Hitachi’s Deskstar 5K3000 series employs a 5940 RPM motor to give it a speed boost over 5400 RPM “green” models. If it can keep noise and power consumption at a reasonable level, it could be the green drive we’ve all been waiting for.
August 22, 2011 by Lawrence Lee
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Product
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Hitachi Deskstar 5K3000 HDS5C3020ALA632
2TB 3.5″ HDD |
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Sample Supplier
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Street Price
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US$75 |
Since their inception, “green” hard drives have been maligned for reduced performance due to their low rotational speeds. While obviously not as fast as standard 7200 RPM models, lowering the spindle speed was/is the most effective way to cut cost, power consumption, and noise. The loss in performance is simply a necessary evil, without which we would not be able to affordably store the high definition video, lossless audio, and other abundant digital luxuries. Balancing the aforementioned qualities with speed is the difficult part.
We’ve reviewed Western Digital, Samsung, and Seagate candidates, and now it is Hitachi’s turn to show us what a low power, low noise, hard drive should be. The Hitachi Deskstar 5K3000 series comes in three sizes, 1.5TB, 2TB, and 3TB, each with a 512 byte sector size (not Advanced Format so there no XP compatibility issues), 32MB of cache, and “CoolSpin” technology, which is their code for a lower than 7200 RPM rotational speed. The spindle speed is not specified on Hitachi’s website, but it is listed as an odd 5940 RPM in the support documents. Labeling a drive as anything less than 7200 RPM continues to carry a stigma. The 5K3000 2TB is a three-platter drive like most of the current competition.
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The drive itself is unremarkable in appearance. It’s difficult to differentiate the 5K3000 from previous Hitachi drives without the affixed label. As usual, the underside casing is minimal with less structural support for the area around the motor than Samsung and Western Digital models. Our sample weighed 630 grams, the same as the Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB which is also a three-platter model with a similar spindle speed of 5900 RPM.
Hitachi Deskstar 5K3000: Specifications (from product overview) |
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| Model(s) | HDS5C3030ALA630 HDS5C3020ALA632 HDS5C3015ALA632 |
| Capacity (GB) | 3TB/2TB/1.5TB |
| Sector size (variable, Bytes/sector) | 512 |
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Performance
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| Data buffer (MB) | 32 |
| Rotational Speed | CoolSpin |
| Media transfer rate (Mbits/sec, max) | 1366 |
| Interface transfer rate (MB/sec, max) | 600 |
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Acoustics
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| Idle (Bels) | 3TB: 2.5 <3TB: 2.4 |
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Power
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| Requirement: Start-up (W, peak, max) | 1.2 (+5V) & 2.0 (+12V) |
| Performance Idle | 3TB: 4.8 <3TB: 4.4 |
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Physical size
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| Z-height (mm) | 26.1 |
| Dimensions (width x depth, mm) | 101.6 (+/-0.25) x 147 |
| Weight (g, max) | 3TB: 690 <3TB: 680 |
TESTING
Our samples were tested according to our standard
hard drive testing methodology. As of mid-2008, we have been conducting most acoustics tests in our own 10~11 dBA anechoic chamber, which results in more accurate, lower SPL readings than before, especially with <20 dBA@1m SPL. Our methodology focuses specifically on
noise, and great effort is taken to ensure it is comprehensively measured
and described. Performance is covered only lightly, for reasons discussed in detail in the methodology article.
Two forms of hard drive noise are measured:
- Airborne acoustics
- Vibration-induced noise.
These two types of noise impact the subjective
perception of hard drive noise differently depending on how and where the drive
is mounted.
Both forms of noise are evaluated objectively and
subjectively. Airborne acoustics are measured in our anechoic chamber using a lab reference
microphone and computer audio measurement system. Measurements are taken at a distance of one meter from the top
of the drive using an A-weighted filter. Vibration noise is rated on a scale
of 1-10 by comparing against our standard reference drives.
Summary of primary HDD testing tools:
- IOMeter – I/O
subsystem measurement and characterization tool for single and clustered systems.
