[0157988944]

So I'm watching the Simpsons online last night, and my computer is fine. It has been for a long while now. I hear the normal little clicks of a seeking hard drive, and then a large pop, as if a mechanical arm had become stuck and then released and sprung back. Panic mode ensues. I turn on my external hard drive, and begin backup. About halfway through, the entire system locks up, the hard drive is clicking like the dickens, and I have to force shut down. I try to turn it on again, but it sits at the Apple Screen.

Fast forward: This morning. I turn my computer on on whim, and *BING* it's fine! I begin the backup again, get everything backed up, and then begin backing up less necessary stuff, like my Library folders. Clicking and freezing ensues.

First of all, what the hell. Has anyone else had a hard drive go from seemingly fine to dead within 30 minutes?

Second of all, and the real reason I started this thread, I have a few options of what to do and a few questions. Obviously the best thing to do would be to get the internal hard drive replaced. Short of that, I could buy a firewire external drive.

My question: How much of a speed difference would I notice between a 250 GB 7200 RPM Internal Drive and a 250 GB 7200 RPM FW 400 External Drive? For regular apps like Mail and Safari, and also for pro Apps like FCS2.

Thanks!

[pk1]

This sounds like a reality fluctuation. Many things could have happened, including but not limited to:

a. a temporary jump to a parallel universe, then back
b. someone re-adjusting something in The Matrix
c. prolonged use of a psychedelic substance
d. the discovery of a new super-ability, i.e. screwing and fixing hard disks (see little Noah in "Heroes")
e. paranoia
d. vivid nightmares of a mac malfunctioning
e. hard disk failing then working again after Divine Intervention
f. proper use of the Law of Attraction by you, in creating your own reality. You really beleived that it's going to work, so it worked. Way to go!
g. alien abduction

Of course there is always the chance of a hard disk failing then going back to work. But how possible is this? My bet is on option f. Also, I suggest you never see the Simpsons again in your Mac.

Seriously though, what you described is quite strange. Obviously there's something wrong with your hard disk. You were lucky enough to have backed-up everything! I suggest you run some exhaustive tests on your HDD to see if you can find out a problem with it. When and if you do, go and have it replaced if it's still under warranty. That's my 2cents opinion.

Now, about your question, as far as I know having an external hard disk run the OS will add some delay to your system. I cannot estimate how much it would affect you though, but I wouldn't suggest doing it. Just replace the internal hard disk.

Sorry for the stupid stuff but I couldn't resist (No rants please!)

[mduell]

Could be a thermal soak issue causing the delay in dead-ness.

Running off an external should be about the same for mail and web, but you'd notice it in pro apps.

[0157988944]

Originally Posted by pk1 

This sounds like a..
..(No rants please!)

I enjoyed the post, but his name is Micah

Unfortunately, this is an eBayed iMac, so right now I am just trying to return it, but beyond that I'm doing all angles of research on the way to spend the least money and have it work well again.

Thanks!

[pk1]

Originally Posted by adamfishercox 

I enjoyed the post, but his name is Micah

Unfortunately, this is an eBayed iMac, so right now I am just trying to return it, but beyond that I'm doing all angles of research on the way to spend the least money and have it work well again.

Thanks!

Right, Micah! Noah is the boy's real name. Cute kid!

Did you run any tests on the HDD? Found something? I don't know what's the return policy on items you bought from eBay, but I wish you the best in having a perfectly running system soon, with minimum cost

[seanc]

I assume it has no warranty with Apple left.
I don't think these iMacs are easy to get into either but there must be some guides about.
What manufacturer is the drive in your iMac?

[0157988944]

I ran Hardware Test an Disk Utility, they came up fine. It seems like the disc thinks it is fine, and it works, but there's a mechanical problem, that at random points causes it to choke up. My data appears to be intact, and in fact I can boot up and use if for about 20 minutes, then it gradually crawls to a halt.

As for the manufacturer, I'm not sure, but don't really want to boot it up too much.

Anyone know where I can find the requirements for the internal hard drive for an Early 2006 Core Duo imac?

[seanc]

Originally Posted by adamfishercox 

I ran Hardware Test an Disk Utility, they came up fine. It seems like the disc thinks it is fine, and it works, but there's a mechanical problem, that at random points causes it to choke up. My data appears to be intact, and in fact I can boot up and use if for about 20 minutes, then it gradually crawls to a halt.

As for the manufacturer, I'm not sure, but don't really want to boot it up too much.

Anyone know where I can find the requirements for the internal hard drive for an Early 2006 Core Duo imac?

I can almost guarantee a 3.5" Sata drive.

[0157988944]

Alright, thats what I was thinking. Does it HAVE to be 7200 RPM? 99% chance it will be, but is it a must?

[seanc]

I doubt it has to be 7200RPM. I'm sure you put a 10,000RPM disk in there.

