SCSI drives have always come to mind to those looking for the ultimate
in performance and expandability. The fastest hard drives available
today are 10,000rpm platter drives, available only with SCSI interfaces.
In addition, Wide SCSI controllers can handle up to 15 devices per
channel with multiple devices using the bus simultaneously. ATA,
on the other hand, has a limit of two devices per channel, one of
which may be in use at any given time. SCSI is a much more intelligent
interface, with queuing features that enhance performance in multithreading
and multitasking operations. SCSI drives are much more expensive,
however, let alone the cost of a SCSI host interface, which is not
typically found on motherboards.
Debates rage on in newsgroups how much advantage SCSI hard drives
have over their ATA counterparts and whether or not they are worth
the extra money for the "average" user. There is no denying
that the average 4.5GB SCSI hard drive seems to cost more than twice
what a 4.5GB ATA drive does. SCSI drives usually have better specs
than ATA drives such as higher rotation speeds, lower seek times,
larger buffers. It often seems that benchmarks, including Ziff Davis'
Winbench 98, do not show a large difference in performance between
SCSI and ATA drives. SCSI drives do, however, lag in areal
density, allowing their slower-spinning ATA counterparts to
keep up in sequential data transfer. For typical single-user use,
WinBench 98 figures accurately portray the perceived difference
in performance between ATA and SCSI drives. Unless it's a Cheetah,
it's simply not going to seem that much faster.
For this test, we used an Abit LX6 motherboard (v1.1, bios v C7Q),
a 266 MHz Intel Pentium II processor, a 64MB 10ns SDRAM DIMM, and
a Matrox Millennium II PCI 4MB (bios v1.2, Powerdesk v3.80). The
SCSI controller was the Adaptec AHA-2940U2W. Read caching and write
caching were enabled on all tested drives. The boot drive (Seagate
Hawk 4XL ST34555) contained Windows 95 OSR 2.1 patched with Intel's
82371xB INF Update. The tests were run at 1024x768 with 24 bit color
at 85 Hz using small fonts. Here is a link to the test
bed information. All drives were formatted with Fat 32 to the
largest possible drive size. ZDBop's Startup Manager was used to
prevent loading of background applications. ZDBop's WinBench 98
v1.0's Disk Test Suites were run on all test drives. These test
results represent the average of five runs.
Ziff Davis WinBench 98 - IBM Ultrastar 2ES DCAS-34430
Business
Disk WinMark 98
1264 KB/sec
SS/Database
1100 KB/sec
WP
1530 KB/sec
Publishing
1196 KB/sec
Browsers
1436 KB/sec
Task Switching
1650 KB/sec
High-End Disk WinMark
98
3536 KB/sec
AVS/Express
3.1
2188 KB/sec
Frontpage
97
2974 KB/sec
Microstation
95
7044 KB/sec
Photoshop
4.0
2594 KB/sec
Premiere
4.2
6812 KB/sec
PV-Wave
6.1
2584 KB/sec
Visual C++
5.0
8094 KB/sec
Disk/Read Random Access
16.2 ms
Disk/Read Transfer Rate
Beginning
8160 KB/sec
End
5100 KB/sec
Disk/Read CPU Utilization
4.4%
Transfer
Rate
8157 KB/sec
The Ultrastar 2ES is IBM's entry-level 4.5 GB
drive. The drive is conspicuously the only 5400 RPM drive in
this roundup, with performance to reflect its slow spindle
speed. It posted the second-slowest Business WinMark 98
score along with the third slowest High-End Winmark showing
of the group. The drive's manual was thorough and easy to follow.
A low-enough cost on the drive may merit purchase despite pokey
performance, but most users looking for an entry-level SCSI
drive would be better serviced by Quantum's Viking or Seagate's
Hawk 4XL.
