Technical Data: Maxtor 7Y250P0 Vs. WD2500JB
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Maxtor 7Y250P0 | WD2500JB |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 250 GB | 250 GB |
| Rotation speed | 7,200 rpm | 7,200 rpm |
| Access time | "<=" 9.0 ms | 8.9 ms |
| Interface | UltraATA/133 or Serial ATA / 150 | UltraATA/100 |
| Cache memory | 8 MB | 8 MB |
| Error rate | "<1" at 1015 bits read | "<1" at 1014 bits read |
| Start-stop cycles | ">" 50,000 | 50,000 |
| Included in package | Hard drive | Hard drive80-pin ribbon cableScrewsUltraATA/100-Controller (Promise Ultra100 TX2)Driver/ disk manager |
| MTBF / MTTF | ">" 1,000,000 hrs | ? |
| Warranty | 3 years | 3 years |
When you compare them directly, it becomes apparent that the specifications of the Maxtor drive lie somewhat above those of the WD drive. The interface offers more (theoretical) potential, and the reliability claims are also marginally higher. Here, it is fitting that the write transfer rate is lower: it seems as if the write cache function is not as intensely used, and that safety is the top priority.
By contrast, Western Digital wants to offer a drive that can be used in any computer with its WD2500; thus, they include a generous bundle of accessories, including installation materials, a controller and disk management software. The Ultra ATA/100 interface is by no means inferior to the faster interface of the MaXLine drive. It's completely acceptable.
Test Setup
| Test System | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Pentium 4, 2.0 GHz256 kB L2-Cache (Willamette) |
| Motherboard | Intel D845EBT, Intel 845E chipset |
| RAM | 256 MB DDR/PC2100, CL2, Infineon |
| IDE Controller | i845E UltraDMA/100 controller (ICH4)Silicon Image Sil3112, Serial ATA |
| Display Adapter | NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 |
| Network Card | 3COM 905TX PCI 100 MBit |
| Operating System | Windows XP Pro 5.10.2600Service Pack 1 |
| Benchmarks and Tests | |
| Office Applications | ZD WinBench 99 - Business Disk Winmark 1.2 c't h2benchw |
| High-End Applications | ZD WinBench 99 - High-End Disk Winmark 1.2 |
| Performance Measurements | HD Tach 2.61, c't h2benchw |
| I/O performance | Intel I/O meter |
| Drivers and Settings | |
| Graphics Driver | NVIDIA reference driver 29.42 |
| Drivers | Intel Application Accelerator 2.3 |
| DirectX Version | 9 |
| Resolution | 1024x768, 16 bit, 85 Hz refresh |
