Strange sound from hard disk - any problem?

[bippukt]

I bought a new i5 gaming PC just before Christmas, and while it is working great, one thing is troubling me. First, the config is:

■Intel core i5 750 with 8 MB cache
■Intel DP55WB motherboard
■Transcend 4GB DDR3 RAM@1333MHz
■Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200.12 HDD
■Two old Seagate HDDs - 160GB (2 yrs) and 80GB (4 yrs old)
■CoolerMaster Extreme Power Duo 600W (two +12V rails@18A each)
■XFX GTS 250 512MB
■Local cabinet with passable air flow
■Sony DVD writer

The CPU and GPU temps seem to be fine, I can't see the voltages because Intel hasn't released the utility yet, but no power problems seem to be there.

The thing that is troubling me is that there seems to be some sort of strange sound coming from the area where the HDDs are.

■The sound sort of 'tuck-tuck' and yet I don't think I have ever heard it before. Because of this, I think that it must be coming from the new 500GB HDD.
■There is no pattern to the sound. Sometimes, it just pops up there, makes a few sounds and then is silent. Copying a 6GB file to the new HDD didn't create a sound.
■HD Tune Error scans and benchmarking for all three HDDs. Results were perfectly fine.
■Downloaded Seatools from Seagate and performed theiir SMART test, short drive self test and long drive self test for all three HDDs. All tests passed.

All this seems to indicate that everything is fine. I guess that the only thing left for me now would be to contact Seagate support, but it is probably a waste of time.

This is a lengthy post, but I wanted to be sure that I put in all the details. Might there be a problem?

 

[Guest]

Hopefully, it's just re-calibrating (I think that's the word) -- as the drive warms up the disk expands and the heads have to work out how to find the data in its new position.

It's the scraping noises or an audible repeated head movement when looking for files accompanied by an unusual delay in displaying files -- that's when you have to worry.

 

[shovenose]

i dislike seagate, especially someof their newer dirves, as some of them have known issues and seagate refuses to admit that! if i were you i would stick to wd, hitachi, or samsung!

 

[bippukt]

That's not really an option for me though.

Can someone give me an idea of what I can do to find if there is a problem or if it is just a recalibration sound. The HDD is not at all expensive, but it does hold a significant amount of my data.

Also, I am planning to remove the 80GB HDD soon. It is too slow, has small capacity and is blocking the airflow.

 

[shovenose]

Well check for bad sectors with superfdisk.

 

[pat]

That's not really an option for me though.

Can someone give me an idea of what I can do to find if there is a problem or if it is just a recalibration sound. The HDD is not at all expensive, but it does hold a significant amount of my data.

Also, I am planning to remove the 80GB HDD soon. It is too slow, has small capacity and is blocking the airflow.

Well, if your HDD is in a badly vented aera on your case, or there is not enough room in top or bottom then it may heat up and cause that.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

If Spinrite 6 says it's OK, then it's OK.