Ziff Davis WinBench 98 - IBM Ultrastar 2XP DCHS-34550
Business
Disk WinMark 98
1426 KB/sec
SS/Database
1208 KB/sec
WP
1788 KB/sec
Publishing
1350 KB/sec
Browsers
1668 KB/sec
Task Switching
1616 KB/sec
High-End
Disk WinMark 98
3732 KB/sec
AVS/Express
3.1
2606 KB/sec
Frontpage
97
3210 KB/sec
Microstation
95
7396 KB/sec
Photoshop
4.0
2254 KB/sec
Premiere
4.2
7662 KB/sec
PV-Wave
6.1
2998 KB/sec
Visual C++
5.0
7346 KB/sec
Disk/Read
Random Access
12.6 ms
Disk/Read
Transfer Rate
Beginning
9570 KB/sec
End
6540 KB/sec
Disk/Read
CPU Utilization
6.9%
Transfer
Rate
9101 KB/sec
IBM's Ultrastar 2XP weighs in as the most expensive drive
in this roundup, an astonishing $800 in price. IBM provides
a thorough multi-lingual manual. One would infer top performance
from this drive, especially in the light of IBM's showing in
the UltraATA drive roundup. The 2XP does indeed provide decent
performance, but nevertheless disappointed given the price.
Seagate's Cheetah and Barracuda both bested the Ultrastar 2XP
in performance and both cost significantly less. This drive
cannot be recommended due to its lofty price.
Ziff Davis WinBench 98 - Quantum Atlas II QM34550AL-SW
Business
Disk WinMark 98
1240 KB/sec
SS/Database
1122 KB/sec
WP
1442 KB/sec
Publishing
1186 KB/sec
Browsers
1310 KB/sec
Task Switching
1912 KB/sec
High-End
Disk WinMark 98
3504 KB/sec
AVS/Express
3.1
1966 KB/sec
Frontpage
97
3242 KB/sec
Microstation
95
6658 KB/sec
Photoshop
4.0
3240 KB/sec
Premiere
4.2
5912 KB/sec
PV-Wave
6.1
2260 KB/sec
Visual C++
5.0
9132 KB/sec
Disk/Read
Random Access
13.3 ms
Disk/Read
Transfer Rate
Beginning
9860 KB/sec
End
5874 KB/sec
Disk/Read
CPU Utilization
5.3%
Transfer
Rate
9839 KB/sec
Quantum's Atlas II was something of a puzzle. Priced at about
$100 more than the Viking, the Atlas II is offered as the high-performance
drive of Quantum's lineup. Even so, the Atlas II posted disappointing
scores, bringing up the rear in the Business Disk Winmark and
scoring second-to-last in the High-End Disk Winmark. It trailed
its own lower priced cousin, the Viking, by 10%. Drive documentation
was minimal, consisting of a leaflet describing how to set the
SCSI ID of the device along with termination procedures. Given
the lower cost and higher performance of both the Viking and
the Seagate Hawk 4XL, The Quantum Atlas II cannot be recommended.
Ziff Davis WinBench 98 - Quantum Viking QM34550VK-SW
Business
Disk WinMark 98
1372 KB/sec
SS/Database
1216 KB/sec
WP
1680 KB/sec
Publishing
1278 KB/sec
Browsers
1502 KB/sec
Task Switching
1894 KB/sec
High-End
Disk WinMark 98
3884 KB/sec
AVS/Express
3.1
2410 KB/sec
Frontpage
97
3156 KB/sec
Microstation
95
7152 KB/sec
Photoshop
4.0
3016 KB/sec
Premiere
4.2
7316 KB/sec
PV-Wave
6.1
2868 KB/sec
Visual C++
5.0
8782 KB/sec
Disk/Read
Random Access
13.7 ms
Disk/Read
Transfer Rate
Beginning
10700 KB/sec
End
6258 KB/sec
Disk/Read
CPU Utilization
5.8%
Transfer
Rate
10745 KB/sec
Positioned between the Atlas and Fireball families, Quantum's
Viking is marketed as the company's middle-of-the-line drive.
