Comments on: Improving hard disk performance in laptops http://www.randomsynapses.org/improving-hard-disk-performance-in-laptops/ Small pieces of the buzzing ideas in my head. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:15:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: bomath http://www.randomsynapses.org/improving-hard-disk-performance-in-laptops/comment-page-1/#comment-1139 bomath Sun, 06 Nov 2005 18:46:54 +0000 http://www.randomsynapses.org/2005-11-05/improving-hard-disk-performance-in-laptops/#comment-1139 Eh... No (more) comment(s) on HDDs, you made me rethink the matter (regarding the magnetic layer's radial transition). On the other side now I weep over giving away a perfect Asus motherboard and buying a replacement from Epox, theoretically w/ the same features but a more complete BIOS. BIOS that was never updated, and they don't even list my model on their support site. Of course, the initial version has some „quirks” which I wasn't able to overcome. Down the drain gone my respect for Epox. Eh… No (more) comment(s) on HDDs, you made me rethink the matter (regarding the magnetic layer’s radial transition).

On the other side now I weep over giving away a perfect Asus motherboard and buying a replacement from Epox, theoretically w/ the same features but a more complete BIOS. BIOS that was never updated, and they don’t even list my model on their support site. Of course, the initial version has some „quirks” which I wasn’t able to overcome. Down the drain gone my respect for Epox.

]]> By: Titel http://www.randomsynapses.org/improving-hard-disk-performance-in-laptops/comment-page-1/#comment-1138 Titel Sun, 06 Nov 2005 06:59:20 +0000 http://www.randomsynapses.org/2005-11-05/improving-hard-disk-performance-in-laptops/#comment-1138 Anything, <em>anything</em> dilates to some extent from heat and rotation. It has been discovered that even if the hard platters don't change significantly, the magnetic layers on their sides do, and they even "flow" slightly on the surface of the platters. That's why hard drives, unlike floppy disks, have invisible "service tracks" to help the recalibration process. Recalibration is more important in 3.5" drives, where a molecule of the magnetic layer at the edge of the platter is subject to significantly higher forces (linear velocity, for instance) than 2.5" platters -- the extra inch makes a huge difference. That's one reason 10,000 rpm or higher drives are only using 2.5" or 1.8" platters. But the extreme forces still exist, and a movement of microns makes a difference when data density is a few tens of gigabytes per square inch. It's not me saying this, it's the hard drive gurus -- argue with them :) Drivers have another story; make sure you check which version is recommended or best supports your particular hardware model. For instance, I have a motherboard with VIA KT333 northbridge, therefore I need the VIA Hyperion drivers for it. Well, the manufacturer recommends an older version, but I pushed it successfully to the latest Hyperion in the 4 series, 4.56, with tiny improvements on the IDE side. But when I tried version 5, it trashed my system. Newer versions no longer have improvements for older versions, but they can screw up more. The same happened with my nVidia Detonator/Forceware series for my GeForce 3 TI200 graphics card; anything above 53.03 makes my screen go blank for a second every time the CPU load increases, even by something as unimportant as scrolling a browser window. 53.04 does this, so do 56.64, 56.72 and up to even 77.72. One would imagine they should all perform the same, since support for my old card should have remained unchanged all this time. But the curious problem with later drivers proves otherwise. Anything, anything dilates to some extent from heat and rotation. It has been discovered that even if the hard platters don’t change significantly, the magnetic layers on their sides do, and they even “flow” slightly on the surface of the platters. That’s why hard drives, unlike floppy disks, have invisible “service tracks” to help the recalibration process. Recalibration is more important in 3.5″ drives, where a molecule of the magnetic layer at the edge of the platter is subject to significantly higher forces (linear velocity, for instance) than 2.5″ platters — the extra inch makes a huge difference. That’s one reason 10,000 rpm or higher drives are only using 2.5″ or 1.8″ platters. But the extreme forces still exist, and a movement of microns makes a difference when data density is a few tens of gigabytes per square inch. It’s not me saying this, it’s the hard drive gurus — argue with them :)

Drivers have another story; make sure you check which version is recommended or best supports your particular hardware model. For instance, I have a motherboard with VIA KT333 northbridge, therefore I need the VIA Hyperion drivers for it. Well, the manufacturer recommends an older version, but I pushed it successfully to the latest Hyperion in the 4 series, 4.56, with tiny improvements on the IDE side. But when I tried version 5, it trashed my system. Newer versions no longer have improvements for older versions, but they can screw up more. The same happened with my nVidia Detonator/Forceware series for my GeForce 3 TI200 graphics card; anything above 53.03 makes my screen go blank for a second every time the CPU load increases, even by something as unimportant as scrolling a browser window. 53.04 does this, so do 56.64, 56.72 and up to even 77.72. One would imagine they should all perform the same, since support for my old card should have remained unchanged all this time. But the curious problem with later drivers proves otherwise.

]]> By: bomath http://www.randomsynapses.org/improving-hard-disk-performance-in-laptops/comment-page-1/#comment-1137 bomath Sat, 05 Nov 2005 23:53:44 +0000 http://www.randomsynapses.org/2005-11-05/improving-hard-disk-performance-in-laptops/#comment-1137 "The temperature <em>and centripetal acceleration</em> in fast drives makes the chemical layers of the platters slightly dilate." Come on, if the platters would be made of pure-grade crap plastics it would be true; but they're ceramyc or at least (in older models) of a very strong metal alloy; if the platters would expand like the CDs just because of the rotation speed... In other words, thanks for reminding me to give a try to the new nVidia drivers for IDE adapters; up until now they were improving only the intensity of my headaches, but I never lose hope. “The temperature and centripetal acceleration in fast drives makes the chemical layers of the platters slightly dilate.”

Come on, if the platters would be made of pure-grade crap plastics it would be true; but they’re ceramyc or at least (in older models) of a very strong metal alloy; if the platters would expand like the CDs just because of the rotation speed…

In other words, thanks for reminding me to give a try to the new nVidia drivers for IDE adapters; up until now they were improving only the intensity of my headaches, but I never lose hope.

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