Conclusion: Very Quiet And Inexpensive
The rotation speed of this Samsung drive (5400 rpm) automatically meant that it wasn't going to break any performance records in these tests - you need at least 7200 rpm for that. By and large, however, the SV1204H performed respectably; Samsung managed to beat its direct competitor from Maxtor ( D540X) in several disciplines. In the categories of data transfer rates, access times, CPU load and ergonomic noise level, Samsung is the clear winner in terms of points. The Samsung drive really is extremely quiet when in operation, so that if you have it built into a PC case, and when it is not being accessed, then you practically cannot hear it.
The performance of the Samsung drive was not as convincing in the WinBench 99 application benchmark - in both the Business as well as the High-end Disk Winmark, the Samsung model was somewhat behind the Maxtor D540X and much farther behind the 7200 rpm drives.
From our point of view, the SV1204H will be appropriate for a computer that requires high-capacity storage in reserve, and, at the same time, needs to be as inexpensive as possible. The performance of the drive should be sufficient for current systems in any case. For another thing, this model can be considered if low noise level plays an important role, for instance, if you're operating a small file server at home. If you've got one of these systems in the living room or even in the bedroom, then the quieter the better.
The Samsung drive continues to be a good alternative when it comes to delivering a good price/ capacity ratio - nowadays, extra gigabytes are hardly to be had for under $150.
