Large external HDD noise levels - eviltoast

Apologies if this isn’t the right community to ask in, I figured folks who use them would know, but if there is a better place to ask, please let me know!

So - I need to buy some external storage, and looking at prices and with the long run in mind, I was leaning towards a 18TB WD Elements or 16TB SEAGATE Expansion, but after looking at the reviews I am concerned about the noise levels, since I have sensory processing disorder, making me really sensitive to noise and this is going right by my bed and will hopefully function as an active backup, so will be always on.

Apparently there’s a thing called Preventative Wear Levelling which will cause the drive to rev up every few seconds, and all drives (HDD anyway) do it, but it’s the size of the drive that affects how much sound it makes, is that right?

If that’s the case, is there a size drive where the noise becomes noticeable that I should stay under, or is it a case of trial and error and “my mileage may vary”, and actually any drive could end up being noisy?

Alternatively, is there a quiet but affordable (in terms of ££ per TB, I wouldn’t buy a significantly smaller SSD for the same price as those I mentioned, for example) alternative?

TIA

  • jws_shadotak@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    The sound is determined by what kind of drive it is. Consumer drives are for in-home use and are usually quiet. Enterprise drives are for dedicated server rooms or data centers and can get loud because it’s loud in there already.

    I would recommend sticking with consumer level HDDs if this is a concern. The cost per TB isn’t as good.

    I bought a 14 TB Seagate Exos and put it in a Fractal R5, which is a very good noise insulating case. I can hear clicking from anywhere on the same floor as that machine if I listen for it.

    You could maybe pair two consumer drives together in JBOD to get the space you want, but that’s more expensive.

      • jws_shadotak@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        There’s no hard limit or standard, but I think 14 TB might be the largest you could find in a consumer HDD. The WD EasyStore goes on sale pretty often and sells for a good deal. Those should be quiet and already come in an external case. Look for reviews about it before buying.