We have a category “Computer of the month” and every month I offer several computer configurations, based on which the reader can build a well balanced home system. But despite my wish in the last year, even in the Assembly cost 50 000 rubles I cannot install the SSD. Of course, everyone has their preference when building a PC, but in most cases in the game system on the video card and the processor does not save. So that leaves only one option: to install a cheap hard drive and use it as a base. The cost difference between hard drives of 500 GB and 1 TB is insignificant. “Terabaytnye” recently — the most running goods. We have carefully compared the five contenders for the title of main storage in a computer system.
Comparative testing of an inexpensive hard drives to install in the desktop
Test takers
A small correction. One of the subjects has a capacity of 2000 GB — Seagate model ST2000DX001. In the same series Desktop SSHD there and drive 1000 GB (drive ST1000DX001), but it has the same speed characteristics. Except that reduced exactly by half the number of plates makes little modification easier and more energy efficient.
This Seagate drive and another participant test — 2.5-inch model Western Digital 1 TB are so-called hybrid drives SSHD — Solid State Hybrid Drive. The principle of operation is simple: the algorithm Adaptive Memory (called”adaptive memory”) records the most accessed data in the cache 8 GB fast flash memory. Such a scheme allows to significantly speed up the operating system and often run apps: games, office programs, graphic editors. SSHD today hardly be called an innovation: for example, model Seagate is the representative of the second generation of hybrid hard drives the company.
Seagate Desktop SSHD ST2000DX001
TOSHIBA P300 HDWD110
WD Black WD1003FZEX
WD Blue WD10EZEX
WD Blue SSHD WD10J31X
Line
Desktop SSHD
P300
Black
Blue
Blue SSHD
Form factor
3.5 inch
3.5 inch
3.5 inch
3.5 inch
2.5 inch
Thickness
26.1 mm
26.1 mm
26.1 mm
25.4 mm
9.5 mm
Interface
SATA 3.0
SATA 3.0
SATA 3.0
SATA 3.0
SATA 3.0
The declared volume
2000 GB
1 TB
1 TB
1 TB
1 TB
The rotational speed
7200 rpm
7200 rpm
7200 rpm
7200 rpm
5400 rpm
The average data transfer rate
156 MB/s
N/A
150 MB/s
150 MB/s
100 MB/s
The number of platters/heads
2/4
1/2
1/2
1/2
N/A
Buffer size
64 MB
64 MB
64 MB
64 MB
64 MB
Volume hybrid memory
8 GB
—
—
—
8 GB
Number of transactions Parking
300 000
N/A
300 000
300 000
600 000
The resistance, on/off
80 G (10 MS) / 300 G (2 MS)
70 G (2ms) / 350 G (2 MS)
65 G (2 MS) / 350 G (2 MS)
65 G (2 MS) / 350 G (2 MS)
60 G (2ms) / 400 G (2 MS)
Weight
535 g
450 g
450 g
450 g
120 g
Warranty
3 years
2 years
5 years
2 years
3 years
Price
7100 RUB model 2000 GB
5400 rbl. — for model 1000 GB
3600 rubles.
6300 RUB.
3700 rubles.
6700 rubles.
Price.ru
Quote:Seagate ST2000DX00157011
Call for price:TOSHIBA HDWD11057011
Request rates:WD WD1003FZEX57011
Request rates:WD WD10EZEX57011
Request rates:WD WD10J31X57011
Total line of Desktop SSHD includes three models. In addition to disks of 1000 GB and 2000 GB, which we consider, has a drive capacity 4000 GB, composed of four terabyte plate. He’s a little slower: the average data rate is 146 MB/s, but the speed of rotation of the spindle in this drive is limited to a frequency of 5900 rpm.
All the SSHD uses 8 GB MLC-memory. The average data rate NAND not impressive — just 190 MB/s. So don’t expect the SSHD to boost the level of a full SSD.
Seagate Desktop SSHD ST2000DX001
Seagate Desktop SSHD ST2000DX001
In the line of hard drives from TOSHIBA P300 — four models of 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB and 3 TB, respectively. Here’s a gentleman set. The manufacturer has a higher capacity, “screws”, but they already belong to the line X300. The design of the P300 may be labeled differently, depending on implementation model: in box or without it. In fact before us is a bit improved DT01ACA series, developed in collaboration with the HGST. The changes affected the volume of the buffer memory. The winchesters P300 64 MB.
