Deathstar 7K80 HDTach

[Nabis]

Interesting finds with the "Feature Tool" on a new 7K80 Deskstar. Never used the "Automatic Acoustic Management" before.

Here's a 120GB Seagate PATA100 for reference in my machine -

http://www.i-vtec.net/bob/pics/120GB Seagate PATA100.JPG


Now, the 7K80 at full-noise SATA (1.5GB/s) -

http://www.i-vtec.net/bob/pics/80GB 7K80 SATA.JPG


Here's the 7K80 at full-noise SATAII (3.0GB/s) .... check out those dips! -

http://www.i-vtec.net/bob/pics/80GB 7K80 SATAII.JPG

Now, the interesting part - 7K80 at lowest noise possible w/ SATAII turned on (It got the best Benchmark.......)

http://www.i-vtec.net/bob/pics/80GB 7K80 SATAII Quiet.JPG

[Snugglebear]

Contiguous transfer rates are pretty pointless - look at what acoustic management did to your random access times. That setting slows down head movement, it doesn't change the spindle speed.

[CGR]

Im scorned from all the dead IBM deathstars I have had in the past. Hitachi should have changed the product name when they bought the division :)

[Nabis]

look at what acoustic management did to your random access times
That's the thing.... with acoustic management on, which I assumed would increase random access times, in fact, decreased by a ms.

[Snugglebear]

Slide 2 shows a 12-13ms access time, slide 4 shows a 17ms access time. I would hazard that there is something wrong with the SATAII mode, probably on the controller and/or driver. It could be the drive as well, but I've not seen it exhibit significantly higher access times after a mode change in person.

[Nabis]

So, with SATAII turned on, I should still be looking for 13ms?
Hmm.... what should I check on the controller / driver?

[Nabis]

So, with SATAII turned on, I should still be looking for 13ms?
Anybody know anything about this? I'd like to know if there is something wrong with the drive.

[funnyperson1]

I think your Seagate is running in ATA33 mode (DMA disabled). You should be getting much higher burst speed rates and higher average read rates than that. Burst speed should be above 80 at least, and the average read should be above 40 for that Seagate imho. Make sure you are using an 80 pin cable and that DMA mode 5 is enabled in both the bios and in Windows.

[RJARRRPCGP]

It's in UDMA 33 mode. In in PIO mode, expect the CPU usage to be a lot higher.

[Nabis]

I will definitely do that - Thanks for pointing that out. Unfortunately, I don't use that drive very often.
I was much more concerned with the SATAII random access times.