BleepingComputer.com: Need hardrive recomendation

I currently have a WD1600ys. Looking for something similar that perform well. I don't play games but I do plan on running Autocad from it. Mine has a 16 MB cache, and the other WD's on the computer store only have 8mb cache, would that make a huge difference?

Edit: Moved topic from XP to the more appropriate forum. ~ Animal

Highveelocity, on Feb 1 2009, 10:51 PM, said:

Cache makes very little performance difference. The WD VelociRaptor and the Hitachi Deskstar E7K1000 are much faster than the WD1600YS.

Newegg has the WD6400AAKS for 59.99/free shipping now. I have that drive as well as 2 WD6401AALS (1 for me, one for a customer build).

Anyway, I have about the same results with all drives of the same "class". The only stuff I am avoiding now are certain Seagate drives due to a firmware problem that hopefully should be fixed now/soon. It's hard to recocomend one brand over another as failure rates are pretty close for all. I shop by size/speed and warranty, brand isn't really a consideration. I have had all brands of HD fail on my stuff as well as customers rigs and there is no rhyme nor reason to it.

DaffyKantReed, on Feb 1 2009, 11:38 PM, said:

The velociraptor is $225, I'm trying to stay under $80, and I don't even need the 160 that I have, a 120 will probably suffice

Highveelocity, on Feb 2 2009, 09:08 AM, said:

Part of the problem is the older small capacity hard drives aren't nearly as fast (transfer speed) as newer larger drives due to the areal density of the platters. You can find the older/smaller drives but the price/megabyte is higher and they are slower as well.