the moment. I tend to look for anything under 25$/Tb. I did get some for under 20$/Tb. But those are lucky finds!-)
