Experts needed, what's the difference?

[Mark Kaine]

I need a new hdd, my current 4TB is not enough for my shipfu collection...... 

 

 

But what the hell is up with those different 'versions' any reason I shouldn't get the 'cheap bulk' version? 

 

 

(please do not recommend other manufacturers, I only want TOSHIBA, thanks) 

 

[GorujoCY]

10 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

(please do not recommend other manufacturers, I only want TOSHIBA, thanks) 

b-but seagate

jokes aside
 

10 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

I need a new hdd, my current 4TB is not enough for my shipfu collection...... 

 

 

But what the hell is up with those different 'versions' any reason I shouldn't get the 'cheap bulk' version? 

 

 

(please do not recommend other manufacturers, I only want TOSHIBA, thanks) 

 

as far as my knowledge goes, these bulks drives seem to be made for desktop use, i cannot gurantee their speed despite the high perfomance marketing (alltho it depends on the cache size in order to write constantly) and I also cant really (like too much) gurantee about their longetivity, but depending on your use case, it would do thier job just fine I guess...

edit: I did some research, it seems like those bulk drives are either used or refurbished by the retailer, if you dont like that, avoid those bulk drives (source that i found to say this: https://www.istoragenetworks.com/avoid-bulk.php#new_bulk_new_pull)

[boggy77]

by looking at their spec sheets, weirdly enough it looks like the cheaper one has 256MB buffer, while the more expensive one has 128MB. so I'd go with the cheaper one

[Master Disaster]

A quick Google shows Bulk to be the OEM variant (no nice packaging, no included cables & 1 year less warranty) and non bulk is the retail. Should point out that this info is from 2015 so it might not be accurate any more?

 

Quick aside, retailers are not supposed to sell OEM stuff straight to the end user. You have to be careful that, if the thing has any issues, Toshiba might turn around and say they're not covering the warranty at all since its an OEM drive and you're not an OEM. It would be up to the place you bought it from to cover the warranty.

[Mark Kaine]

35 minutes ago, boggy77 said:

by looking at their spec sheets, weirdly enough it looks like the cheaper one has 256MB buffer, while the more expensive one has 128MB. so I'd go with the cheaper one

good catch! but - without doing much research admittedly - it seems the 128mb are 'newer' technology, so I don't know... very confusing, especially the pictures don't seem to be necessarily correct either, 1 is black the other is grey, but they have the same version number... 

 

43 minutes ago, GorujoCY said:

b-but seagate

43 minutes ago, GorujoCY said:

seems like those bulk drives are either used or refurbished

 

well I'm also not sure but I think bulk is intended for OEMs and 'retail' is intended for shipfu collectors like myself, and bulk supposedly has worse packaging and *no warranty* which is of course illegal in my country so I kind of doubt that... but yeah the situation is certainly weird and information sparse... 

 

 

So what I'll really need to do is check the x300 in my PC to see what color it is lol... I believe it's black and 128mb cache... that still doesn't tell me if 256 wouldn't be better but actually I just want the same model because it's simply very good in my experience and silent (and runs a little hot but oh well - 43C basically always)

[Mark Kaine]

21 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

A quick Google shows Bulk to be the OEM variant (no nice packaging, no included cables & 1 year less warranty) and non bulk is the retail. Should point out that this info is from 2015 so it might not be accurate any more?

 

Quick aside, retailers are not supposed to sell OEM stuff straight to the end user. You have to be careful that, if the thing has any issues, Toshiba might turn around and say they're not covering the warranty at all since its an OEM drive and you're not an OEM. It would be up to the place you bought it from to cover the warranty.

Right... the warranty isn't that much of a concern to me, but that's how I understand it as well... I mean I do have 1 year warranty 100% for products sold in Germany... (after that most shops will just flat out deny warranty anyway in my experience) 

 

I'm more concerned about performance / noise - hence I think it's probably best to look what's already in my PC... 

 

I just thought I ask to save some time as I'm not able to check right now and I also don't really remember, tho I think it's the black, newer (and more expensive) model. 

 

PS: there are also 'enterprise' models which are even cheaper - shouldn't that be better in theory? Damn this is complicated, why can't I just download more TBs??  /s

[Mling]

I heard in Germany OEM is treated as retail. I never found out why. It was just a rule we had at a software sales company i worked briefly at.

[Mark Kaine]

9 minutes ago, Mling said:

I heard in Germany OEM is treated as retail. I never found out why. It was just a rule we had at a software sales company i worked briefly at.

yes *no warranty* is illegal around here. 

 

doesn't mean retailers don't try........... to scam the unaware........ of course! 

 

 

well question still stands tho, 128MB or 256MB, black or grey...? 

 

Or 'enterprise'? 

 

*sigh*

 

 

 

 

 

[GorujoCY]

14 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

yes *no warranty* is illegal around here. 

 

doesn't mean retailers don't try........... to scam the unaware........ of course! 

 

 

well question still stands tho, 128MB or 256MB, black or grey...? 

 

Or 'enterprise'? 

 

*sigh*

 

 

 

 

 

i would go with the more cache desktop purpose drive if it were me alltho i wouldnt really see the reason to store at 8tb but im just telling my opinion to my perspective here

 

[Mling]

31 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

well question still stands tho, 128MB or 256MB, black or grey...? 

 

go for more cache. I might know what enterprise means. Many years ago I bought "enterprise class" Western Digital drives. These drives had high cache but also had a lot more reserved blocks. So when a bad block is detected the drive had a lot more reserved blocks than regular drives, thereby allowing them to last longer. Thats what i understood of them.

[Mark Kaine]

43 minutes ago, GorujoCY said:

i would go with the more cache desktop purpose drive if it were me alltho i wouldnt really see the reason to store at 8tb but im just telling my opinion to my perspective here

 

 

23 minutes ago, Mling said:

go for more cache. I might know what enterprise means. Many years ago I bought "enterprise class" Western Digital drives. These drives had high cache but also had a lot more reserved blocks. So when a bad block is detected the drive had a lot more reserved blocks than regular drives, thereby allowing them to last longer. Thats what i understood of them.

alright, thanks guys, will take it into consideration! 

 

 

43 minutes ago, GorujoCY said:

wouldnt really see the reason to store at 8tb but im just telling my opinion

but... shipfus...