In this roundup of drives, the Viking proves to be the bargain
of the group. Priced at a relatively skimpy $381, it resides
at the bottom of the price hierarchy yet provides performance
that approaches Seagate's much more expensive Barracuda XL.
Although Seagate's Hawk 4XL provides virtually the same performance,
Quantum back's the Viking with a 5 year warranty rather than
the Hawk's 3 year protection. The drive operated cool, easily
handled after extended use. The only drawback was a tiny bit
of noise. During operation, the Viking seemed to create a low-pitched
hum. Though noticeable, the noise was nevertheless much easier
to tune out than the Cheetah's whine. Curiously, the drive came
with no documentation whatsoever; SCSI ID and termination settings
had to be retrieved from Quantum's web page. Caveats aside,
a low price combined with good performance and solid warranty
merit the selection of the Viking as Storage Review's low-priced
UltraSCSI drive recommendation.
Ziff Davis WinBench 98 - Seagate Barracuda 4XL ST34572W
Business
Disk WinMark 98
1454 KB/sec
SS/Database
1270 KB/sec
WP
1796 KB/sec
Publishing
1354 KB/sec
Browsers
1638 KB/sec
Task Switching
1922 KB/sec
High-End
Disk WinMark 98
4184 KB/sec
AVS/Express
3.1
2720 KB/sec
Frontpage
97
3304 KB/sec
Microstation
95
7758 KB/sec
Photoshop
4.0
3238 KB/sec
Premiere
4.2
7722 KB/sec
PV-Wave
6.1
3070 KB/sec
Visual C++
5.0
9136 KB/sec
Disk/Read
Random Access
14.0 ms
Disk/Read
Transfer Rate
Beginning
10700 KB/sec
End
6720 KB/sec
Disk/Read
CPU Utilization
5.8%
Transfer
Rate
10716 KB/sec
The Seagate Barracuda 4XL is a high-performance drive, posting
solid benchmark results second only to its sibling, the Cheetah
4LP. Although it took second place honors in both the Business
and High-End Winmark tests, the Barracuda XL is hard to recommend
given its price. A prospective buyer can save about $200 with
relatively little performance loss by going with Seagate's own
Hawk 4XL or Quantum's Viking drive. Or, if one is seeking the
ultimate in performance, the Cheetah 4LP offers substantial
improvements in performance for about $50 more. The Barracuda,
however, remains the high-performance choice if the Cheetah's
noise and/or heat prove unacceptable. The drive came with a
manual typical of the Seagate drives, a small yet thorough installation
and configuration handbook. Unlike Seagate's lower-priced Hawk,
the Barracuda 4XL is backed by a 5 year warranty, reflecting
the drive's enterprise positioning.
Ziff Davis WinBench 98 - Seagate Cheetah 4LP ST34501W
Business
Disk WinMark 98
1916 KB/sec
SS/Database
1724 KB/sec
WP
2344 KB/sec
Publishing
1738 KB/sec
Browsers
2210 KB/sec
Task Switching
2502 KB/sec
High-End
Disk WinMark 98
5354 KB/sec
AVS/Express
3.1
3566 KB/sec
Frontpage
97
3950 KB/sec
Microstation
95
9450 KB/sec
Photoshop
4.0
4356 KB/sec
Premiere
4.2
10320 KB/sec
PV-Wave
6.1
3958 KB/sec
Visual C++
5.0
11300 KB/sec
Disk/Read
Random Access
11.8 ms
Disk/Read
Transfer Rate
Beginning
14700 KB/sec
End
9840 KB/sec
Disk/Read
CPU Utilization
7.7%
Transfer
Rate
14654 KB/sec
Seagate's Cheetah was the first 10,000 RPM drive to be released.
The Cheetah 4LP greatly outdistances the second fastest drive
in this roundup, Seagate's own Barracuda XL. A low random access
time plus an impressive 14.7 MB/sec sequential sector transfer
rate powered the Cheetah to the number one position. This large
increase in speed is accompanied by a relatively small increase
in price, thus making the Cheetah 4LP an easy high-end recommendation.
