Anyone having the new 74GB/36GB Raptor (ADFD)? Have you run tests with them?

[Saulous]

Hello people! I have been thinking several weeks of buying the new 74GB Raptor, based on 150GB model. The local comp store got those last thursday but haven't bought one yet. Has anyone of you got one of these and tested the drive?

"HD Raptor/74GB SATA150 10000rpm 16MB
Eur 185,98 WD740ADFD"

-edit 26.5.2006- there is now also the new 36GB model!

http://www.westerndigital.com/en/pro...45&language=en

I suppose it takes some weeks to get that smallest unit to stores..

[Parn]

I have some questions too. What are the differences between old Raptor drives and the new ones apart from more cache. And why is the Raptor X(clear top) £50 more expensive than the standard 150GB?

[Saulous]

If I remember correct and am correct, the new 74GB is a single platter drive as the old ones are 2-platter drives. I suppose the new ones should be completely "new" drives. Clear top drive is more expensive as it IS clear top drive . It is quite difficult to make that kind of hard drive + the $$$$ people are willing to spend on that kind of great piece of comp art .

[BWM]

Also refer to the following regarding WD's revamped model numbering system.

http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=414581

[cantankerous]

I had no clue about these new 74gb drives. Interesting.

[Saulous]

Great results for this new drive!! Even better than 150GB version!!!

http://babelfish.altavista.com/babel...Freviews%2F621
http://tweakers.net/reviews/621

[alex666]

This is the first I've learned of a "new" 74 gig raptor. I just bought a new raptor a few months back for the system I'm typing on, my nf2 system (see sig). As far as I know, it's basically the same as my older raptor (purchased June 2004) in my 939 system. That said, my understanding, based on what I've read at various sites, is that WD has tweaked the raptor in little ways regularly since its introduction. However, in terms of performance, I have not really noticed any significant difference between these two. I'll have to keep an eye out for this newer version.

[Saulous]

WD740ADFD IS a new drive, a bit faster than its big brother that has 150GB capacity. WD740GD had at least 3 different versions: 00FLA0, 00FLA1 and the fastest one 00FLC0. The differences between all Raptors (except 36GB model) are small but one should notice difference in very hard tasks and in many tests, of course.

[alex666]

My original (spring 2004) is an FLA0, while my newest (spring 2006) is the FLC0. In day-to-day usage and on benchmarks, I'm not getting any differences. Perhaps that reflects the fact that the newest is in my nf2 system while the original is in the 939, though benchmark scores (HD Tach and HD Tune) should be relatively independent of the system. In any case, I never expected the newest one to be faster, I just wanted it to be a raptor, and at almost half the price of the original!!

marty

[prisen]

so where can you buy one of these new ADFD's?

[alex666]

http://www.frontierpc.com/ProductDet...D-WD-WD740ADFD

I found the above from google. Just about every hit for this drive was from Europe, and it appears to not yet be available in the US. This is very weird, that it's not available in the US market, and makes no sense unless WD is trying to unload all their other 74 gig versions first. Maybe others know where this is available in the US. Very strange.

Note in the above ad that it's a special order, and there appears to be a 3 - 4 week wait.

marty

[BWM]

WD says it is available in the USA:

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/produ...44&language=en

[alex666]

Well, they might have it posted at their site, but there's no price, no way to buy it. Plus, their link to "buy local" leads to the usual culprits of retail and etail stores, but I don't think any carry it right now. Newegg doesn't, and when googling it, usually you'll find retail ads in the right-hand column, but none for this drive.

This is quite interesting, that WD is making this available in a rather quiet unheralded manner. I don't recall any information re. a 74g version of this drive becoming available. Maybe there was some PR about it, but I don't recall, and it would have caught my attention as the 74g would be much more appealing to me that the 150g.

marty

[BWM]

I agree. I want the 74 gig model as well. It should be a single platter update of the original 74 gig model with revised firmware. Not sure if it will make much of a difference outside of a benchmark though. But, we'll find out

[Parn]

I'd like to buy the new 74GB model as well, but I can't find any uk online retailers who carry it They all have the old GD model. The 150GB is way overpriced and a bit too much for a system drive(takes longer to format).