How we (now) test hard drives
First, we copy a folder with 2GB worth of files to the hard drive that’s connected to our testing computer and record the length of time it takes for the drive to write the data. Then, we rename the same folder and move it back to the computer, once again timing it how long it takes for the hard drive to read the data. Once we’ve done that, we repeat the same process with a 2GB file in ZIP format in order to compare read/write speeds of a single large file versus many smaller files.
We’ve also introduced a new Photoshop test that uses the external drive as a scratch disk for processing images. Usually, Photoshop uses your computer’s main memory, but when a task is so demanding that it runs out of RAM, it switches to a scratch disk (a hard drive; in Photoshop, you can designate which attached drive can serve as the scratch disk) where it can temporarily process the data needed to handle certain tasks with huge files. We run a Photoshop Action script that includes the importing of seven large RAW files taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera and manipulating them in various ways. We limit Photoshop to using just 25 percent of available RAM and use the external hard drive as the scratch disk to test how it handles that kind of pressure.
Finally, our AJA System Test rounds out our new tests, and it’s the only part of our methodology that differs from PCWorld’s own process. Basically, the AJA System Test simulates the data transfer that occurs when you’re using their professional grade video equipment by creating files of certain sizes and resolutions. As the test runs, AJA monitors the rate and speed of data transfer, and the faster (and consistent) the results, the better a hard drive’s ability to handle professional grade video without dropping frames. With our tests, we bump up the video frame size to 1920-by-1080 pixels at 10-bit RBG, with the file size at 2GBs, and record the speed of data transfer afterwards.
Photoshop scores are in seconds (smaller is better). All other scores are in megabytes per second (MBps), where larger is better.
Portable Hard Drives: USB
| Write 2GB Folder | Read 2GB Folder | Write 2GB File | Read 2GB File | Low memory Photoshop | Write AJA test | Read AJA test | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBps | MBps | MBps | MBps | Seconds | MBps | MBps | |
| Iomega eGo Helium 320GB | 29 | 37 | 30.8 | 39.2 | 70 | 29.9 | 38.3 |
| Buffalo MiniStation Metro 250GB | 30.8 | 34.5 | 31.7 | 36.4 | 70 | 32 | 36.8 |
| Iomega eGo 500GB | 30.8 | 35.7 | 31.7 | 37 | 74 | 31.8 | 36 |
| Aegis Padlock Pro 640GB | 30.3 | 35.1 | 31.3 | 37 | 72 | 31.8 | 36.3 |
| Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 500GB | 30.8 | 35.7 | 31.7 | 36.4 | 67 | 31.9 | 36.1 |
| Iomega eGo BlackBelt 1TB | 31.3 | 35.7 | 32.8 | 37.7 | 70 | 31.8 | 38 |
| Iomega Skin 500GB | 31.3 | 36.4 | 33.3 | 39.2 | 90 | 31.8 | 38.3 |
| G|Drive Mobile USB 500GB | 30.8 | 37.7 | 32.3 | 40 | 67 | 31.9 | 38.3 |
| G|Drive Mobile 500GB | 30.8 | 37 | 31.7 | 38.5 | 65 | 31.8 | 37.8 |
| Seagate FreeAgent Go Flex 1.5TB USB 2.0/3.0 | 30.8 | 35.7 | 32.3 | 37 | 66 | 31.5 | 36.8 |
| G|Drive Slim 320GB | 31.3 | 37.7 | 32.3 | 40 | 66 | 31.9 | 37.8 |
