Best Green 2TB Internal HDD

Tackle_Berry · 22 Apr 2012 at 17:29

Hi i'm after some 2TB drives for my HP microserver, I was looking at getting green drives as there cheaper be more economical as the server is on 24/7. I can't decide between the WD Green 2TB (WD20EARX) or the Samsung 2TB SpinPoint EcoGreen F4EG and the Seagate 2TB Barracuda. The WD and Samsung both have longer two year warranty as opposed to the one year Seagate (ocuk need to update there description as it says 3 years but my mate bought one from ocuk and turns out just 1 year warranty).

I did think about 3TB drives but then a lot more money unless I went with the Barracuda which can be picked up for £128 but then it's just a one year warranty.

The Samsung has had better user reviews from what I have seen, but then the WD is about £15 cheaper. Any thoughts?

RJC · 22 Apr 2012 at 17:32

I have 6 of the Samsung F4 drives and not had any issues, use 4 of them in my HP Microserver

ChileanLlama · 22 Apr 2012 at 17:58

I've 28 of the F4's, with no failures

Tackle_Berry · 22 Apr 2012 at 18:05

28? lol, The only thing with the F4 is everyone is out of stock and didn't Seagate buy them out I'm just a bit concerned that if I have to RMA one it might take ages as I sore on another thread here that someone had to wait 8 weeks as they were in a middle of a change over. I'm also guessing that's why no stores have stock?

Surveyor · 22 Apr 2012 at 18:08

Isn't the "greenness" of the green drives over rated?:

Tackle_Berry · 22 Apr 2012 at 18:10

Possibly but they are cheaper then faster drives.

ChileanLlama · 22 Apr 2012 at 18:10

I think the Samsung ones are in short supply as new stock is starting to appear as Seagate's with the HD204UI / ST2000DL004 model number.

I can understand problems during cross over from Samsung to Seagate, can't really comment on whether that was a one-off or always going to be a problem.

Surveyor · 22 Apr 2012 at 18:17

Ash2097 said:
Possibly but they are cheaper then faster drives.

If price is your priority then : Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB SATA 6Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM £89.99 TWO

They still seem to have a 3 year warranty presumably because they pre-date the warranty reductions.

Seagate seem to moving away from the "green" drives.

wazza300 · 22 Apr 2012 at 18:17

another samsung vote from me,fast quiet drives,although the seagates sata3 drives are looking good now

ChileanLlama · 22 Apr 2012 at 18:21

Surveyor said:
Isn't the "greenness" of the green drives over rated?:

For a single drive quite possibly, if you're running a number, then ignoring the power costs, then lower heat also starts factoring in.

And if David Burks believes the manufacturing cost is the same for both drives, why are the retail costs to customers so much more for 7,200 and RE drives? Funnily enough this was uploaded just after the floods - If I was a cynic I'd say he was doing a PR job to justify putting most of the production towards the more expensive drives to maximise his profits - but surely that's not the case.

Surveyor · 22 Apr 2012 at 18:30

ChileanLlama said:
And if David Burks believes the manufacturing cost is the same for both drives, why are the retail costs to customers so much more for 7,200 and RE drives? Funnily enough this was uploaded just after the floods - If I was a cynic I'd say he was doing a PR job to justify putting most of the production towards the more expensive drives to maximise his profits - but surely that's not the case.

The 2TB Seagate Green drive is currently cheaper that its 7200rpm drive.

But the Samsung F4 (which would now also be produced by Seagate) is quite a bit more expensive than their 7200rpm drive.

And if you look at 1TB drives then Seagate's 7200rpm drive would be cheaper than the Green drive if it wasn't currently on special offer.

Green doesn't always equal cheaper.

ChileanLlama · 22 Apr 2012 at 18:38

Surveyor said:
The 2TB Seagate Green drive is currently cheaper that its 7200rpm drive.

But the Samsung F4 (which would now also be produced by Seagate) is quite a bit more expensive than their 7200rpm drive.

And if you look at 1TB drives then Seagate's 7200rpm drive would be cheaper than the Green drive if it wasn't currently on special offer.

Green doesn't always equal cheaper.

No and I agree with that last statement. But I don't think pricing is particularly stable at the moment, so the current prices are not particularly good examples - especially the F4 which I think is discontinued as a "Samsung" drive. Up until the end of last year, 7200 drives were generally more expensive than green drives and RE drives were significantly more expensive again. And that's typically been the case until the floods hit and pricing has been all over ever since.

Surveyor · 22 Apr 2012 at 19:00

ChileanLlama said:
No and I agree with that last statement. But I don't think pricing is particularly stable at the moment, so the current prices are not particularly good examples - especially the F4 which I think is discontinued as a "Samsung" drive. Up until the end of last year, 7200 drives were generally more expensive than green drives and RE drives were significantly more expensive again. And that's typically been the case until the floods hit and pricing has been all over ever since.