It is used as a benchmark and troubleshooting tool. - HD Tune Pro
– Benchmarking tool for storage devices and used to check/set Automatic Acoustic Management. - SPCR’s Audio Audio
Recording/Analysis system using SpectraPlus
and other utilities - SPCR Anechoic Chamber
- Custom-built HDD power
measurement and Vibration test tools
Performance Test System:
- AMD
Athlon II X4 630 processor – 2.8 GHz - Gigabyte
GA-MA785GM-US2H motherboard – 785G chipset - DDR2 Memory – 2 x 2GB DDR2-800
- Microsoft
Windows 7 Ultimate operating system – 64-bit
Performance Test Tools:
- Call
of Duty: World At War – PC game - Far
Cry 2 – PC game - ESET NOD32
– anti-virus scanner - ExactFile –
file integrity verification tool - TrueCrypt
– file/disk encryption tool - 3DMark06 –
3D benchmarking tool - Cyberlink PowerDVD
– Video player
Benchmark Details
- Boot: Time elapsed from pressing the power button to the desktop with all system tray icons loaded (minus the average time to get the “loading Windows” screen, 16 seconds)
- COD5: Load time for “Downfall” level.
- Far Cry 2: Load time for initial screen plus one level.
- ExactFile: Creating a MD5 check file of our entire test suite folder.
- TrueCrypt: Creating a 8GB encrypted file container.
- 3DMark06: Install time, longest interval between prompts.
- PowerDVD: Install time, longest interval between prompts.
- Small File Copy: Copy time for 1,278 files ranging from 10KB to 4MB
in size. - Large File Copy: Copy time for 4 files, 2 x 700MB and 2 x 1400MB
in size.
A final caveat: As with most reviews, our comments
are relevant to the samples we tested. Your sample may not be identical. There
are always some sample variances, and manufacturers also make changes without
telling everyone.
Ambient conditions at time of testing were 10.5 dBA and 22°C.
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HD Tune Performance
While not entirely indicative of real world performance, HD Tune does give us a glimpse into a hard drive’s inner workings. Its transfer rate benchmark measures speed across the entire disk, giving us an idea of how fast it is over its entire span.
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HD Tune measured an average and maximum read speed of ~104 and ~138 MB/s respectively for the 5K3000. The Samsung EcoGreen F4 and Caviar Green WD20EARS sport three 667GB platters as well but the higher spindle speed of the Deskstar 5K3000 and Barracuda Green likely give them the advantage in this test.
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“Green” drives usually have poor access times and the 5K3000 is no exception at 19.5 ms. This will undoubtedly slow down the drive’s loading times and hamper other tests which require rapid access of large numbers of files.
Real World Performance
A Windows 7 image loaded with our test suite was cloned to a 50GB partition
at the beginning of each drive and our entire
test suite was run start to finish 3 times with a reboot and defragmentation
in between runs except for the Momentus
XT (defragmentation resets optimizations made to the XT’s flash memory).
Average times were collected for comparison.
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Loading times are one area where sub 7200 RPM drives consistently struggle so it’s encouraging to see the 5K3000 buck this trend by more or less tying with the Deskstar 7K1000.C. Boot time in particular was much faster than the popular WD20EARS and EcoGreen F4.
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In application performance the 5K3000 acquitted itself nicely, keeping company with the Barracuda XT and Deskstar 7K1000.C.
Real World Performance (Continued)
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When it came to copying files to itself, the 5K3000 beat out every drive in our comparison except the high-end Caviar Black and Barracuda XT.
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In timed installs of PowerDVD and 3DMark06, the 5K3000 wasn’t as impressive but it still beat out every other sub 7200 RPM model tested.
Overall Performance
To gauge the overall performance of the drives, we assigned a score of 25 to the drive that excelled most in each benchmark series (loading, application, file copying, and installation) and the rest proportionally, giving each benchmark set an equal weighting. Of the drives compared, the WD Caviar Black 2TB was the fastest, scoring close to a perfect 100.
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Despite its lower rotational speed, the 5K3000 squeaked out a slim win over the 7K1000.C and Caviar Blue, making it the fastest eco-friendly drive we’ve come across. Note that our tests were performed on a 50GB partition at beginning of the drive where it’s fastest; it’s what you can expect if you store your operating system there but isn’t representative of the entire span of the drive.