| Toshiba Canvio for Mac 1TB | 30.8 | 35.7 | 32.8 | 37 | 65 | 31.9 | 36.8 |
| Iomega eGo 1TB USB 2.0/3.0 | 30.8 | 36.4 | 32.3 | 37.7 | 65 | 30.8 | 3 8 |
Portable Hard Drives: FireWire 800
| Write 2GB Folder | Read 2GB Folder | Write 2GB File | Read 2GB File | Low memory Photoshop | Write AJA test | Read AJA test | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBps | MBps | MBps | MBps | Seconds | MBps | MBps | |
| Iomega eGo 500GB | 57.1 | 71.4 | 57.1 | 80 | 53 | 59.8 | 81.2 |
| Iomega eGo BlackBelt 1TB | 69 | 74.1 | 87 | 87 | 44 | 83.9 | 84.7 |
| G|Drive Mobile 500GB | 60.6 | 71.4 | 66.7 | 83.3 | 45 | 69.1 | 80.2 |
Desktop Hard Drives: USB
| Write 2GB Folder | Read 2GB Folder | Write 2GB File | Read 2GB File | Low memory Photoshop | Write AJA test | Read AJA test | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBps | MBps | MBps | MBps | Seconds | MBps | MBps | |
| Toshiba Desktop External HD 1TB | 31.3 | 36.4 | 32.8 | 37 | 64 | 32 | 37 |
| iStorage Pro Dock 2TB | 30.8 | 35.7 | 31.3 | 37 | 65 | 31.9 | 36.8 |
| CalDigit VR mini 1TB (RAID 0) | 31.3 | 36.4 | 32.8 | 37 | 64 | 32 | 36.9 |
| CalDigit VR mini 1TB (RAID 1) | 27.4 | 36.4 | 31.7 | 37 | 64 | 31.3 | 36.9 |
| Buffalo Dualie 500GB | 30.8 | 35.1 | 31.7 | 37 | 70 | 31.8 | 35.5 |
| Iomega eGo Desktop 2TB Mac Edition | 31.3 | 36.4 | 32.3 | 38.5 | 67 | 32 | 38.2 |
| G|Raid 4TB (RAID 0) | 31.3 | 36.4 | 32.8 | 37 | 62 | 32.2 | 36.9 |
| CalDigit AV Drive | 31.3 | 35.1 | 33.3 | 36.4 | 65 | 31.9 | 36.5 |
| WiebeTech RTX220H-QR (RAID 0) | 30.8 | 36.4 | 32.8 | 37 | 64 | 32 | 36.8 |
| WiebeTech RTX220H-QR (RAID 1) | 30.8 | 35.7 | 31.7 | 37 | 69 | 31.7 | 36.8 |
| ioSafe Solo Pro 1TB Fireproof/Waterproof | 31.3 | 37 | 33.3 | 38.5 | 64 | 32 | 38.4 |
| Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk 3TB | 30.3 | 35.7 | 32.3 | 37 | 70 | 30.8 | 36.8 |
Desktop Hard Drives: FireWire 400
| Write 2GB Folder | Read 2GB Folder | Write 2GB File | Read 2GB File | Low memory Photoshop | Write AJA test | Read AJA test | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBps | MBps | MBps | MBps | Seconds | MBps | MBps | |
| iStorage Pro Dock 2TB | 58.8 | 74.1 | 64.5 | 87 | 48 | 57.2 | 65.7 |
| CalDigit VR mini 1TB (RAID 0) | 33.9 | 40 | 35.7 | 40.8 | 60 | 35.1 | 38.8 |
| CalDigit VR mini 1TB (RAID 1) | 30.3 | 39.2 | 35.1 | 41.7 | 61 | 34.7 | 39.7 |
Desktop Hard Drives: FireWire 800
| Write 2GB Folder | Read 2GB Folder | Write 2GB File | Read 2GB File | Low memory Photoshop | Write AJA test | Read AJA test | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBps | MBps | MBps | MBps | Seconds | MBps | MBps | |
| iStorage Pro Dock 2TB | 58.8 | 74.1 | 66.7 | 87.0 | 48 | 57.8 | 66.0 |
| CalDigit VR mini 1TB (RAID 0) | 58.8 | 76.9 | 64.5 | 83.3 | 44 | 65.3 | 84.5 |
| CalDigit VR mini 1TB (RAID 1) | 48.8 | 71.4 | 64.5 | 83.3 | 46 | 64.0 | 81.9 |
| Buffalo Dualie 500GB | 51.3 | 66.7 | 52.6 | 76.9 | 53 | 56.3 | 76.9 |
| Iomega eGo Desktop 2TB Mac Edition | 71.4 | 76.9 | 76.9 | 83.3 | 48 | 53.4 | 63.2 |
| G|Raid 4TB (RAID 0) | 57.1 | 74.1 | 66.7 | 83.3 | 46 | 65.8 | 74.1 |
| CalDigit AV Drive | 71.4 | 76.9 | 87.0 | 87.0 | 41 | 85.4 | 85.4 |
| WiebeTech RTX220H-QR (RAID 0) | 58.8 | 74.1 | 64.5 | 87.0 | 48 | 58.1 | 76.8 |
| WiebeTech RTX220H-QR (RAID 1) | 58.8 | 74.1 | 58.8 | 87.0 | 54 | 37.1 | 63.0 |