Seagate 160 GB SATA (ST3160023AS)

Reviews: Storage

Author:
Editor:
Sponsor:
Published:

Brian Kristensen
Kurtis
Seagate
May. 15, 2004

<< Previous

Home >>

Conclusion

While I didn't see the huge performance jump that I only half-expected, I was still rather impressed with Seagate's SATA drives. While the Seagate ST3160023AS did out-perform the Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 in the majority of the tests, the SATA hype didn't match up with the results I have seen.

Seagate's SATA drives, much like any other SATA drive, do have several major advantages over PATA drives. The slim cables and easy-to-use connectors offer a fantastic alternative to the bulky ribbon cables that have plagued our computers for ages. Physical installation of the drives is less of a chore and setting up the drives in the BIOS was extremely easy with the ABIT IC7-MAX3 I used to test the drives.

The noise produced by Seagate's drives was very minimal. These are, by far, the quietest drives I have ever come by. Heat levels aren't anything to worry about either. While the drive can get hot, it causes no danger. I have used Seagate's SATA drives without active cooling for months and have had no reliability problems at all.

If you are looking for a bleeding edge, performance packed, ass kicking hard drive, your hopes are probably a little too high. Seagate's SATA flavored drives are fantastic in their own right, but you might want to hold out for the second, or even third generation of SATA drives if you are looking for unheard-of performance. However, if you are looking for a solid drive that is quiet, reliable and on the higher end of the performance spectrum, I would most definitely recommend these drives to anyone with an SATA-ready motherboard.

Pros:

Good performance
Very quiet
Simple installation
Great cables and connections

Cons:

May require a power adapter with older PSUs
Not the extreme performance some might expect

<< Previous

Page 7 of 7

Home >>

Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: A Closer Look
Page 3: Test System / Benchmarks
Page 4: Benchmarks: HD Tach 2.7
Page 5: Benchmarks: Disk Bench 2.2
Page 6: Benchmarks: WinBench 99
Page 7: Conclusion

Subscribe to Internal Hard Drives [more info]

Add Comment

3 User Comments

1 - Posted by EmoMakesMeCry on May 16, 2004 - 12:44 pm

i have the seagate 120 gig version of that drive and absolutely love it. it doesnt perform any better than my 160 PATA master drive, but it is extremely quiet and doesn't emit enough heat to worry about. i really can't wait for the 2nd and 3rd generation drives to come out though.
*insert greedy laugh here*

2 - Posted by greymatter on July 19, 2004 - 9:50 am

I too own the 120GB Seagate drive and it's without a doubt the best drive I have ever owned. The performance jump, while small, has it where it counts. Moving multiple files and defragging is noticeably faster with this SATA over my other IDE still installed. I have previously run with quite a few IBM Deskstars which I also consider to be a rock solid drive and this Seagate has it beat. Great product.

I definitely second Emo though and can't wait for the next generation drives to start my HTPC project. :wink:

3 - Posted by Guest on July 12, 2005 - 11:25 am

Your board is limiting the performance. Why didn't you use the raid card that was sent?

Add Comment

To add a comment without being a member, you may omit the password field, but you must enter your name (or nickname) along with your comment. * Denotes required fields.