WD green power

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I am getting parts together to build a htpc for my bedroom which I am going to try and run passive.

Is it worth getting a Western Digital Caviar Green 500GB (WD5000AACS) rather than Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB in terms of noise and power consumption?

Will be paired with, 4850e, Scythe Mini Ninja CPU Cooler or nt06-lite, GA-MA78GM-S2H, Grandia GD01S-MXR Silver case and hopefully a 300 Watt fanless passive psu.
 
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I have the 1000GB version and it is perfect for that kind of application as it runs a lot cooler than other hard drives I've had over the last few years. Can't say I know how noisy it is though as I have a Raptor RAID 0 C: that chirps like a budgie.
 
You can get a 640GB Blue for less than a 500GB Green and it's quite a lot faster, 2 watts less power consumption is nothing and noise levels are very similar.
If you're building a PC like that may I suggest a solidsate PSU like the Pico's, one will power the whole lot, be perfectly silent and cost less than a passive regular PSU.
 
my 640gb AAKS is definitely louder than the 1TB RE2 GP's i have, not a lot but noticeable .....the GP's are extremely quiet drives.

the sacrifice is of course speed but they're still no slouches either.
 
The noise difference is from vibrations really, slower spindle produces less, so if they're properly isolated there's hardly any difference (first hand experience).
 
I am also thinking of the temperature these drives run at as I am going to try run it all passive. GP drives are reportrd to run cooler.

Thanks for the heads up AbsenceJam, I haven't heard of pico psu's before. Look interesting.
 
It appears that the GP drives aren't really 7200rpm drives (so I've been told anyway) and WD aren't keen to discuss actual spindle speed.

I wouldn't bother for home to be honest without a pressing reason, 2w is nothing and they are slower. We're starting to use them for work but we have something like 250+ drives per rack so the power savings add up...

If they are quieter and cooler than anything else out there go for it if you don't mind the speed loss. I'd be intersted to know, I'd of thought there was a better consumer alternative...
 
Atom said:
I am also thinking of the temperature these drives run at as I am going to try run it all passive. GP drives are reportrd to run cooler.

Thanks for the heads up AbsenceJam, I haven't heard of pico psu's before. Look interesting.
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Yes they are a little cooler, but like the lower power consumption it's nothing you notice. You can run the system you're going for passive with 15k SCSI drives if you like. :)
 
bigredshark said:
It appears that the GP drives aren't really 7200rpm drives (so I've been told anyway) and WD aren't keen to discuss actual spindle speed.

I wouldn't bother for home to be honest without a pressing reason, 2w is nothing and they are slower. We're starting to use them for work but we have something like 250+ drives per rack so the power savings add up...

If they are quieter and cooler than anything else out there go for it if you don't mind the speed loss. I'd be intersted to know, I'd of thought there was a better consumer alternative...
Click to expand...

They are 5400rpm drives. WD market them as though the spindle speed automatically changes but what they actually say is that they might make some 7200rpm parts, which they don't.

The Samsung EcoGreen will hopefully be more widely available soon, they are quieter and faster than the WD's. I had a couple arrive from Japan but they were DOA (shipping company destroyed them).
 
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