The following chart takes a slightly different angle on Parallel ATA hard drive prices, and attempts to discern overall value using a price per GB figure, and then sorting by it. This chart pushes the lowest $/GB rating to the top, and uses a tried-and-true method of illustrating where the best overall values may exist, 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 which brands, speeds and capacities offer the best bang for the buck.
The Parallel ATA market continues to show trends very similar to the SATA market, and the best overall drive value still exists in the 250GB to 320GB range. These account for the top six PATA drive values, and nine out of the top ten, leaving little doubt where the optimum capacity is in the Parallel ATA market. In terms of top buys, the Western Digital SE 320GB ranks right at the top of the list, followed closely by a pair of Western Digital 250GB models. In fact, Western Digital is the only PATA manufacturer to break the 40-cents per GB barrier, and not only that, places three drives below it. On the other end of the scale, even a $22 price break couldn't save the Hitachi 500GB from the bottom spot, and as usual, it is followed by the standard selection of 80GB and 120GB hard drives.
RSS feed
Sitemap
Comment and Contribute