Power Consumption
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The 5K3000 consumes almost the same amount of energy in operation as the EcoGreen F4 which is admirable given its higher rotational speed. The Barracuda Green uses 0.5W more when idle and 1.7W more seeking. Lor low power server operations, the WD Green WD20EARS is still king, with just 2.8W at idle.
Noise
  The Deskstar 5K3000, idle and seeking. |
Like many other sub 7200 RPM drives, the 5K3000 is very quiet measuring 14~15 dBA when idle and 15 dBA when seeking at one meter distance. Its acoustic profile is very soft with a benign hissing character. When seeking, the drive lacked the sharp clicks and hard thumps of noisier drives so it’s no surprise that we measured almost no SPL difference between seek and idle. Automatic Acoustic Management (AAM) is not supported but there is no point, as it only affects seek noise.
As for the rotational speed, we measured a fundamental tone at ~98 Hz, which works out to 5880 RPM, 60 RPM off its 5940 RPM specification.
Noise & Vibration Comparison
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2TB DESKTOP HARD DRIVE COMPARISON
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HDD
Mfg date firmware version |
Vibration
1-10 (10 = no vibration) |
Activity State
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Airborne Acoustics (dBA@1m) |
Measured Power |
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WD Caviar Green
2TB WD20EARS August 2010 firmware 01.00A01 |
9
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Idle
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12~13
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2.8 W (2.4 W heads unloaded)
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Seek
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6.5 W
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Samsung EcoGreen F4
2TB HD204UI August 2010 firmware 1AQ10001 |
7
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Idle
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13
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4.0 W
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Seek
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15
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5.6 W
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Seagate Barracuda LP
2TB ST32000542AS June 2009 firmware CC32 |
6
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Idle
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14
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4.7W
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Seek
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17
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7.9W
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Hitachi 5K3000 2TB HDS5C3020ALA632
April 2011 firmware 580 |
7
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Idle
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14~15
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4.1W
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Seek
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15
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5.6 W
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Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB ST2000DL003
November 2010 firmware CC31 |
8
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Idle
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14~15
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4.6 W
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Seek
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17~18
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7.3 W
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Samsung EcoGreen F3
2TB HD203WI May 2010 firmware 1AN10003 |
7
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Idle
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15~16
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4.7 W
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Seek (AAM)
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17~18
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6.1W
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Seek
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18~19
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6.9 W
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Our sample had a moderate level of vibration similar to the EcoGreen F3/F4. It is a little high for a “green” drive but not surprising given the design of its casing. Acoustically it was slightly louder than the F4, but only when idle. The WD20EARS remains unchallenged when it comes to noise.
DRIVE COMPARISON TABLE
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5,400 ~ 5,900 RPM DESKTOP HARD DRIVES
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Drive
Mfg date firmware version |
Vibration
1-10 (10 = no vibration) |
Activity State
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Airborne Acoustics (dBA@1m) |
Measured Power |
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Samsung EcoGreen F2
500GB HD502HI February 2009 firmware 1AG01114 |
8
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Idle
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12
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3.2 W
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Seek (AAM)
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15
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5.3 W
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Seek
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16
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6.1 W
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Seagate Pipeline HD .2
1TB ST31000424CS April 2009 firmware SC13 |
7
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Idle
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12
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4.3 W
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Seek
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16
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7.3 W
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WD Caviar Green
2TB WD20EARS August 2010 firmware 01.00A01 |
9
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Idle
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12~13
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2.8 W (2.4 W heads unloaded)
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Seek
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6.5 W
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WD Caviar Green
1.5TB WD15EARS March 2010 firmware 80.00A80 |
7
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Idle
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13
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4.4 W (2.7 W heads unloaded)
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Seek
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5.8 W
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WD Caviar Green
1.5TB WD15EADS November 2009 firmware 01.00A01 |
9
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Idle
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13
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4.5 W (2.8 W heads unloaded)
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Seek (AAM)
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14
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5.8 W
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Seek
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Seagate Pipeline HD .2
500GB ST3500414CS March 2009 firmware SC13 |
8
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Idle
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13
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2.7 W
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Seek
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14
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6.7 W
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WD Caviar Green
2TB WD20EADS February 2009 firmware 01.00A01 |
7
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Idle
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13
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6.4 W (4.0W heads unloaded)
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Seek (AAM)
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6.5 W
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Seek
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13~14
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6.5 W
