“Server-grade” hard-disk in Time Capsule? Let’s check! [UPDATED]
by moose
So, according to Apple, Time Capsule holds a
massive 500GB or 1TB server-grade hard drive
But what does that mean exactly? Some funky adamantium-based hard-disk, freon-cooled and guaranteed until the end of Time itself?
Well, nakedmac dissected his brand new Time Capsule and posted some pictures of the innards over at flickr. Here’s one extremely interesting photo:
If you look closely (yeah you might need to click the picture to see it in its full glory), you’ll notice this is an Hitachi Deskstar hds721010kla330, which, translated into human speech means a 3.5″ Deskstar 7K1000. Nothing fancy then, just a regular desktop 1TB 7200RPM SATA hard disk, with 32MB of cache. Not that it’s bad eh. Looking at Hitachi’s web site (PDF spec sheet), you learn that this HDD is tailored for the following aaplications:
Internal and external storage for consumer computers
Networked storage servers
Extreme gaming machines
Video editing arrays
“Netwoked storage server”… so, yeah, in a sense it IS a “server-grade” HDD, but not something you would find in, say, an Xserve. Funny thing is, this drive exists in two versions: 1TB and 750MB, so what does the 500GB Time Capsule use? Probably Hitachi’s Deskstar E7K500 (PDF spec sheet), which is basically the same drive, only with 500GB and 16MB of cache. Let us know if you rip open your 500GB capsule.
Let’s look at the price now: an Airport Extreme base station goes for $179 on the online Apple Store and you can find Hitachi’s 7K1000 for around $300-340. Add this up and you reach around $479-519, when the 1TB Time Capsule retails for $499. So, it’s a pretty good deal.
Me? I just ordered the 500GB version, that is going to replace my current setup consisting of a a/b/g wifi router cum ADSL modem coupled with a MacBook that shares a 500GB external HD plugged in using USB2. Which means now the Time Capsule will serve 802.11n to the whole house, along with serving as a networked backup location. And the great thing is the MacBook won’t have to be on for Time Machine to do it’s magic, which means I’ll save power (Time Capsule uses less power than a wifi router, a live MacBook 2.4GHz and an external HDD.
UPDATE: browsing through the other pictures, you can see that there is a FAN in there… a fan but no visible venting holes? Hmmm…
March 1st, 2008 at 19:07 CET
that was the worst review I have ever read
March 1st, 2008 at 19:18 CET
In a sense, every hard drive is a “server-grade” drive.
March 1st, 2008 at 19:19 CET
Who said review?
It’s informative for a news item anyway:
1. Time Capsule uses ordinary desktop hard drives
2. Hitachi says they’re probably good enough
3. the 1TB price equation isn’t actually all that bad
4. there’s a fan but no vent? interesting…
Expect your reviews in a few days!
March 1st, 2008 at 20:19 CET
[...] Fotos: Time Capsule por dentro Fuente: Blog HardMac’s. [...]
March 1st, 2008 at 20:29 CET
Andy,
effectively that WAS NOT a review, it’s a blog post. I can’t review something I just ordered and haven’t even received. My closest encounter with a Time Capsule was holding a demo unit on the show floor at the 2008 MacWorld Expo.
Thanks anyway for the charming and constructive comment ;-)
March 1st, 2008 at 23:03 CET
Actually, I just looked at system profiler for a brand new Jan 2008 XServe with a set of TB drives in it and it has an Hitachi HDS721010KLA330 in it…. so, your assertion that you wouldn’t find it in an XServe is completely wrong.
March 1st, 2008 at 23:31 CET
So it really is “server-grade”… could you email me a screenshot of the System Profiler? I’d like to post an update with visual evidence.
Thanks.
March 2nd, 2008 at 00:43 CET
Andy, what is your problem? This guy dome a great job with his review!
March 2nd, 2008 at 01:18 CET
Apple have used similar Hitachi disks in their servers for years & when this has been queried, it’s been claimed that Apple buys higher-rated/hand-picked disks then the norm (irrepective of their appearance).
Many would claim to have never have an Apple sever disk fail on them, I’m sure others have had them fail - there are no fail-proof drives out there!
March 2nd, 2008 at 01:29 CET
Your argument would hold more water if you had the pricing right.
the HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000 HDS721010KLA330 (0A35155) 1TB Drives retail for $270 bucks on Newegg and are even on sale now for $240!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145167
$180 AE plus $240 HD is a paltry $420 to the numbers you are quoting.
March 2nd, 2008 at 02:00 CET
AJ, the “numbers he is quoting” are Apple’s prices for the 1TB Drive on Apple’s own site. Apple is NOT going to sell you products at competitors’ prices. Sure you could buy the HDD from newegg for cheaper, but newegg doesn’t install it in an 802.11n router, let alone one with the functionality of Time Machine. I consider that a good deal for the extra $70 you’re spending on the TC. And if what others have posted in here is true, Apple does use these drives in other server grade products, so there really is no valid reason to complain IMO.
March 2nd, 2008 at 02:07 CET
There are vents for the fan, but they appear to be covered up by the rubber footing . . .
March 2nd, 2008 at 02:51 CET
who cares.
March 2nd, 2008 at 05:21 CET
I covered this story with a different twist very early this morning.
http://typicalmacuser.com/wordpress/2008/03/01/time-capsules-server-grade-hard-drive-really/
March 2nd, 2008 at 09:57 CET
AJ, the prices I am quoting are average prices, that you can find at major online retailers like, say, Amazon.com and such. Of course you can find better deals when you go a-hunting, but that was not the point.
March 3rd, 2008 at 07:07 CET
I’d like to know where Andy’s review is? Since he seems to be the “man” on reviews.
Good job on the post Moose!
March 3rd, 2008 at 09:22 CET
The DeskStar (IBM versions - HITACHI now), are in ALL our Xserves, some of them from ‘03.
They are server class drives and batch picked.
hylas
March 4th, 2008 at 08:16 CET
[...] (A comment on that Flickr page linked to this.) [...]