3,600 RPM 1.8" drive instead of 4,200? (120GB installed in S30!)

[saab_rider]

Like some guys, I was also hoping to install the 5 mm thick MK1231GAL on my DAP.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen a single succesful installation of this drive on any machine (DAP or not) other than on the 6th gen iPod and the 2nd gen Zune (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Luckily, I didn't buy the drive, but I did buy a Gigabeat S30 intending to upgrade the drive to 120 GB. So since the MK1231GAL is questionable, I've been looking for alternatives.

I found the Samsung HS12YHA. This drive is 120 GB, and is 5 mm thick, but the RPM is 3,600.

How bad would this be? The drive has 8 MB of buffer ram, and the seek time/latency numbers are ok-ish, but would it be noticibly slow?

I figure, this drive could even increase battery life, since it uses less power.

Would appreciate your thoughts!

[ej0rge]

The areal density of the drive being what it is, I don't think there will be a real performance issue.

There's also one report of the HS12YHA being used successfully in a Korg MR-1 portable recorder, here:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f15/korg-mr-1-can-used-portable-player-425849/index8.html

Which gives some hope that it's not a bizarre uncooperative device like the toshiba. There's a report of a performance issue, but i think it's more likely due to the controller in the MR-1 not enabling DMA modes.

[saab_rider]

Hi ej0rge,

I've seen your posts at the hi-fi forum.. Sorry you ended up getting the MK1231GAL and not being able to use it!

I think I might pull the trigger and get the Samsung... I also read the post about the performance issue on the Korg MR-1. It seems this drive isn't very popular yet...

I own an iRiver H340, and the reason why I bought the Gigabeat S30 is to have a thinner rockbox-capable device with more capacity! So sticking with the 30 GB drive is a downgrade for me!

Might order it tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Update (June 23 '09): I just received the hard disk... One thing is odd, the specs on the drive don't match the specs on Samsung's site... It says this is a 4,200 RPM drive!

[isanggon]

Hi,

See this item.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=260428022354#ebayphotohosting

http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=649207&image=276440302&images=276440302&formats=0&format=0

This item is different to your item. Minor model number is different and maybe spec is different, too(your item has 2M cache with 4200rpm but that item has 8M cache with 3600rpm).

I don't know which item is better, but if your item has 512 byte physical sector size, it's more suitable for upgrade item.

[saab_rider]

isanggon: It's strange that Samsung's web-site doesn't list two different specs...

From the image you posted, I noticed that the 3,600 drive uses the model number HS12YHA/I, where as my drive is simply HS12YHA. Also, I just realized, my drive says: N2-2D, and the other drive (and the specs on samsung's page) say N3.

Anyhow... I installed the drive in my Gigabeat S30, and now I have a Gigabeat S120!!!!!!!!

120GB in a slim player!!!!!!!

Finally! See the attachment for proof! I haven't played with it much. It's 3:19 a.m. here, and I wake up for work at 7! so I need to sleep

[isanggon]

Congraturations!!

I bought HS12YHA/I. Maybe it will arrive within 2 weeks. But I'm worring about compatibility problem. It looks HS12YHA/I is for ipod/zune and HS12YHA is for pc.

[pwhodges]

I have bought a HS12YHA (not /I) for my H340.  Being slim, it completely gets over the difficulties that the thicker disks give when fitting any of the ZIF adapters into the case.  It is also cheaper than the Toshiba was when I looked (I paid £90).

The disk was immediately visible in Bootloader USB mode.  It was preformatted with a strange selection of partitions, so I repartitioned and formatted it using DFSee (www.fsys.com) without incident.  It is currently loading my audio collection.

Paul

EDIT:  It is about a quarter of the speed of my Toshiba (the 8mm 120GB one) when uploading to it in Bootloader USB mode...

[isanggon]

HS12YHA/I doesn't worked with gigabeat s OF. But it seems, after bootloader update, HS12YHA/I will work on rockbox firmware. I successed bootloader usb mode, but rockbox bootloader doesn't identify rockbox folder("file not found) 

HS12YHA/I works perfect with ipod(like toshiba mkxx31 series hdd).

[AlexP]

but rockbox bootloader doesn't identify rockbox folder("file not found) 

This is a common problem with the Gigabeat S and not necessarily due to the disk.

[pekof]

I have bought a HS12YHA (not /I) for my H340.  Being slim, it completely gets over the difficulties that the thicker disks give when fitting any of the ZIF adapters into the case.  It is also cheaper than the Toshiba was when I looked (I paid £90).

I'm thinking to do same.

Can it run original iRiver firmware or just Rockbox?