X-bit labs

Raptor X HDD from Western Digital: Only the "Naked" Truth...

Category: Storage

by Nikita Nikolaichev

[ 05/05/2006 | 03:03 PM ]

Today we would like to introduce to you a new member of the successful Raptor hard disk drive family from Western Digital. This new HDD with 150GB storage capacity demonstrated superior performance in a single-user environment. Besides, it features a unique design peculiarity – transparent clear case top that allows you to see what’s going on inside. Read more about this extremely successful product in our detailed review!

Table of contents:

• Closer Look: Raptor X
  
• Testbed and Methods
  
• Testing Participants
  
• Average Read/Write Response Time
  
• Burst Rate
  
• Linear Read Speed
  
• NCQ vs. TCQ
  
• Performance in Intel IOMeter
  
• Random Read/Write
  
• Sequential Read/Write
  
• Multi-Threaded Read/Write
  
• Database
  
• File Server & Web Server
  
• Workstation
  
• PCMark05
  
• FC-Test 1.0
  
• FC-Test 2.0
  
• Conclusion
  

It’s not easy to get back to business again, but I can’t help that because Western Digital at last released its new Raptor! I personally have long been waiting for it. Hard drives with a spindle rotation speed of 7200rpm were increasing their storage capacity at a rapid rate to 200, 300, 400 and now to as much as 500 gigabytes! And the problem of choice between a Raptor and an ordinary drive but with five times the capacity was getting ever harder to solve.

But now Western Digital reminds us about itself once again with its Raptor 150GB. To be exact, there are two new drives with 150GB storage capacity. One of them is quite an ordinary but larger Raptor, while the other… Well, the other can store 150GB of data too, but it has a striking appearance due to a transparent window in its case through which you can watch the read/write heads working. I don’t recommend doing that for more than 15 minutes per day. It’s just hypnotizing!

So this model with a transparent window has got a unique name, Raptor X, and even a personal website where you can learn about its development and read its tech specs, see some photos, etc.

And so it happened that it was a Raptor X that dropped in on our labs first.

Closer Look: Raptor X

So, here it is:

The window that you can have a peep inside the drive through is shaped irregularly, but the fastening of the platters block and the actuator and even, partially, the top read/write head can be seen quite well.