Basic Benchmark Results
TEST RESULTS
The purpose of our test is to show how the Raptor is performing in a usual desktop environment. Any such test begins by evaluating basic HDD performance parameters like read and write transfer time, burst speed, access time and CPU utilization. That gives a first indication of how the disk performs. For this purpose we are using the well-known HDD benchmarking utility HDTach 2.61. In addition we are reporting the results for the Sandra 2003 File System Benchmark. We don’t hold the Sandra file system benchmark in high regard for HDD benching because the score is often fluctuating and it’s unclear how it is generated and what it stands for. But as many PC users are testing their HDD with Sandra and use it as reference we report the results here nonetheless.
HDTach results for Maxtor D740X 
HDTach results for Hitachi 120GXP 
HDTach results for WD Raptor on SiL3122A 
Sandra results for WD Raptor on ICH5-R
click to enlarge
If anything is driving HDD performance when running read/write intensive applications then it is the access time. In this department the Raptor is leaving the 7,200 rpm disks far behind. The Raptor’s much better access time can be attributed to its faster rotational speed of 10,000 rpm versus the 7,200 rpm of the other 2 disks. It has nothing to do though with the 8 MB buffer size or the SATA interface. The Raptor is in a similar clear fashion leading the 7,200 disks when it comes to transfer rates and burst speed. A sustained transfer speed of almost 50/MB sec is the best we have seen from any IDE disk so far. We can also see that the ICH5-R and the SiL3122A are performing head to head with a hair-thin advantage for the SiL3122A.
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