TOSHIBA P300 HDWD110
TOSHIBA P300 HDWD110
A series of hard drives WD Black is designed for installation in productive computers as the primary drive. Specifically, the model WD1003FZEX has a small “sparkle”, which we will tell later. In addition to the disc “weight” 1TB, the series includes a storage capacity of 500 GB, 2 TB, 3 TB, 4 TB, 5 TB and 6 TB. The performance of “hard” varies depending on volume: the more terabytes, the higher the speed. However, nothing surprising in this.
WD Black WD1003FZEX
WD Black WD1003FZEX
And here is the promised “surprise.” The fact that the model WD10EZEX (Blue series) and WD1003FZEX (the Black series) have exactly the same characteristics. Absolutely! It is believed that this is actually the same device, just put different labels. The buyers asked the logical question, why these devices in such a case, this significant difference in price? The answer lies on the surface: the Black series drives extend 5-year warranty from the manufacturer.
A similar incident occurred only with hard drive capacity of 1 terabyte. The rest of the drives series Blue and Black are not only guarantee. Blue hard drives are positioned by the manufacturer as a kind of Golden mean. There are 13 models with capacities from 250 GB to 6 TB. I note that the Green line was abolished, part of the winchesters entered the series Blue. It may therefore be some confusion. For example, in the us there are different drives of 1 TB belonging to one series. At the same time, the model is equipped with an engine WD10EZEX 7200 rpm, and WD10EZRZ the spindle rotates with a frequency of 5400 Rev/min. Before buying always check the marking device.
WD Blue WD10EZEX
WD Blue WD10EZEX
Finally, the last in the list is the hard drive WD10J31X. Despite the 2.5-inch form factor, the manufacturer positions it as a storage device for a personal computer. The thickness of this SSHD is a decent 9.5 mm, so it will not install in every laptop.
In the series Blue SSHD there is only one model: it is made in 3.5-inch form factor, holds 4 TB of data and has a higher performance.
WD Blue SSHD WD10J31X
WD Blue SSHD WD10J31X
Testing
Test stand:
- Processor: Intel Core i5-4790K @4,5 GHz
- CPU cooler: Corsair H75
- Motherboard: MSI Z97 MPOWER
- Storage: OCZ Vertex 3, 360 GB
- RAM: DDR3-2133 2x 8 GB
- Power supply: LEPA G1600, 1600W
- Peripherals: Samsung U28D590D, ROCCAT ARVO, ROCCAT SAVU
- Operating system: Windows 10 x64
Let’s start with the comparison of the results in buffered operations. Practical sense they are not, however, demonstrated the numbers speak volumes. As you know, at all times the main criterion of any hard disk volume were considered. Now technologies allow to create the commercial version of hard drive capacity 8 TB and 10 TB. By 2020 it is planned to produce 3.5-inch drive with a capacity of 20 TB. And this goal seems impossible. However, the performance of the classic hard disks have not changed. And with the advent of technologies such as SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording, “shingled magnetic recording” — a method of increasing recording density), on the contrary, even slightly reduced. If SSD SATA 3.0 bus is not enough, then HDD and SSHD it is still redundant. Test AIDA64 demonstrates this assertion.
Buffered reading and writing
The second indicator is the access time. In General, hard drives have shown acceptable results. Model series WD Black and Blue so do confirm the version that we have identical drives that differ only by the sticker on the metal case. Another point: SSHD for access times in General were slower classic HDD. Modern hard drives with ultrahigh recording density on a plate and a 128 MB buffer, can boast about three times faster response.
The access time when reading and writing
The most beautiful and excellent results demonstrate the hard drives in sequential reads and writes. Here a mechanical device can even compete with budget SSDs of the past generations. Note that all devices that took part in today’s testing completely correspond to the declared characteristics. As for reads, here was the leader of the WD Black. In the backward-recorded disk with the leisurely motor — WD10J31X.
