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Newbie ? - What hard drives to buy?
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Posted by: JonHM

Hello!

I have had two Philips Directivo units for over 2 years, so I'm not a newbie to Tivo, but I *am* to the idea of upgrading the units. So here are my questions.

a) Which is better for upgrading my older Directivo units? Older 5400 RPM drives, or newer 7200 RPM drives?

b) Will putting two 7200 RPM drives (or even one) overheat my unit?

c) Does 2MB cache vs. 8MB cache make a difference when it comes to Tivo?

d) What brands of hard drives do you like the best, esp. for Tivo? Western Digital, Seagate or Maxtor?

Thanks!!!! Any and all comments are welcome!!!

:D

Posted by: JonHM

Anyone?

Anyone?

Beuller?

:D

Posted by: Robert S

The current 7200 RPM drives produce a lot less heat than they used to. Why don't you use one 250Gb drive instead of 2 120's (or whatever)? See the 160Gb thread at the top of the Underground for details (pages 5,6 and 21).

Extra cache makes no difference at all to a TiVo.

The brands you list are all fine. Samsung are also well-liked by TiVo upgraders.

Posted by: maharg18

a. Doesn't matter

b. It should be fine, just make sure the fan is running well and there is plenty of ventilation space around the Tivo.

c. No noticable difference

d. I've used Seagate, Maxtor, and Samsung without any problems. Many people like Samsung because of their excellent warranty, low heat, and relatively quiet operation. Samsung would be my #1 choice.

Posted by: drtofu66

I've used the current Seagate 120Gb drives with great results in my 2 series 1 units. They are VERY quiet and they run cool (the internal temps run at 32 degrees; the stock drives before upgrade would run at 33-34 degrees). The new Fluid Dynamic Bearing technology has greatly reduced the heat generated so don' t be afraid of using 7200rpm drives.

Posted by: Nihilator

DirecTiVos do run hotter than standalone units, so if you do put two drives in there, you should make an effort to better monitor the temperature. Put it up on slightly higher supports to increase airflow under the unit (which is where the intake is).

I've used Maxtors and Western Digitals in upgrades, and have had one of each brand suffer premature failures (the Maxtor lasted six months; the Western Digital, three). Both were replaced under warranty.

Maxtors will frequently require an extra step to quiet them down using their acoustic management software (amset.exe). Otherwise their head seek noise can be quite loud.

--Chris

Posted by: JonHM

So there is no difference in performance in a Tivo between a 5400 RPM drive and a 7200 RPM drive?