Comparison Table And Conclusion
| Manufacturer | Hitachi | Hitachi | Hitachi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Deskstar 7K1000 | Deskstar 7K1000.B | Deskstar 7K1000.C |
| Model Number | HDS722020ALA330 | HDT721010SLA360 | HDS721010CLA332 |
| Form Factor | 3.5" | 3.5" | 3.5" |
| Capacity | 1,000GB | 1,000GB | 1,000GB |
| Spindle Speed | 7,200 RPM | 7,200 RPM | 7,200 RPM |
| Other Capacities | 750GB | 160, 250, 320, 500, 640, 750GB | 160, 250, 320, 500, 640, 750GB |
| Platters | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Cache | 32MB | 16MB | 32MB |
| NCQ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interface | SATA 3 Gb/s | SATA 3 Gb/s | SATA 3 Gb/s |
| Operating Temperature | 5-60°C | 0-60°C | 0-60°C |
| Specified Idle Power | 8.4W | 5.2W | 4.4W |
| Measured Idle Power | 8.7W | 6.2W | 4.6W |
| Operating Shock (2 ms, read) | 70 G | 70 G | 70 G |
| Warranty | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years |
Conclusion
A few results in this analysis were surprising. The fact that idle noise doesn’t have to be lower if there are fewer rotating platters is interesting. So is the fact that PCMark Vantage show application performance not necessarily increasing just because of much higher throughput. The Deskstar 7K1000.C is a very efficient and fast hard drive that beats the older 7K1000.B and initial 7K1000 in most tests. However, the C doesn't necessarily outperform competitors from Samsung, Seagate, and WD. Please check our updated Desktop Hard Drive Charts for more details and comparisons.
In general, the Deskstar 7K1000.C provides improved throughput, lower power consumption, and better efficiency than its predecessors; this is not necessarily surprising and is, in fact, expected. Given the incremental results here, though, we see the compromises that Hitachi accepted when designing its hard drive. A low platter count may drop costs, but it's not always favorable from a performance standpoint. While throughput increases, access times typically suffer a bit. This may also have an impact on application benchmarks, such as PCMark Vantage, in which there are a few test runs the 7K1000.C doesn’t win.
In the end, it seems that the segmentation of the hard drive market does make sense, as it is increasingly difficult for a hard drive manufacturer to deliver a silver bullet. Performance and efficiency remain very important, but none of the current hard drives manages to dominate in all aspects. Hitachi’s latest Deskstar 7K1000.C delivers timely performance and high efficiency for the mainstream. No more, no less.