October 2005 Hard Drive Price Guide - Page 4

Serial ATA Hard Drive Value

Just as in the previous PATA chart, we are also taking a close look at our Serial ATA drives and determining exactly which models and capacities offer the best overall value. We do this through the tried-and-true method of determining hard drive value, or "price per GB", which is then used as a sorting criteria to ensure the best $/GB deals rise to the top. Of course, no method is foolproof, and other factors like performance or features certainly come into play, but it does give us a different view on what brands, speeds and capacities offer the best bang for the buck.

The SATA value chart is again very similar to the PATA list, and we see virtually the same trends happening here. The best overall value is still in the 250GB to 320GB range, and these drives hold the top five places on the SATA chart, and seven of the top eight, with only a lone Maxtor DiamondMax 10 200GB drive ruining the string. The top brand is different in the SATA chart, with drives from Maxtor holding the top three positions, and being the only manufacturer that can offer $/GB ratings of under 42-cents. On the other end of the chart, the low capacity, Western Digital 36.7GB and 74GB 10K Raptor drives make it tough on the value equation, and both feature a cost per GB of well over $2.

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