Date	: Sept 19th, 2001
		Category	: Storage
		Manufacturer	: Western Digital
		Author	: Jin-Wei Tioh

HDD	Load	Access Pattern
		File Server	Workstation	Database	Video Workstation
IBM Deskstar 60GXP (40.0GB ATA-100)	Linear	71.67	85.15	71.79	3136.53
	Light	106.22	118.65	104.63	3504.76
	Moderate	128.00	141.30	126.62	3504.72
	Heavy	143.43	156.94	142.72	3504.80
Quantum Fireball AS (20.0GB ATA-100)	Linear	73.28	84.93	77.49	2788.41
	Light	95.74	95.68	83.45	2838.38
	Moderate	106.66	103.55	103.15	2833.93
	Heavy	114.29	102.67	110.54	2830.29
Seagate Barracuda ATA IV (80.0GB ATA-100)	Linear	68.62	79.56	72.92	2868.30
	Light	86.00	96.34	88.36	3011.27
	Moderate	102.59	114.73	102.82	3005.34
	Heavy	119.29	133.76	117.64	2996.39
Western Digital Caviar WD1000BB (100.0GB ATA-100)	Linear	73.97	88.91	80.29	3174.05
	Light	93.46	118.52	103.61	3480.16
	Moderate	113.64	137.43	119.29	3458.60
	Heavy	125.73	150.31	129.64	3403.27

On a cautionary note, please remember that "Workstation" is simply an arbitrary label for one of the IOMeter access patterns. Whereas WinBench 99 uses real world applications simulations in its suite of disk benchmarks, IOMeter generates a completely user-defined, synthetic workload. It may or may not represent your actual workstation/desktop, as this access pattern simulates applications with relatively heavier disk access, something akin to a server environment.

As it turns out, the Caviar WD1000BB steals the IBM's thunder in all access patterns under a Linear load, generally lagging the Deskstar by an average of 10% under heavier loads. However, this performance margin shrinks in the Workstation access pattern (despite the penalty of the Caviar's slower seek time) and virtually disappears under the Video Workstation access pattern. Clearly, Western Digital has optimized the Caviar's firmware for workstation and video workstation / NLE applications.

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