Unfortunately we can't live in the past and prices are what they are.

The F4 has been discontinued as a Samsung drive and is now the Seagate ST2000DL004. It's the same product on pre-order at £119.99:

Samsung SpinPoint F4 EcoGreen 2TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD204UI / ST2000DL004)

You wouldn't expect Enterprise Class drives to be priced similarly to consumer drives.

ChileanLlama · 22 Apr 2012 at 19:22

Surveyor said:
Unfortunately we can't live in the past and prices are what they are.

The F4 has been discontinued as a Samsung drive and is now the Seagate ST2000DL004. It's the same product on pre-order at £119.99:

You wouldn't expect Enterprise Class drives to be priced similarly to consumer drives.

Retail prices are currently what they are, but that is irrelevant, as the market is so volatile - so there is bound to be greater fluctuations based on buy in costs, when stock was bought etc. Historic prices are relevant, as they smooth the affect of the current supply problems, in a more stable market, and show a differential in pricing. Why is that?

Go back to the video you posted. The Seagate representative said that production costs were largely similar for green and non green drives. Yet typically that is not what we as consumers see, nor have we seen since they were introduced.

Are Seagate and other hdd manufacturers maximising their profits at consumers expense or is it in the supply chain - surely someone is, or have been for the past few years - before the current problems?

So regardless of whether it's a green drive or not, shouldn't they be approximately the same price to us for consumer class drives?

And yes we can take out enterprise drives out of the discussion, as they do demand a certain premium.

Surveyor · 22 Apr 2012 at 19:33

ChileanLlama said:
[So regardless of whether it's a green drive or not, shouldn't they be approximately the same price to us for consumer class drives?

As with many products there are a range of prices and as a consumer you can choose what to buy.

Of the limited choice currently available a Green drive is currently the cheapest 2TB at OcUK. A Green drive is also the most expensive.

Of the 1TB drives available (ignoring the Caviar Black) there's only £5 difference between the cheapest and the most expensive.

At the end of the day you pays your money.....

ChileanLlama · 22 Apr 2012 at 19:38

Surveyor said:
As with many products there are a range of prices and as a consumer you can choose what to buy.

Of the limited choice currently available a Green drive is currently the cheapest 2TB at OcUK. A Green drive is also the most expensive.

Of the 1TB drives available (ignoring the Caviar Black) there's only £5 difference between the cheapest and the most expensive.

At the end of the day you pays your money.....

I agree with all that, but that's not the point I raised.

Without wanting to put words in your mouth, it sounds like you are saying "We've been ripped off on 7,200 RPM drives demanding a premium over Green drives for the last few years, but it's ok now because I can cite examples where they are very similar"?

It sure seems that way when you watch that video with the Seagate rep, and yes we'll all live with it, but I'm sorry if I won't believe everything he says

Surveyor · 22 Apr 2012 at 19:44

ChileanLlama said:
I agree with all that, but that's not the point I raised.

Without wanting to put words in your mouth, it sounds like you are saying "We've been ripped off on 7,200 RPM drives demanding a premium over 5,400 RPM drives for the last few years, but it's ok now because I can cite examples where they are very similar"?

It sure seems that way when you watch that video with the Seagate rep, and yes we'll all live with it, but I'm sorry if I won't believe everything he says

If you assume that Green and 7200rpm drives have cost the same all along then you may be correct that we've been charged a premium for the 7200rpm versions.

We've no way of knowing it that's the case.

And even if it is the case it's hardly the only example of being charged proportionally more for something faster that probably doesn't cost that much more to produce.

ChileanLlama · 22 Apr 2012 at 19:51

Surveyor said:
If you assume that Green and 7200rpm drives have cost the same all along then you may be correct that we've been charged a premium for the 7200rpm versions.

We've no way of knowing it that's the case.

And even if it is the case it's hardly the only example of being charged proportionally more for something faster that probably doesn't cost that much more to produce.

Re watch the video you posted, he implies there's little to no cost differential. He's arguing a 20c saving a year on green drives, but with the same breath saying they cost the same. Pre-flood they were cheaper to consumers. My original point was is he only saying this because he knows there is limited production, therefore tell people "greens are a waste of time" so we can plough everything into the drives that have a greater margin?

If that's the case, it stinks.

See what I mean now?

Tackle_Berry · 22 Apr 2012 at 20:07

Going way of topic here.

ChileanLlama · 22 Apr 2012 at 20:10

Apologies Ash.

Buy the cheapest green drive you can find, Samsung F4, Seagate or WD

I'd still go green purely because it's going in a home server, and they are much cooler.