Low benchmark scores on boot drive

[Piyono]

For kicks I just ran ATTO Disk Benchmark and HD Tach on my 3 internal drives.
My boot/system drive (WE800JB on nForce 2 Ultra) scored several times lower on the benchmarks than my data drive (WD800JB on onboad ITE controller) and photo drive (Samsung SP2504C on onboard Sil3512).

Cables are good, DMA is enabled... Any ideas?

]-[

 

[Mercutio]

Check SMART values?
Run SpinRite?

Buy non-WD drives, cleanse the infected PC with fire and bask in the glow of righteousness?

 

[Piyono]

S.M.A.R.T. checks out OK.
Don't know what SpinRite can do for low benchmark scores but I'll give it a try.

Not a WD fan, Merc?



]-[

 

[Mercutio]

I use SpinRite as a secondary diagnostic tool. It reports SMART messages (which may or may not mean anything on any particular drive) as well as its own internal statistics as it operates. Sometimes the combination of the two reveals useful information.

If nothing else, SpinRite is insurance that there's nothing physically wrong with the drive and that the problem lies elsewhere.

Are you using rounded cables, by chance?

 

[Piyono]

Round cables: In general, yes. On this drive, no.

]-[

 

[Piyono]

Having just plugged in a new drive I decided to revisit my ATTO benchmarks. Not surprisingly, my C: drive test results are the same as they were when I opened this thread. Again I'm scratching my head.

What would you do if your boot drive was testing at 25MB/s max?

Piyono

 

[Mercutio]

Might it be a limitation of the chipset, the driver you're using or some peculiarity with that motherboard?

I'd probably try the drive in a different PC.

 

[Piyono]

Might it be a limitation of the chipset, the driver you're using or some peculiarity with that motherboard?

I'd probably try the drive in a different PC.

Hey, good idea, Merc.
I'll pop it into another box and see what happens.

Piyono