Two caveats: The high spindle
speed of the drive creates a very high-pitched whine above
and beyond the normal hard drive "whirr" noise. This
constant squeal can grate on the nerves of individuals sensitive
to noise. Secondly, the fast rotation of the spindle generates
a large amount of heat, making ventilation of the system very
important. In a minitower's 3.5" drive bay, the drive was
too hot to touch after being powered on for an hour. The Cheetah's
manual cautions against poor ventilation and outlines procedures
for active cooling. In most cases users will want to use a hard
drive fan to cool the drive.
Ziff Davis WinBench 98 - Seagate Hawk 4XL ST34555W
Business
Disk WinMark 98
1344 KB/sec
SS/Database
1170 KB/sec
WP
1682 KB/sec
Publishing
1248 KB/sec
Browsers
1546 KB/sec
Task Switching
1808 KB/sec
High-End
Disk WinMark 98
3922 KB/sec
AVS/Express
3.1
2464 KB/sec
Frontpage
97
3192 KB/sec
Microstation
95
7442 KB/sec
Photoshop
4.0
2988 KB/sec
Premiere
4.2
7288 KB/sec
PV-Wave
6.1
2898 KB/sec
Visual C++
5.0
8824 KB/sec
Disk/Read
Random Access
14.4 ms
Disk/Read
Transfer Rate
Beginning
9710 KB/sec
End
6090 KB/sec
Disk/Read
CPU Utilization
5.2%
Transfer
Rate
9708 KB/sec
The Hawk 4XL is positioned as Seagate's entry-level drive,
providing decent performance at wallet-friendly prices. The
Hawk's Disk WinBench98 scores trail the Seagate Barracuda 4XL
by a relatively small amount (by 8% in Business, only 1% in
High-End) while costing substantially less. The Hawk proved
to be a little quieter than Quantum's similarly priced and similarly
performing Viking, but is backed with a more consumer-oriented
3 year warranty rather than the Viking's 5 years. The Hawk,
unlike the Viking, came with a manual detailing installation
and configuration. Even so, the Hawk 4XL warrants a solid recommendation
for those looking for an inexpensive SCSI drive. Storage Review
uses the Hawk 4XL as the boot drive for our SCSI test bed.
Ziff Davis WinBench 98 - Western Digital Enterprise WDE4360-0007B2
Business
Disk WinMark 98
1328 KB/sec
SS/Database
1136 KB/sec
WP
1646 KB/sec
Publishing
1258 KB/sec
Browsers
1538 KB/sec
Task Switching
1596 KB/sec
High-End
Disk WinMark 98
3410 KB/sec
AVS/Express
3.1
2254 KB/sec
Frontpage
97
3052 KB/sec
Microstation
95
7016 KB/sec
Photoshop
4.0
2116 KB/sec
Premiere
4.2
6696 KB/sec
PV-Wave
6.1
2658 KB/sec
Visual C++
5.0
7098 KB/sec
Disk/Read
Random Access
13.1 ms
Disk/Read
Transfer Rate
Beginning
6860 KB/sec
End
6016 KB/sec
Disk/Read
CPU Utilization
6.1%
Transfer
Rate
7731 KB/sec
Western Digital's Caviar series ATA drives enjoy a solid
reputation of performance and reliability. The company is not
one that first comes to mind when one thinks of SCSI drives.
Nevertheless, the company offers its "Enterprise"
series of drives. The Enterprise is a typical high-end offering,
backed by a 5 year warranty and claiming 1,000,000 MTBF hours.
Despite its rather high price, the Enterprise's performance
is unexceptional, posting average Business Winmark scores and
the lowest High-End Winmark of the roundup. Like Quantum's Viking,
the Enterprise did not come with any documentation in the box,
forcing us to go to the WD's web page to find the correct ID
and termination settings. Users will find much better performance
at the same price in Seagate's Cheetah and Barracuda, or better
performance at a much lower price with Quantum's Viking and
Seagate's Hawk.
