Cache vs RPM question

[NegativeROG]

Hello everyone.  I'm going to buy a new HDD for my Steam library.  I'm looking at 4TB drives and around $100.  Theoretically, which is a better idea for just Steam, a 7200RPM with 64MB cache or a 5400RPM with 256MB cache?  I can't really find any current comparisons.  Amazon has a Seagate for $98 that's says "7200RPM, 256MB cache", but that's an error.  It's the Seagate BarraCuda ST4000DM004, which NewEgg correctly lists as 5400RPM.  Win10, programs, and Borderlands 2 are already on a Samsung 860, so no worries there.  Any thoughts?  Thanks in advance for all the assistance.

[Crunchy Dragon]

I wouldn't honestly recommend anything less than a 7200 RPM drive unless you're just using it for storing files in a NAS or similar.

[NegativeROG]

'Nuff said.  Thanks.  I appreciate the 30 second response, and from a mod, too!  Tell Linus we love him, and the mean tweets he read were funny, but from jealous losers.

[Crunchy Dragon]

2 minutes ago, AsusMaximus said:

'Nuff said.  Thanks.  I appreciate the 30 second response, and from a mod, too!  Tell Linus we love him, and the mean tweets he read were funny, but from jealous losers.

I'm not affiliated with Linus, unfortunately.

Haters gonna hate, that's kind of just how the world works.

 

Welcome to the forum!

[Razor Blade]

I think it will depend on use case...

 

for example, my steam library runs on an iSCSI drive of 5400 RPM NAS drives in a RAID Z2 array with a sizable ARC. In my experience the speed is comparable to a standard 7200 RPM drive but the overhead of having what is essentially an entire computer acting as a hard drive kind of makes it an apples to oranges comparison.

 

Personally if I were to put a hard drive in my PC right now, I would opt for higher RPM vs higher cache. Lower RPM drives are great for longevity and power consumption but (at least in my experience) don't seem to keep up when it comes to raw performance.

[Electronics Wizardy]

9 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

I wouldn't honestly recommend anything less than a 7200 RPM drive unless you're just using it for storing files in a NAS or similar.

though really, 5400 isn't always slower than 7200 rpm. This really depends on the exact drives your using.

 

11 minutes ago, AsusMaximus said:

Hello everyone.  I'm going to buy a new HDD for my Steam library.  I'm looking at 4TB drives and around $100.  Theoretically, which is a better idea for just Steam, a 7200RPM with 64MB cache or a 5400RPM with 256MB cache?  I can't really find any current comparisons.  Amazon has a Seagate for $98 that's says "7200RPM, 256MB cache", but that's an error.  It's the Seagate BarraCuda ST4000DM004, which NewEgg correctly lists as 5400RPM.  Win10, programs, and Borderlands 2 are already on a Samsung 860, so no worries there.  Any thoughts?  Thanks in advance for all the assistance.

got links to the exact drives for sale? Id get the cheaper it really won't matter performance wise.

 

The 4tb barracuda from segate is a 5400rpm 2 platter smr drive, it will be fine for desktop use.

[NegativeROG]

Thanks Razor Blade.  I am really only concerned with performance, so 7200RPM it is!

[i_build_nanosuits]

13 minutes ago, AsusMaximus said:

 I'm going to buy a new HDD for my Steam library.  I'm looking at 4TB drives and around $100.

damn son...do you really have to have all your games installed on your system at once?!

I mean, how many games are you playing weekly? even monthly? i'm pretty sure they can all stand on a 1tb SSD which you can find now for 99$

 

it'll be way quieter, way faster and way more reliable...you just can't put ALL your games on it...but who cares

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qJ448d/adata-ultimate-su650-960-gb-25-solid-state-drive-asu650ss-960gt-r

[NegativeROG]

Wizard, here is a link:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-Internal-3-5-Inch-ST4000DM004/dp/B071WLPRHN/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2MUDAMRG3SDZP&keywords=4tb+internal&qid=1551297456&s=gateway&sprefix=4tb+inter%2Caps%2C555&sr=8-3

 

That page says the drive is 7200RPM, but if you look up ST4000DM004, it is 5400RPM.

[porina]

The cache on ordinary drives isn't really significant. The bulk of the performance will be limited by the mechanical parts. Maybe if you looked at SSHDs and the cache gets up to GB it starts to become more interesting, but I haven't had great (performance) experiences with those either.

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, AsusMaximus said:

Wizard, here is a link:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-Internal-3-5-Inch-ST4000DM004/dp/B071WLPRHN/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2MUDAMRG3SDZP&keywords=4tb+internal&qid=1551297456&s=gateway&sprefix=4tb+inter%2Caps%2C555&sr=8-3

 

That page says the drive is 7200RPM, but if you look up ST4000DM004, it is 5400RPM.

Yea thats labeled wrong. The barracuda drives are 7200rpm for 3tb and less, and 5400rpm for 4tb+. But rpm really doesn't matter it. It will be plenty fast for a storage drive.

[NegativeROG]

Nanosuits, my situation is a little weird:  I get a HUGE variety of internet speeds, so downloads can be frustrating.  So if I want to play a game that I own but have to download, it can be a crapshoot over how long it will take.  And if I want to play a game NOW, that means right now!  My moods are fickle.  The variance in DL speeds is because I won't use the internet AT ALL without PIA VPN, and I have to use a PowerLine adapter in a house with shoddy wiring.

[NegativeROG]

Nanosuits, as I stated, I already have a Samsung 860 Evo SSD for the important stuff.  The drive I intend to purchase will only be for Steam and Origin.

 

There is also the issue of portability:  if I want to travel, and use someone else's PC, all I have to take is my HDD, install Steam on their PC, and I'm good to go.

Edited February 27, 2019 by AsusMaximus

[NegativeROG]

Porina, how do you have multiple rigs showing up in your profile?  I'm new here, so I'm not familiar with how you added more than one.