Performance in PCMark 2005

PCMark05 is an updated version of the previous benchmark. Instead of File Copying, there is now a File Write trace. A new trace called Virus Scan is added. Its name is self-explanatory.

Again, we performed each test ten times and averaged the results.

This version of PCMark shows that the Hitachi can boot Windows XP faster than the other HDDs. The Samsung is again slow.

The standings are the same as in the previous version of the benchmark: the Hitachi is ahead, the Samsung is far behind the others.

The same goes for the General Usage test: the Hitachi wins while the new 500GB drives are slower than the leaders.

The 500GB Western Digital enjoys a huge lead in the Virus Scan test. Its 320GB cousin finds itself in last place: their firmware differ indeed. The better firmware algorithms of the Hitachi help it outperform the higher-density Samsung.

There are no surprises at writing: Western Digital’s HDDs meet no competition. There is not much work for firmware algorithms here and the Samsung is better than the Hitachi thanks to higher recording density. However, the Samsung is inferior to the lower-density 320GB Western Digital. So, recording density is not the only performance-determining factor even under such simple loads.

The 500GB Western Digital is now an absolute winner. The Samsung is poor again: its dense platters are hamstringed by ineffective firmware.