Performance in FC-Test 1.0

As always, we will wind up our tests with the results from FC-Test utility, which provides the most realistic performance results and efficiency estimates for each given interface. This program is based on measuring the time it takes the drive to create (write), read and copy certain file sets that differ from one another by the size and number of files. After that we calculate the hard drive performance basing on the time measurements taken.

As you probably already now, Windows and Programs file sets include a large number of smaller files, while other three patterns contain a limited number of larger files. During file copy operations the hard drive is split into to logical partitions 32GB each. The file sets are either copied within the same partition or from one partition to another.

First we will check out the results obtained for FAT32 file system.

The first diagram shows the results obtained during file writing (creation). The picture that we saw is exactly what our theoretical expectations from this test were. Our hero creates (writes) files fastest of all when it is connected via the FireWire 800 interface. The results are much lower when we switch to FireWire 400 or USB 2.0 interface. We weren’t at all surprised that the actual efficiency of the FireWire 400 interface was again higher than that of the USB 2.0.

The next diagram shows the file read speeds. The situation is generally identical to what we have just seen in the previous case. Once again the maximum speed is achieved when we connect the hard drive via the FireWire 800 interface. The results are much lower in case of FireWire 400, and even lower in case of USB 2.0.

The third diagram shows the performance of our hard drive connected via three different interfaces during file copying within the same partition. It is quite natural that all the results are generally lower than in the previous two cases. However, the picture has hardly changed: FireWire 800 connection is the most efficient. When the HDD works via FireWire 400 interface its results are much lower, but the numbers are still better than in case of USB 2.0.

Nothing really new, when we get to copying files from one partition to another. FireWire 800 interface is again indisputably better than FireWire 400 and USB 2.0. And again the drive works faster when connected via FireWire 400 than in case of USB 2.0.