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No, a faster drive is not a good solution!

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MozartRules

(A)

In Reply to: Re: Noisy hard drive solutions posted by Quest on March 14, 2002 at 09:33:26:

No, the faster drives you get nowadays are noisier so that is the wrong way to go. You will know the effect if you try to listen to a 15,000rpm SCSI drive, nobody would want that in the living room.
I have no idea how the system works and how easy it is to put in another harddrive, but if you want to change drive you should try a notebook drive. These are typically slower - 4200rpm is common - and make a lot less noise. You will probably need a converter since the notebook drives use a smaller connector, but that is easy to get.
I used a notebook drive when I needed a machine (firewall) that was on all the time.

Follow Ups:

No. that is not true. Do what Quest said. - Swingline 14:09:14 03/14/02 (3)
I am sitting next to a slow RPM SCSI drive right now. It is loud. Beside it is a PC running 2 of the IBM's Quest mentioned. Silent.
Someone else has a new highspeed drive out that is supposed to be even quieter. I can't recall if it runs at 7200 or 10,000. I think it's either Seagate or IBM.
It's not the speed that makes them loud. It's how they are constructed. You want a drive rated for Audio/Video as they are typically fast and quiet. So quiet in fact, it is often mentioned in the sales specs.
S
- Actually both rotational speed and bearing construction matter - Halcy 23:58:45 03/14/02 (2)
  It is true that drive spinning idle noise (usually a high pitched whine) increases when you increase the rotational speed.
  It is also true that *often* (not always) seek noises increase when you increase rotational speed.
  However, seek noises are more the function of bearing type, decoupling and casing used.
  Fluid bearings are usually the most silent types.
  IBM does not make a silent drive - none of them is (compared to the competition).
  It is also true that newer high speed hard drives can be less noisy than slower speed old drives.
  
  However, new slower speed drives are MUCH more silent still than newer high speed drives.
  So the rough equation of high speed = high noise still remains, if you compare drives of similar age (i.e. new 7200 rpm drive vs new 10 000 or 15 000 rpm drive).
  If you don't believe me, go to www.storeagereview.com and read the actual acoustic measurements for yourself.
  Or do the same as I do: buy a lot of hard drives and learn it the hard way :)
  cheers,
  Halcy
  - OK, we agree, you can get a new, fast, quiet drive. - Swingline 14:43:54 03/15/02 (1)
    That would suit the intended use of the original poster.
    S
    - Depends on what you call 'quiet' - Halcy 09:42:52 03/19/02 (0)
      If you look at the measurements, even the *LEAST* audible drives do more than 43 dB.
      I surely wouldn't call that silent.
      Faster drives will make much more noise and 10 krpm drives and higher will all have a high pitched squel that is very hard to damp.
      I know, I've built a silent computer myself (all drives rubber suspended and enclosed, water cooling).
      cheers,
      Halcy

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