[mduell]

The 10k Raptors may be a little toasty for the iMac enclosure... but any 7200RPM (or 5400RPM... if you can find one) 3.5" SATA drive will do.

[0157988944]

Looking on NewEgg, I see SATA 3 GB/s drives, and Serial ATA150 Drives. Which one is the right SATA?!

[0157988944]

Also, how much of a difference does 16 MB cache vs. 8 MB make?

FYI, I'm looking at these two drives:

Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!

[mduell]

Originally Posted by adamfishercox 

Looking on NewEgg, I see SATA 3 GB/s drives, and Serial ATA150 Drives. Which one is the right SATA?!

Either is fine.

Originally Posted by adamfishercox 

Also, how much of a difference does 16 MB cache vs. 8 MB make?

Not much in real world use.

[0157988944]

Is the iMac Wikipedia entry correct in saying that the Hard Drive is user-replaceable? If they are, am I missing something? Because it does not look easy to get to, being inside the case and all.

[dowNNshift]

It greatly depends on which model of iMac you have.
1st Generation iMac G5, absolutely. If its any of the Intel Macs, No. You'll need special Apple service tools to access the hard drive.

Unfortunately you mentioned it was an Ebay purchased machine. You have no way of knowing how abusive the original owner was on the hard drive. My best advice is to get a service quotation from an Apple Authorized Service Provider for a hard drive replacement. They will run your SN against an internal database and tell you its warranty status, and give you a competitive quote for the repair.

Internal SATA hard drives are much faster than external drives, although Firewire 800 is getting darn close. In the price you'd pay for a 500 or 750 GB external, you could have a new 250GB internal installed into your iMac.

Also... as you saw, SATA comes in two flavors SATA150 and SATA300. The difference in the two models is constant data throughput. Unless you're doing Final Cut Pro or iMovie kinda editing, you're not gonna notice a difference.

[0157988944]

OK, I have decided to get it fixed by an Apple Repair place. I do use FCS2 lightly, so which type of SATA is better for that?

[dowNNshift]

I am glad to hear you're going the Apple Service Provider route.
Is this a Core 2 Duo (Merom) based iMac? If so, then SATA300 is the best way to go.

Ideal specifications would be: SATA300, 7200RPM, 16MB Cache ...in whichever size you choose.

Western Digital lately has been a good bet, as the Caviar series is usually OEM. Seagate disappointingly has become hit and miss though.

[0157988944]

Yeah, there was little chance I was going to be brave enough to crack open my iMac. It's a Core Duo (Yonah) iMac. Still SATA 300?

And how is Samsung quality wise?

[mduell]

You won't notice the difference between 1.5Gb/s and 3.0Gb/s SATA no matter what app you're using; current drives can barely sustain 100MBps.

I like Seagate for brands.

[0157988944]

OK, I've made a decision, can someone just double check me to make sure everything's right with this one?

I don't want this to turn into a weeks long fiasco

Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500AAKS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

[mduell]

That will work, but I'd suggest the Seagate for $5 less. You can get a better value (250GB is 26c/GB) with a 400GB (25c/GB) or even 500GB (24c/GB).

[dowNNshift]

Adam -- I'd go the Western Digital route, its a pretty good deal and a good drive all around. Which ever you do, splurge for overnight shipping. UPS Ground is brutal on hard drives --the less time it is in the UPS system, the better.

I am a commercial system builder and Apple Service Provider and have had REALLY bad luck with Seagate drives shipped from NewEgg lately. In the past 45 days, three (two 3.5" Seagate RS Series drives, one 2.5" Seagate Momentus drive) were shipped to me DOA. Sure it could have been a bad batch... but considering that you don't want to risk it, I suggest WD Caviar. Also consider most often iMacs ship using Western Digital drives OEM. Our company has suspended Seagate product purchases for at least until next year.

Another thing you need to keep in mind is drive height (how tall it is) and heat. Western Digital Caviars are on the lower end of the scale when it comes to heat generation. If you get a toaster of a drive, your hard drive fan is gonna be on much more often.

My best advice is to consult with the Apple Repair shop doing the work. They'll give you the exact specifications needed. I am sure you're anxious to get your machine back and up running, Good Luck!

[0157988944]

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, I went for Seagate. We'll see... Luckily, I now have Leopard, and Time Machine will back me up each day.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by dowNNshift 

Another thing you need to keep in mind is drive height (how tall it is) and heat. Western Digital Caviars are on the lower end of the scale when it comes to heat generation. If you get a toaster of a drive, your hard drive fan is gonna be on much more often.

As far as I know all 3.5" SATA drives are the same (1") height... have you seen any 1.6" thick SATA drives?
As far as heat goes, Seagate comes out lower, particularly where the drive spends most of its time (at idle).
Seagate: 8.5W operating, 5.3W idle
Western Digital: 8.77W operating, 8.4W idle

[0157988944]

I'll update with results by Thursday (My favorite holiday!)