using solidstate in place of HDD

[Chenks]

i am about the build another HTPC. it won't have much software installed. most likely a basic XP installatioin and MediaPortal.

i had an idea about using solid state in place of the HDD.

i know you can get CompactFlash to IDE convertors.

question is - are there compactflash cards big enough to do this (probably need 8gb i reckon), and would it be suitable for the job speed-wise and be reliable.

[Slamdog]

yep... in fact xp will fit on just over a gig so even a 4gb will do the job..

[Westy5]

Last time I looked into this the solid state media had too short a lifespan to make it worth doing. XP just writes to the media too much and kills it!

[LSG501]

4GB compact flash cards may be crossing over into microdrive range.

[nicky munchkin]

These flash drives/cards etc. usually say 100,000 writes or something. If you install an OS onto it, I am inclined to think it will not last very long.
If your hard up for space consider a lappy hdd but other than that I can't see why you would want to use a flash card thing.

[Chenks]

well it wasn't really anything to do with space. was really because it would be totally silent.

i was worried about the limited life of the device.

a 4gb compactflash is about £30.

[sf37]

Even if you get the largest flash drive possible (which is currently, what, 8 GB?).... where are you going to put your music/ recorded TV? If you are only planning to use it as a DVD player, you might as well get a stand-alone sytem for a lot less money.

Realistically, a quiet notebook HDD (and adapter) is the best solution. The prices have come down a lot recently, the access times will be faster and you will at least have some storage space from some files. Inside a desktop case it will be remarkably quiet.

[Chenks]

Even if you get the largest flash drive possible (which is currently, what, 8 GB?).... where are you going to put your music/ recorded TV? If you are only planning to use it as a DVD player, you might as well get a stand-alone sytem for a lot less money.

Realistically, a quiet notebook HDD (and adapter) is the best solution. The prices have come down a lot recently, the access times will be faster and you will at least have some storage space from some files. Inside a desktop case it will be remarkably quiet.

i have a central server that stores all music, video and photos.
the will be a 'dumb client' in effect and will only have XP and MediaPortal installed.

[Chenks]

i suppose i could use a 2.5inch HDD, but will that be any quieter than a 3.5inch one ?

i looked at this 5200rpm drive
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_6220.html

[Fireblade]

Yes... a 2.5" drive will be quieter. But you could 'suspend' it, to make it even quieter still!

As for the drive you've picked out there... those are perfectly good drives (I have a couple of 2.5" Seagate Momentus meself)... but since this drive is for a HTPC specifically, I'd recommend you get a 7200rpm (http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_6219.html) model instead?

They're noticably quicker than 5400rpm drives in my experience, which you'd undoudtedly see the benefit of in a HTPC system ;)

[Chenks]

as all the media is on a central server, there will be very little data access from the HDD - will just be loading XP really.

will a 7200rpm drive really make that much of a difference in this instance.

also, that drive you mentioned - it's 100gb - really have no need for that amount of space - 10gb would be plenty for this system.

[six5tring]

i use a 5200rpm laptop drive... nice and quiet and perfectly adaquate... all my media is on central server too! - six

[Sharky]

If you have a look around there are plenty of articles that consider flash based drives and their lifespan.

As with any component (or anything in life) there are negatives and positives. There is an opinion that drives of this type are capabale of well in excess of 1,000,000 operations.

Clearly this is dependant on many factors, manufacturer being one of the majors.

Try http://www.storagesearch.com/ssd-buyers-guide.html as a starter for 10

[[GPO]Solitaire]

it is possible to get XP to boot from a network source, as it's gonna be a dumb terminal it "should" be possible to load the OS into Ram and run it from there! you'll need a good 4Gb or ram though :S:S
But a 2.5" drive in a suspended quiet box would be your best bet.. or a Microdrive!

[TheFallenAngel]

A notebook drive is best bet I would say. The highest capacity CF card available is the Sandisk Extreme series which is 16gb and around £170. Better off with notebook drive.