An interesting anomaly arises when examining the
sequential transfer rates achieved by the third sample. The two previous samples both managed to break the 40 MB/sec barrier in their outer zone. This unit, strangely enough, does not. The 38.4 MB/sec figure listed above is a bit misleading... a look at the STR graph shows the drive missing 40 MB/sec several tracks inwards by just a hair. We contacted Quantum, wondering perhaps if there had been some physical changes to the drive... perhaps a lower sector-per-track count in the outer
zone. Quantum states that all physicals have remained the same, however. An engineer hypothesized that the drive may have negotiated an ultra-wide rather than ultra160 connection with our host adapter. A check of the drive in my personal system, however, confirmed the drive, even operating in LVD mode, failed to break 40 MB/sec. Apparently the drive achieved an excess of 41 MB/sec before being shipped out to us (as all of them should). We weren't able to get to the bottom of the problem; Quantum maintains that this is an aberration and that all shipping 10k II units will maintain their impressive outer-zone STRs. Since the small reduction in STR doesn't affect high-level results, both Quantum and StorageReview.com agree that the high-level figures that follow are representative of a full-STR unit.
This third sample maintained the impressive access time that we witnessed in previous units. It's score of 7.8 milliseconds is right in line with its advertised 4.7 ms seek time.
WinMarks...