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Samsung EcoGreen F4
2TB HD204UI August 2010 firmware 1AQ10001 |
7
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Idle
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13
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4.0 W
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Seek
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15
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5.6 W
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WD Caviar Green
2TB WD20EVDS November 2009 firmware 0.100A01 |
8~9
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Idle
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13~14
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3.9 W
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Seek
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6.5 W
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Seagate Pipeline HD
500GB ST3500321CS July 2008 firmware SC14 |
6
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Idle
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14
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4.1 W
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Seek
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15
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6.9 W
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Seagate Barracuda LP
2TB ST32000542AS June 2009 firmware CC32 |
6
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Idle
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14
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4.7W
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Seek
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17
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7.9W
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WD Caviar Green
3TB WD30EZRS September 2010 firmware 01.00A01 |
8
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Idle
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14~15
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4.1 W (3.7W heads unloaded)
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Seek
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7.5W
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Hitachi 5K3000 2TB HDS5C3020ALA632
April 2011 firmware 580 |
7
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Idle
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14~15
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4.1W
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Seek
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15
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5.6 W
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Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB ST2000DL003
November 2010 firmware CC31 |
8
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Idle
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14~15
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4.6 W
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Seek
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17~18
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7.3 W
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Samsung EcoGreen F3
2TB HD203WI May 2010 firmware 1AN10003 |
7
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Idle
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15~16
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4.7 W
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Seek (AAM)
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17~18
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6.1W
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Seek
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18~19
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6.9 W
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7,200 RPM DESKTOP HARD DRIVES
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Hitachi Deskstar
7K1000.C 1TB HDS721010CLA332 February 2010 firmware JP4OA39C |
5
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Idle
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13
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4.6 W
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Seek (AAM)
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15~16
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6.4 W
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Seek
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17
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9.6 W
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WD Caviar Blue
1TB WD10EALS August 2010 firmware 05.01D05 |
7
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Idle
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14
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5.2 W
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Seek (AAM)
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16~17
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6.6 W
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Seek
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20
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8.2 W
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Seagate Pipeline HD
Pro 1TB ST31000533CS September 2008 firmware SC15 |
4
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Idle
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15
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7.1 W
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Seek
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16
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10.1 W
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Seagate Barracuda
7200.12 500GB ST3500418AS September 2009 firmware CC37 |
8
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Idle
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18
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4.7 W
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Seek
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19~20
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7.9W
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WD Caviar Black
2TB WD2001FASS August 2010 firmware 01.00101 |
6
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Idle
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16
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6.3 W
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Seek
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21~23
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10.5 W
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Seagate Barracuda XT
2TB ST32000651AS May 2010 firmware CC13 |
7~8
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Idle
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17
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7.0 W
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Seek
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18~19
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7.9 W
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Seagate Barracuda
7200.11 1.5TB ST31500341AS October 2008 firmware SD17 |
4
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Idle
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17
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8.8 W
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Seek
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19
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10.7 W
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WD Caviar Black
1TB WD1001FALS July 2008 firmware 05.00K05 |
4
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Idle
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21
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8.5 W
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Seek (AAM)
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10.9 W
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Seek
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25
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11.0 W
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While the 5K3000’s noise levels aren’t remarkable compared to the WD20EARS, against 7200 RPM drives (which it keeps pace with performance-wise), it is clearly quieter than the entire field except the 7K1000.C which only beats it at idle but is encumbered by a significant vibration problem.
AUDIO RECORDINGS
These recordings were made with a high resolution, lab quality, digital recording
system inside SPCR’s own 11
dBA ambient anechoic chamber, then converted to LAME 128kbps encoded MP3s.
