Some ATA hard drives come with either a 2MB or 8MB buffer. For
example the Maxtor Plus 9.

Is there much performance difference between the 2MB and 8MB drives
when used in a desktop PC?

Mark M <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote in message news:940F5FCADC5853A75@130.133.1.4...

> Some ATA hard drives come with either a 2MB or 8MB buffer.
> For example the Maxtor Plus 9.

In fact most decent drives now.

Some indecent ones too.

> Is there much performance difference between
> the 2MB and 8MB drives when used in a desktop PC?

Nope. I bet you wouldnt be able to pick which system
had the 8MB cache in a proper double blind trial with
you not being allowed to run a diagnostic or benchmark.

Previously Mark M <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Some ATA hard drives come with either a 2MB or 8MB buffer. For
> example the Maxtor Plus 9.

> Is there much performance difference between the 2MB and 8MB drives
> when used in a desktop PC?

Not much. But >=120GB the 8MB models have 3 years warranty instead
of one.

Arno

--
For email address: lastname AT tik DOT ee DOT ethz DOT ch
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"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws" - Tacitus

Arno Wagner <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bm4gbj$hqvtu$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Mark M <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

>> Some ATA hard drives come with either a 2MB
>> or 8MB buffer. For example the Maxtor Plus 9.

>> Is there much performance difference between the
>> 2MB and 8MB drives when used in a desktop PC?

> Not much. But >=120GB the 8MB models
> have 3 years warranty instead of one.

The Samsungs have a 3 year warranty regardless of the cache size.

"Arno Wagner" spake thusly:
> Previously Mark M wrote:
> > Some ATA hard drives come with either a 2MB or 8MB buffer.
> > For example the Maxtor Plus 9.
>
> > Is there much performance difference between the 2MB and
> > 8MB drives when used in a desktop PC?
>
> Not much. But >=120GB the 8MB models have 3 years warranty
> instead of one.


In certain situations typically found in desktop/workstation tasks
(as opposed to the random accesses found in server tasks), the
advantage of 8MB over 2MB caches can be 30% or more. See:
http://www.storagereview.com/php/tik...ge=BufferSizes


*TimDaniels*

> Previously Mark M wrote:
> > Some ATA hard drives come with either a 2MB or
> 8MB buffer. For example the Maxtor Plus 9.


FYI, the DiamondMax Plus 9s had 2MB caches in the early
models, and they expanded the caches to 8MB later on. In model
nos. such as 6Y060L0 vs. 6Y060M0, "L" stands for 2MB cache,
"M" stands for 8MB cache, and "060" stands for 60GB hard disk
capacity.


*TimDaniels*

"Timothy Daniels" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:YZqdnfA9Xs-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Arno Wagner" spake thusly:
> > Previously Mark M wrote:
> > > Some ATA hard drives come with either a 2MB or 8MB buffer.
> > > For example the Maxtor Plus 9.
> >
> > > Is there much performance difference between the 2MB and
> > > 8MB drives when used in a desktop PC?
> >
> > Not much. But >=120GB the 8MB models have 3 years warranty
> > instead of one.
>
>
> In certain situations typically found in desktop/workstation tasks
> (as opposed to the random accesses found in server tasks), the
> advantage of 8MB over 2MB caches can be 30% or more. See:
> http://www.storagereview.com/php/tik...ge=BufferSizes

Bet you wouldnt be able to pick which system has the
8MB cache drive in a proper double blind trial with you
not being allowed to run a benchmark or diagnostic.

Mark M wrote:

> Some ATA hard drives come with either a 2MB or 8MB buffer. For
> example the Maxtor Plus 9.
>
> Is there much performance difference between the 2MB and 8MB drives
> when used in a desktop PC?

I would bet $1 the boot time will be shorter with a 8MB buffer.

On Thu, 09 Oct 2003 17:52:53 -0600
")-()-(" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>
> Mark M wrote:
>
> > Some ATA hard drives come with either a 2MB or 8MB buffer. For
> > example the Maxtor Plus 9.
> >
> > Is there much performance difference between the 2MB and 8MB drives
> > when used in a desktop PC?
>
> I would bet $1 the boot time will be shorter with a 8MB buffer.

All else being equal it will, but not by much. In any case the boot
time is a poor measure of performance.

--
--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"Rod Speed" wrote:>
> "Timothy Daniels" wrote:
> > In certain situations typically found in desktop/workstation tasks
> > (as opposed to the random accesses found in server tasks), the
> > advantage of 8MB over 2MB caches can be 30% or more. See:
> > http://www.storagereview.com/php/tik...ge=BufferSizes
>
> Bet you wouldnt be able to pick which system has the
> 8MB cache drive in a proper double blind trial with you
> not being allowed to run a benchmark or diagnostic.


I wouldn't take that bet because I agree with your premise -
that it takes a special type of app to show the advantage of
larger HD caches. I think, though, that the HD makers see a
growth in usage of that kind of app, and I suspect that it is
graphic and video editing and maybe video games. But that
aside, aren't most advances incremental and not worth the
price initially paid by the early adopters?


*TimDaniels*