Performance in PCMark 2004

PCMark tests are the closest to real-life applications.

PCMark04 benchmarks drives in four different modes: Windows XP Startup is the typical disk subsystem load at system startup; Application Loading is the disk activity at sequential starting-up and closing of six popular applications; File Copying measures the HDD performance when copying a set of files; the General Usage parameter reflects the disk activity in a number of popular applications. These four parameters are used to calculate the overall performance rating.

We ran each test ten times and averaged the results.

Of course, this test is not absolutely equivalent to a real boot-up procedure. Expressed in seconds, the results won’t differ so much because PCMark is a trace-based benchmark. So we can say that the X25-M shows thrice higher performance at system boot-up in comparison with its opponents. Even Samsung’s SSD with its low sequential speeds is ahead of the HDDs in this test thanks to excellent speed of random reading. And Intel’s SSD with its multi-channel architecture couldn’t but win this test!

The Application Loading test produces the same picture due to the same reasons. The X25-M enjoys an even bigger lead over the HDDs. It is five times as fast as them!

The copying test agrees with what we have seen in FC-Test. The Samsung SSD takes last place due to its low sequential speeds, but the X25-M has high sequential speeds thanks to its multi-channel architecture. Coupled with superb processing of small files, this makes Intel’s SSD an indisputable leader.

Data are read more than written at ordinary usage of a computer. Therefore the SSDs are in the lead here, too. The old model from Samsung is ahead of the HDDs whereas the Intel X25-M is absolutely unrivalled.

The X25-M has the best overall score, of course. Take note that it is three time as good as the older SSD, four times as good as the server-oriented 15,000rpm HDD, and five times as good as one of the fastest desktop HDDs available now!