New Raptor Review at StorageReview

[mangyDOG]

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Here is the final Quote:
WD's drive, however, delivers single-user performance that matches and even exceeds not only 10k RPM SCSI but also that of 15k RPM units. It is the answer to many years of prayers from power-users and enthusiasts worldwide.

I wonder how long they take to get to Aus!

 

[Mickey]

Just finished reading it. For all of us that have wanted faster IDE options, I hope WD sells lots of these drives so they (and other HDD firms) know there is enough demand for 10K IDE drives to justify continued work on them. I'd hate for this to be a one-hit wonder.

 

[Handruin]

How does everyone feel about the price?

Estimated Flagship Price: $160 (36 GB)
HM HyperS2™, Serial ATA 1.5 Gb $35.00
Total = $195

Comparison:
Maxtor Atlas 10K IV "Cobra", 36.7 GB $209.00 (hypermicro)
LSI Logic U160, Ultra160 LVD SCSI-3 $69.00
Total = $278

Comparatively speaking the price seems to be better... If I had a motherboard with integrate SATA, this drive would cost a little less and be more appealing to me.

 

[Mickey]

I think the price is certainly quite attractive. I currently have neither SCSI controller card nor a SATA controller card, so for me, the Raptor+card would be the cheaper option if I wanted more speed from my storage subsystem.

Then again, my laptop drive's speed (4200 rpm) doesn't bother me, so I'm unlikely to be upgrading for speed reasons.

 

[time]

You're happy with laptop drive performance? :eekers:

 

[Mickey]

You're happy with laptop drive performance? :eekers:

Heh. I'm a patient person; what can I say?

When I'm away from my DSL, I can tolerate 56K dialup pretty easily, since I mainly just surf and do other things that don't take much bandwidth. Same with going from a 10K SCSI workstation at work, to my little laptop at home.

I'd still like to get a Raptor just for the fun of it.

 

[Mercutio]

Screw performance. I want my 320GB drives!

 

[mubs]

The problem is that all of the SATA adapters available so far have two connectors (drives) only (AFAIK). I'd have preferred four. SCSI looks more attractive from that standpoint.

WRT the drive itself, I think a 50% premium over the street price of the urrent sweet spot would have been perfect. I define the current sweet spot as 80GB/8MB drives that are going for ~$80 after rebates.

Perhaps prices will come down in a couple of months.

 

[Handruin]

Screw performance. I want my 320GB drives!

Some of us don't collect as much digital media as you do.

 

[Mercutio]

It's not all pr0n, you know.

 

[Jake the Dog]

of course not all, I'd think you'd have to put aside atleast a few MB to store your pr0n file database

 

[blakerwry]

plus, I'm sure some space is wasted by the file system...

 

[Clocker]

It's also interesting that the Promise controller delivers superior performance than the SI controller according to SR....

 

[Fushigi]

How does everyone feel about the price?

Estimated Flagship Price: $160 (36 GB)
HM HyperS2™, Serial ATA 1.5 Gb $35.00
Total = $195

Comparison:
Maxtor Atlas 10K IV "Cobra", 36.7 GB $209.00 (hypermicro)
LSI Logic U160, Ultra160 LVD SCSI-3 $69.00
Total = $278

Comparatively speaking the price seems to be better... If I had a motherboard with integrate SATA, this drive would cost a little less and be more appealing to me.

On the other hand, I already have a SCSI adapter but I don't have any free PCI slots.

Screw performance. I want my 320GB drives!

How about taking a modern density platter running at 5400RPM and extend it to 5.25" and full height .. say 12 platters? 2TB or thereabouts?

- Fushigi

 

[Handruin]

I had to be fair and make the comparison with the HBA because most people don't have a U160 or equivalent SCSI card.

How do you not have any free PCI slots? I haven't seen too many people use all 5...unless you have a board with 3.

 

[Stereodude]

It's also interesting that the Promise controller delivers superior performance than the SI controller according to SR....

That's gotta be a first for Promise.

Stereodude

 

[Stereodude]

Clocker,

Actually I just read the review and it looks like the SI controller goes back and forth with the Promise. Look at the Legacy benchmarks. Wow. The SI just decimates the Promise.

Stereodude

 

[zx]

Look at those freaky winbench scores! 18.4 MB for the promise controller and 28.7 for the SI controller in buisness disk winmark!

Any explination for this?

 

[Fushigi]

I had to be fair and make the comparison with the HBA because most people don't have a U160 or equivalent SCSI card.

How do you not have any free PCI slots? I haven't seen too many people use all 5...unless you have a board with 3.

Understood about the SCSI card; few people do have them but the enthusiast crowd has a better chance of already being SCSI-equipped than the average Joe.

Tekram SCSI
SB Live
Linksys NIC
Promise Ultra TX2 (bundled with & needed for WD160GB as mobo ATA ain't up to par)
Zoom V.92 Modem

I could yank the modem now that I have broadband, I suppose. But even if I did, the likely card to fill the slot would be a USB2/1394 combo card and not an SATA adapter.

The best solution is a new mobo with most of the above built in, but I'm trying to put that off as long as I can. Hopefully I can hold out until Hammers are out and somewhat affordable.

- Fushigi

 

[mubs]

Regarding the difference in performance between the SiiG and Promise (that's all it always is, right? a promise to perform, one that is never kept??), I remember reading somewhere that the Siig was native SATA while all other cards were PATA with built-in PATA to SATA converters. If this is indeed correct, that would explain the difference. FYI the HyperMicro SATA controller Doug mentioned above is based on SiiG's chips.

 

[Handruin]

The one I posted was from Hypermicro, but it doesn't say Siig on it.

The only one I see that Siig produces is this one:

The HyperMicro SATA card says Silicon Image SiI3612 chipset...is that SiiG?

 

[iGary]

Silicon Image is not SiiG and vice versa.

http://www.siliconimage.com/home.asp

 

[mubs]

Well, I guess I'm wrong. I remember reading in a couple of places that Silicon Image was SiiG.

 

[blakerwry]

i thought SIIG made cards, while siliconImage made IC's... meaning that you could get a SIIG branded card that used a siliconImage controller...