Drobo S hard drive questions

Drobo - End of Sale Drobo S
1

Hi everyone,

Over the weekend I ordered a Drobo S, specifically because of the eSATA connection. (I have a second generation Drobo as a backup device that I’ll use for offsite backups.) While waiting for it to arrive, I’ve been considering what drives to buy for it. I’ve read several threads about the topic here in the Drobo forums, but some of the info might be getting dated, so I thought I’d ask a few questions.
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[]Do 7200 RPM drives really not have any speed advantage over 5400 RPM drives when used in a Drobo S using an eSATA connection?
[]Can any of you who use a Drobo S and an eSATA connection comment on speeds versus using an internal drive?
[]Have 2 TB drives proven themselves to be reliable or are they too new to rate?
[]I’m looking for 1.5 TB or 2 TB drives. Any recommendations on what to buy or what to avoid? (I used to be a fan of Seagate until the issues with 1.5 TB drives last year. I see that Seagate drives have been recertified by Drobo, but now I’m leery of their products.)
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Thanks.

[L]

2

I like the Western Digital GP drives. They are quiet and cool.

As long as you have a few hard disks in there the speed you get from the extra spindles will be better than getting all 7200 rpm disks.

Can’t comment on eSATA performance - I use Firewire and get full speeds out of FW800 link.

3

Ah, that’s interesting. So with a Drobo there’s no reason at to spend the extra money on 7200 RPM drives?

[L]

4

i currently run 2x 2TB Seagate Barracuda LP 5900RPM and 2x 2TB WD Caviar Green 64MB 5400-7200RPM work fast and cool.

5

Thanks onicon.

[L]