Western Digital UltraStar HDD Noise Level Test

Summary

This video explores the noise levels and performance of Western Digital's Ultrastar HC330 NAS hard drives. The host conducts an audio test and performance benchmarks, emphasizing the drive's enterprise-level design for data centers. Despite exaggerating the noise for clarity, the video provides insights into the operational sounds of hard drives, particularly during boot-up and simultaneous read-write activities. It aims to help viewers understand the trade-off between performance and noise in enterprise storage solutions.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The video is a continuation of a series examining NAS-based hard drives and server drives, focusing on the noise they generate.
• 🔍 The Western Digital Ultrastar series HC330 is the specific model being tested for noise and performance benchmarks in this video.
• 📢 The setup includes an audio meter and a USB 3 dock, with the audio meter calibrated to -25 dB to filter out ambient noise.
• 📈 The video emphasizes that the noise levels measured are relative to the environment and not indicative of a multi-bay NAS system.
• 👂 The audio recording is enhanced in post-production to exaggerate the noise by 10-20% for better listener understanding.
• 💿 The HC330 is an enterprise-class drive designed for data centers and large arrays, not typically used individually.
• 🔨 The drive has been pre-formatted and sectors on multiple disks have been formatted in advance to avoid setup noise干扰.
• 📊 The performance test uses Aja software to benchmark read and write speeds on the external drive.
• 🔄 The video includes drag-and-drop activity and simultaneous read-write operations to induce noise from the drive.
• 🔕 The noise level drops significantly when the drive activity is halted, demonstrating the impact of drive operation on noise.
• 📚 The video aims to provide a sense of relativity regarding hard drive noise, especially for enterprise-level drives which offer high performance at the cost of increased ambient noise.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to examine the noise levels and performance benchmarks of the Western Digital Ultrastar series HC330 NAS-based hard drive.

What disclaimers are mentioned at the beginning of the video?

The disclaimers mention that the setup is slightly different from previous videos, with the inclusion of an audio meter, and that the video is not about precise decibel measurement but rather about giving a general understanding of the noise generated by the drive.

What is the purpose of the audio meter in the video setup?

The audio meter is used to measure and record the noise levels produced by the hard drive during the test, with the calibration adjusted to account for ambient noise.

Why might the video creator exaggerate the noise levels in the recording?

The noise levels are exaggerated by about 10 to 20 percent to provide a better understanding of what to listen for, as the actual noise may not be as noticeable to viewers.

What is the enterprise class hard drive being tested in the video?

The enterprise class hard drive being tested is the Western Digital Ultrastar HC330, a 10TB drive designed for rack mount sound systems and data centers.

What is the significance of the drive already being formatted before the test?

The drive being pre-formatted ensures that the test does not include the noise generated by the formatting process, allowing for a more accurate measurement of the drive's operational noise.

What performance benchmarking tool is used in the video?

The performance benchmarking tool used in the video is Aja, which is used to measure the read and write speeds of the hard drive.

What kind of activity can cause the hard drive to make more noise?

Simultaneous read and write activity can cause the hard drive to make more noise, as the internal arm has to switch between reading and writing data.

How does the video creator handle the testing of the hard drive during heavy read-write activity?

The video creator copies data from one part of the drive to another, simulating a real-world scenario where the drive might be taxed with simultaneous read and write operations.

What is the final test conducted in the video to demonstrate the noise levels?

The final test involves powering down the drive to demonstrate the difference in noise levels between active and inactive states, providing a relative balance for viewers.

What is the conclusion the video aims to provide about enterprise level hard drives?

The video aims to provide a sense of relativity about the noise levels of enterprise level hard drives, highlighting that they offer high performance at the expense of increased ambient noise.