November 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 which brands, speeds and capacities offer the best bang for the buck.

The Serial ATA value chart continues to follow the same basic trends in the PATA market, but there is definitely a shift towards higher capacities. The 400GB to 500GB range is still the most prevalent, taking seven of the top ten listings, but we are seeing the 750GB drives start to make a real move. In fact, the top individual drive value is a 750GB model, as the Western Digital Caviar SE16 750GB checks in with an amazing 20-cent/GB rating. The Western Digital Caviar SE 500GB, though lower capacity, is also at 20-cents/GB, and the Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB makes it a WD sweep with a 21-cent/GB rating. On the other hand, five Western Digital Raptor models are right at the bottom on the chart, as this line of 10K RPM drives is designed for enthusiast-level performance and reliability, not value.

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Page 1 November Hard Drive Price Guide Page 2 Serial ATA Hard Drive Price List Page 3 Parallel ATA Hard Drives Sorted by $/GB Page 4 Serial ATA Hard Drives Sorted by $/GB Page 5 Parallel and Serial ATA Hard Drives Sorted by Price Change Page 6 Parallel and Serial ATA Hard Drives Sorted by Price

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