Linear reading
Operation sequential writes perform faster model TOSHIBA. However, with blocks of small volume this drive performs as smartly as might be desired.
Interestingly, in the benchmark ATTO “screw” the series is constantly ahead of the Black disc series Blue. This trend was observed in other test packages: CrystalDiskMark, AIDA64 and IOMeter. On the other hand, to call the preponderance of black WD1003FZEX over the “blue” WD10EZEX significant I can’t. Really want to count these disks are identical, and the difference be attributed to measurement error.
Linear recording
But the operation of the random write and read put some hard drives into a dead end. More precisely, the disk. In a stalemate situation was “hard” from TOSHIBA. All the grace with which the platform DT01ACA “ground” data at the linear reading/record, disappeared. In this test, the P300 HDWD110 was an obvious outsider.
Random read and write block size is 4 Kbytes in IOMeter
Not surprisingly, the best showed hybrid hard Seagate. This is especially noticeable in the CrystalDiskMark benchmark. And again terabyte Blue and Black show the same result.
Random read and write block size is 4 Kbytes CrystalDiskMark
Mixed load — here’s the trump card hard drive Western Digital. Control logic copes with the parallelization of the data, and because, though observed twice thrashing, but compared to other models of Black and Blue look cheerfully. Once again in the role of lagging it turns out a TOSHIBA model. With simultaneous read write controller cope, to put it mildly, mediocre.
Mixed load
Finally, in tests that emulate real usage scenarios drives in a computer system, the undisputed leader was a hybrid hard drive Seagate. The remaining “seven thousand” showed approximately the same results. “Hybridic” WD rounded out the peloton.
The test results in PCMark 7
Thanks to Seagate ST2000DX001 so far away from other drives in PCMark 7? For example, according to that benchmark, it is four times faster and opens apps twice games. Everything is logical and that’s why we created SSHD. As you can see, the profit from having 8 GB of flash memory, of course, available.
PCMark 7, patterns
Patterns IOMeter by Intel, simulate a much more serious strain on the disk subsystem. The presets lies a mixed load, the results turned out quite predictable. Best of all proved to the WD Blue and Black. Approximately on a par with them made SSHD from Seagate, and the worst was again hard drive TOSHIBA.
IOMeter patterns
In conclusion
The performance of modern mechanical drives easily anticipate on such parameter as the speed of rotation of the spindle. 7200 rpm is greater than 5400 rpm, so these “screws” and faster. Further come into play particularly, and which were considered in this material.
Look viable hybrid hard drives, namely the Seagate model ST1000DX001 and ST2000DX001. Due to the presence of NAND flash memory to download some applications noticeably faster. This is demonstrated by the benchmarks (for example, PCMark 7) and confirm their own feelings. It turns out that terabyte SSHD from Seagate is cheaper than WD Black terabyte. I think the choice is obvious.
At the same time, today’s testing showed that much of a difference between the models of Western Digital WD1003FZEX (Black) and the WD10EZEX (Blue) performance no. The latter is an average of 2000-2500 rubles less. Such is the price increased to five years warranty.
Hard drive TOSHIBA boasts a very fast linear reading and writing. In real usage scenarios it gives off. So, in PCMark 7, the device is not inferior in performance to the WD drives. However, in the mixed workload and random data access storage device openly folded.
Finally, the model is Western Digital WD10J31X, in my opinion, not really suitable as use the main drive for a home computer. Is expensive, and on the totality of this drive was the slowest in the test. It is quite suitable for installation in a gaming console. For example, in the Sony PlayStation 4.
All the main parameters for any hard disk is volume and reliability. About roominess makes no sense to say: except for the Seagate model, all the other disks have the same capacity. To assess the degree of reliability or another hard disk for the short period of time, alas, unrealistic. You have to fully trust the manufacturer. I think everyone understands that the hard disk is one of the most unreliable devices in the computer. And the most difficult. Therefore, as said Forrest Gump, shit happens. From marriage no one is immune. Literally on every drive on your Network, you can find negative reviews. From myself I will add that all five hard drives working reliably. Extraneous noises, suspicious knocks and strong vibrations were found.