We’ve listened long and hard to ensure there is no audible degradation from
the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent a quick snapshot of what
we heard during the review.
These recordings are intended to give you an idea of how the product sounds
in actual use — one meter is a reasonable typical distance between a computer
or computer component and your ear. The recording contains stretches of ambient
noise that you can use to judge the relative loudness of the subject. Be aware
that very quiet subjects may not be audible — if we couldn’t hear it from
one meter, chances are we couldn’t record it either!
The recordings start with 5 to 10 seconds of ambient noise, then 10 second
segments of the drive in the following states: idle, seek with AAM enabled (if
applicable), and seek with AAM disabled.
- Hitachi Deskstar 5K3000 2TB HDS5C3020ALA632 — Idle: 14~15 / Seek:
15 dBA@1m
Desktop 5,400~5,900 RPM Hard Drive Comparatives:
- Samsung
EcoGreen F3 2TB HD203WI — Idle: 16 / Seek: 18~19 dBA@1m - Samsung
EcoGreen F4 2TB HD204UI — Idle: 13 / Seek: 15 dBA@1m - Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB ST2000DL003 — Idle: 14~15 / Seek:
17~18 dBA@1m - Seagate
Barracuda LP 2TB ST32000542AS — Idle: 15 / Seek: 17 dBA@1m - Western
Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB WD15EADS — Idle: 13 / Seek (AAM/Normal):
14 dBA@1m - Western
Digital Caviar Green 2TB WD20EADS — Idle: 13 / Seek (AAM):
13 / Seek: 13~14 dBA@1m
Desktop 7,200 RPM Hard Drive Comparatives:
- Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.C 1TB HDS721010CLA332 — Idle: 13 / Seek:
17 dBA@1m - Seagate
Barracuda XT 2TB ST32000651AS — Idle: 17 / Seek: 18~19 dBA@1m - Western
Digital Caviar Black 2TB WD2001FASS — Idle: 16 / Seek: 21~23
dBA@1m - Western
Digital Caviar Blue 1TB WD10EALS — Idle: 14
/ Seek: 20 dBA@1m
CONCLUSIONS
When we consider the qualities we like to see in a “green” hard drive, the Deskstar 5K3000 2TB is middle of the road. Its energy efficiency is unable to touch WD’s Caviar Green series, though it is a big improvement over Seagate’s Barracuda Green/LP. The 5K3000 is a very quiet drive, but again, can’t match the Caviar Greens, which are practically inaudible. Its vibration level isn’t great, but as a single drive it shouldn’t cause much anxiety if hard-mounted; for multiple drives, suspension is recommended.
The Hitachi 5K3000 differentiates itself by delivering the type of performance we had hoped Seagate’s 5900 RPM drives would produce. In our real-world tests, the 5K3000 destroyed the Samsung EcoGreen F4 and whipped both the WD Caviar Green and Seagate Barracuda Green. It even managed a slim victory over a pair of 7200 RPM drives, the 1TB Deskstar 7K1000.C and WD Caviar Blue. The entire drive isn’t this fast, but the first 50~100 GB is capable of housing a snappy O/S partition.
With performance close to a 7200 RPM drive and the acoustics, power efficiency, and low cost of a classic eco-friendly model, the Hitachi Deskstar 5K3000 2TB is a compelling jack-of-all-trades drive. It works well as a primary standalone hard drive with O/S and all, and provides a nice speed bump over the competition when used solely for serving up files. You can save a couple of watts and a decibel or two by going with the venerable WD20EARS, but the 5K3000 is a great value as a quiet, performance drive. The 5K3000 2TB retails for approximately US$75 which is currently a touch more expensive than WD and Samsung models.
Hitachi 5K3000 2TB receives the SPCR Editor’s Choice Award
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SPCR Articles of Related Interest:
Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB & Momentus 750GB
Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.C 1TB vs. WD Caviar Blue 1TB
New high areal density 2-and-3 TB Greens from WD
WD Caviar Black 2TB & VelociRaptor 600GB
Samsung EcoGreen F4 &
Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB Hard Drives
Seagate Momentus XT: The Best of Both Worlds?
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