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Seagate Barracuda 1TB Loud Rumbling/drumming Noise
I purchased my Precision T1600 with 1TB disk about a month ago, and all is well except for the disk noise. It is not the sound of a dying disk, at least not the sounds I know, so it is *not* whining, clicking etc, and it functions perfectly and fast on boot and on large jobs using relational database. So I don't think it is failing. The noise is like drumming - like drummng fingers very fast on a tabletop. To me it is clear that it is the head searching, just incredibly loud. The disk itself vibrates with each 'beat', and the noise is amplified through the PC casing. It is too loud for a normal office environment. Any suggestions? Should I get it replaced under warranty? It was like this from day 1, but now I am using it for real, the noise is ridiculous. Very annoying as I have done a full build and it works fine, but it will drive me nuts.
lynne4270
445 Posts
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August 7th, 2011 18:00
That seems to be a problem with the Seagate drives. My 435T had a western digital drive when I got it, but it had to be replaced because of a bunch of bad sectors. and BSODs. It made no noise at all. The first replacement they sent was a Seagate which was so noisy I could hear it 20 feet away. Sounded like someone tapping on the bottom a tin can. I called and ask them to send a Western Digital because the Seagate had a problem. When they sent the new one, it too was a Seagate and had been refurbished, it too is very noisy, but works fine, but the noise is very distracting. I still have 2 years on my warranty, but am about ready to buy a Western Digital drive, put it in myself and forget about the warranty.
osprey4
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August 7th, 2011 15:00
Hi Ballyhoot,
Call Dell and ask them to replace the drive.
ballyhoot
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August 8th, 2011 06:00
I called Dell - they say there is no solution, or rather that the solution is to replace the drive with an identical unit. Since it seems that this is a design flaw (thanks, lynne4270) or at least a pervasive problem, this must be a waste of time. Given that, I'm a little surprised that this is not a more widespread complaint, because this noise is not good in a work environment, and I don't have super-acute hearing and work in central London.
lynne4270
445 Posts
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August 8th, 2011 08:00
I think it has to do with the Seagate drives in general and the way they are designed. My daughter has a HP that is making a thumping noise since the day she bought it. We ran Belarc adviser and sure enough it is a Seagate drive. My understanding is the drives are very reliable, but Seagate needs to address the noise problem as it's very annoying. I have very bad hearing, but have no problem at all hearing my drive clicking and thumping.
ballyhoot
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August 11th, 2011 09:00
Blessed relief at last! I removed the drive from it's bay and using three heavy-duty rubber bands, suspended it in mid-air above the rack, under tension. The result is near-silence - what a difference! How can Dell pay so little attention to the acoustics of their mountings?
lynne4270
445 Posts
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August 11th, 2011 10:00
Thanks for that tip. I am on my way to pick up some heavy duty rubber bands and will do the same as you did.
Thanks again
Wayne
osprey4
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August 11th, 2011 17:00
Resourcefulness beats engineering again.