Performance

Let’s start out with CrystalDiskMark.

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex

The Seagate drive’s results will serve as the baseline since we know them from our previous review.

Silicon Power Diamond D10

CrystalDiskMark suggests that the Silicon Power Diamond D10 is faster than the Seagate in sequential reading but slower in writing 512KB data blocks as well as in reading small and medium-sized files.

Silicon Power Stream S10

Being inferior to the two previous HDDs in sequential reading and writing, the Silicon Power Stream S10 is considerably faster in writing small and medium-sized files and delivers a comparable performance when reading such files.

Silicon Power Stream S20

Compared to its series mate, the Silicon Power Stream S20 is somewhat better in sequential reading and writing and faster in writing small and medium-sized files. It is slower than its cousin in reading those files, though.

Transcend StoreJet 25D3

Transcend’s first product StoreJet 25D3 is ahead of Silicon Power's Stream series but slower than the Diamond D10 and Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex in terms of sequential reading and writing. It is comparable to its opponents in reading small and medium-sized files but too slow when writing such files.

Transcend StoreJet 25M3

Transcend's second HDD, StoreJet 25M3, is almost the same as the StoreJet 25D3 in performance.

Western Digital My Passport Essential SE

Western Digital’s My Passport Essential SE has the lowest results in the sequential read and write tests but it is only second to the Silicon Power Stream S20 in the other write modes. Its random read results are average.