WD5000AAKS is orderable. How loud is it?

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 4:17 am

It will be interesting to know if this new 500GB 3 platter is as silent as the "old" WD5000KS 4 platter HDD.
I hope someone will test it soon.

Compddd · Post by **Compddd** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:27 pm

I'd like to know too, I was gonna by the WD5000KS, but is this version better?

Ihmemies · Post by **Ihmemies** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:12 pm

It's supposedly 3-platter mode. Also pictures from 160GB model suggest these new AA drives have different and smaller control circuit, and shiny metallic exterior instead of the previous black one. I can't confirm anything though.

It would be also nice to know whether they are quieter or at least equal loud as the 4-platter model. At least they should be faster.

jimmyzaas · Post by **jimmyzaas** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:17 pm

ok.. i jumped the gun and bought this drive today.. the WD5000AAKS. Why didn't I get the Samsung HD501LJ? Because I can't find it in Canada! THE HELL! I needed space so this is the only option available to me.

So let's get down to the nitty gritty.

HD Tune: WDC WD5000AAKS-00TMA Benchmark

Transfer Rate Minimum : 38.4 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Maximum : 82.6 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Average : 68.4 MB/sec
Access Time : 13.6 ms
Burst Rate : 104.9 MB/sec
CPU Usage : 5.2%

Those are the read performance data. I don't know the util to do a write test. The read perfomance does suggest 166GB platters. I have never seen this performance for 125 GB drives.

As far as I can tell, the drive is no quieter or louder than my WD3200JD. Both my WDs are set to performance mode because quite frankly, the seeks are so soft I don't really find a problem with it.

This drive is a real winner to me. My WD3200JD tops out at 62 MB/s and the average is considerably lower at 45ish MB/s. Let's hope the LUL technology makes this drive as reliable as my previous Maxtors (4 years old and going!)

Also, who ever thought the new western digital drives are back to the metal plate on the top, they are right. These new drives are not all black like before.

jimmyzaas · Post by **jimmyzaas** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:22 pm

ok.. i've turned everything to 128 AAM using Ftool.. the seeks are still audible during startup.. it's not loud by any means.. but it is audible if you have a quiet computer. It's quiet but it ain't silent. Normal operations however, the drive is silent.

Zorander · Post by **Zorander** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 9:28 pm

Would intense file-swapping, such as Bittorrent and page files, be noticably noisy on these drives? I'm currently seeking a new drive and this looks like an interesting candidate.

Cheers!

jimmyzaas · Post by **jimmyzaas** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:44 am

I use utorrent ALOT.. the drive is silent when AAM is turned on.. but you HAVE to turn on AAM this time.. without AAM, the seeks are somewhat louder than my WD3200JD without AAM.

when the seeks are at full blast.. ie, windows startup.. you can hear the seeks if you really focus on it.. it's extremely quiet but you can hear it out.. during normal operations such as file copying or file extraction (winrar), or BT.. i can't hear anything even if i focus on it