Storage Solutions TechReport's review of the WD 640GB HDD

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Although the Caviar SE16 640GB doesn't break new ground in storage capacity, platter density, or cache size, Western Digital has struck a good balance between those elements and delivered perhaps the most capable 3.5" hard drive we've ever tested. Throughout WorldBench, the SE16 exhibited excellent performance with common desktop applications. The drive's sequential transfer rates were exceptionally quick, as well, although not always as fast as those offered by the SpinPoint F1. However, the SE16 also finished near the front of the pack in iPEAK, maintaining reasonably balanced performance across most of our multitasking workloads. That balance carried over to IOMeter, where unlike the SpinPoint, the Caviar didn't crumble under demanding multi-user loads.

We've focused on how the Caviar compares to the SpinPoint because the Samsung drive was our previous performance leader. It still is in many tests, but the F1 has a split personality that causes it to suffer badly in some tests. The 640GB SE16 doesn't have a Mr. Hyde lurking in the background, allowing it to maintain great performance across a broader range of workloads.

Of course, there's more to a drive's performance than transfer rates and response times. Power consumption and noise levels count for a lot these days, and the Caviar delivers on both fronts. Not only does its power consumption flirt with that of Western Digital's own GreenPower drives, but its noise levels are among the lowest we've ever measured, too. Even with a 7,200-RPM spindle speed, the Caviar SE16 640GB is for all intents and purposes just as quiet as a Caviar GP.

Our only real complaint about the SE16 640GB is the drive's scarcity. Only one vendor currently lists the drive in our price search engine, and it's going for close to $20 more than Western Digital's suggested retail price of $139.99. However, Newegg was selling the SE16 at just $130 before running out of out of stock last week—a price that should be more representative of what consumers can expect to pay for the drive once it's widely available.

If you can find the Caviar SE16 640GB for around $130, or even at its $140 MSRP, it's a fantastic value—and at a capacity point that should be more than sufficient for most of us. That's good enough to earn this drive our Editor's Choice seal of approval.TR
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Full Review: Western Digital's Caviar SE16 640GB hard drive - The Tech Report - Page 1

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why doesn't anyone do a 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB vs. 7200.11 500GB vs. 7200.11 750GB vs. WD3200AAKS-00B3A0 320GB vs. WD6400AKS 640GB vs. WD7500AAKS 750GB :@
 
For the HDTach nos u can head to our own HD tach thread.

I have used the following recently :

7200.10 250GB 310AS(sold)

WD 3200AAKS B3(sold)

Seagate 7200.11 500GB(currently using)

WD 7500AAKS(currently using)

Seagate 750GB SV35.2 (analogous to 7200.10)(currently using)

WD 5000 AAKS (currently using)

Seagate 7200.10 500GB 630AS (exchanged)

WD 6400AAKS (Sandy's)

If u ask my opinion the 500GB 7200.11 will take the honours with the new SD15 firmware. Its dead silent , cool, very faast and excellent access times :D...closely following is the WD6400AAKS bit it has slightly higher access times(slightly higher speeds than Seagate 500GB 7200.11 as well)...all in all if u have to buy and look for the VFM the 7200.11 500GB at arnd 5k takes the honours closely followed by the WD6400AAKS at arnd 6.5k. One big problem recently with WD drives have been their reliability with random deaths (God forbid I have 1.2TB on 2 of them). The new HDD to look out for OS use is the seagte 320GB single platter model ST3320613AS :D
 
Supra said:
For the HDTach nos u can head to our own HD tach thread.

I have used the following recently :

7200.10 250GB 310AS(sold)

WD 3200AAKS B3(sold)

Seagate 7200.11 500GB(currently using)

WD 7500AAKS(currently using)

Seagate 750GB SV35.2 (analogous to 7200.10)(currently using)

WD 5000 AAKS (currently using)

Seagate 7200.10 500GB 630AS (exchanged)

WD 6400AAKS (Sandy's)

If u ask my opinion the 500GB 7200.11 will take the honours with the new SD15 firmware. Its dead silent , cool, very faast and excellent access times :D...closely following is the WD6400AAKS bit it has slightly higher access times(slightly higher speeds than Seagate 500GB 7200.11 as well)...all in all if u have to buy and look for the VFM the 7200.11 500GB at arnd 5k takes the honours closely followed by the WD6400AAKS at arnd 6.5k. One big problem recently with WD drives have been their reliability with random deaths (God forbid I have 1.2TB on 2 of them). The new HDD to look out for OS use is the seagte 320GB single platter model ST3320613AS :D
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well i got a Seagate 7200.11 ST3500620AS 500GB for OS use for Rs. 4654 all inclusive today :D

will be installing on 5th/6th April, 2008 :)

how to check for SD15 firmware without installing it?
 
@Supra, post the HD Tach scores of WD 320GB B3, WD 640GB & Seagate 500GB naa :)

btw I got a SD15 Firmware Drive too :D
 
Im thinking of getting a new drive. Need to decide between the new segate 7200.11 ST3320613AS and the western digital WD3200AAKS-00B3A0. The seagate looks like a better option atm..
 
rushabht said:
Im thinking of getting a new drive. Need to decide between the new segate 7200.11 ST3320613AS and the western digital WD3200AAKS-00B3A0. The seagate looks like a better option atm..
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R these drives available in india/mumbai?? Asking about Both models made speechless all dealers/distributors for a while at lamington road mumbai,while i had been there to get one of these two.
 
rushabht said:
Im thinking of getting a new drive. Need to decide between the new segate 7200.11 ST3320613AS and the western digital WD3200AAKS-00B3A0. The seagate looks like a better option atm..
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ya get the Seagate as the western digital WD3200AAKS-00B3A0 has high access times :)
 
Udit said:
ya get the Seagate as the western digital WD3200AAKS-00B3A0 has high access times :)
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Yup..thats what. Actually i spoke to one of the distributors at lamington road and asked him for the availability of the western digital 640 gb drive. He quoted me 5000 + 4% tax on it, but he says there has to be a minimum of 10-15 orders, and he has asked for some advance so that we dont back out of the deal. He also mentioned that this is going to be a back-to-back order hence we will have to give him some advance and wait for a period of 2 weeks minimum. He is gonna call me up tomorrow and let me know for sure about the local availability.
 
rushabht said:
Yup..thats what. Actually i spoke to one of the distributors at lamington road and asked him for the availability of the western digital 640 gb drive. He quoted me 5000 + 4% tax on it, but he says there has to be a minimum of 10-15 orders, and he has asked for some advance so that we dont back out of the deal. He also mentioned that this is going to be a back-to-back order hence we will have to give him some advance and wait for a period of 2 weeks minimum. He is gonna call me up tomorrow and let me know for sure about the local availability.
Click to expand...

Update this thread when he reverts.. I'm interested as well.
 
Update : The product manager whom i spoke to called me up today and told me that the hard disk is not coming before 1st week of may :(. He told me to call him me up after 15 days though, but i dont think i have the patience to wait for so much time :|.

So anyone interested can talk to him directly, his name is Subhramaniam and his no is 9223100901.

Cheers :)
 
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