Using a 550MHz Pentium III system with 128MB of RAM, we ran a series of tests on each of the drives, under Windows 98 and (to avoid software caching issues) also under DOS. We selected a range of files to read, write and delete, setting up batch files to automate the various tasks. Each of these operations was then timed.

We used two separate sets of test files. The first set consisted of small text and binary files (less than 100KB), while the second contained much larger files, ranging from 200KB to several megabytes apiece. The aim was to determine the performance of the drives when reading/writing large contiguous blocks of data, as well as large numbers of small files. One function requires a high-performance interface and data transfer rate, while the other depends on fast seek times and spindle speed.

In both tests, the Seagate drive ran away from the competition, helped by its faster spindle speed and larger data buffer. In this sector of the market, drives usually use 5,400rpm spindle speeds, so the 7,200rpm of the Seagate drive gives it an advantage here.