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IBM Ultrastar XP
The IBM PC Co.
Storage Systems Division
(800) 772-2227
http://www.pc.ibm.com/options
Distributors: Tech Data, AmeriData, Gates/Arrow, D&H, Entex, Ingram Micro, Merisel, AmeriQuest, Vanstar, Western Micro, Inacom, MicroAge, IE, Anthem
HP SureStore 2000A
Hewlett-Packard Co.
Disk Memory Division
(800) 826-4111
http://www.hp.com
Distributors: Gates/Arrow, Ingram Micro, Merisel, Tech Data
The closest thing to the state of the art among the products tested here, the IBM Ultrastar XP, is packed with advanced features and performance.
Though all the high-end drives tested have a 7,200-rpm spindle speed, the XP also offers the highest maximum internal data rate-12.6 Mbytes per second, compared with 8.0 Mbytes to 11.3 Mbytes per second in the other tested drives. This may be thanks, in part, to IBM's use of MR read heads and PRML (partial response signaling/maximum likelihood detection) read channel technology, both of which make it possible to increase capacity, performance and reliability-all at the same time.
In the CRN Test Center disk-drive benchmark suite, there was no clear winner. In BapCo's Sysmark database test, the Ultrastar XP came in first. For the WinTune 95 disk speed test, the IBM placed further down. Among only 4-Gbyte drives, it came in second after the Seagate Barracuda 4. Many factors may have a role here, and none of them point to performance differences that matter in the real world. (See the benchmark results and analysis on page 124.)
IBM...