Sata 3 or Sata 6, What's the diff? Does it matter? Wait?

[garyhope]

Is there currently much "real world" difference between Sata 3 and Sata 6 hard drives? What do you need to implement one or the other? This function or ability is on your mobo and the drive itself yes?

Can you tell much difference between 16 MB cache and 32 MB HD's in "real world" applications?

Should I still bother buying a platter HD or just buy an SSD?

This would be to upgrade my old 939 socket AMD or on a new Sandy Bridge build.

Thanks.

 

[abdussamad]

No difference between sata 3 and 6 for hard drives. Sata 6 was designed for SSDs but even those are not fast enough to take advantage of it yet.

You should look up benchmarks of the hard disk model you are interested in and compare it to benchmarks of other brand models. You can't just look at cache and tell which HDD is going to be faster.

SSDs are faster but also expensive so they are mostly used for installing the OS and some frequently used applications. Everything else is placed on a large hard disk. So you should get both or just a HDD depending on your budget.

 

[garyhope]

No difference between sata 3 and 6 for hard drives. Sata 6 was designed for SSDs but even those are not fast enough to take advantage of it yet.

You should look up benchmarks of the hard disk model you are interested in and compare it to benchmarks of other brand models. You can't just look at cache and tell which HDD is going to be faster.

SSDs are faster but also expensive so they are mostly used for installing the OS and some frequently used applications. Everything else is placed on a large hard disk. So you should get both or just a HDD depending on your budget.

Thanks Abdussamad:

Would you mind educating me a little more about various hard drive speeds and which is better?

I ran HD Tune Pro 4.60 and it said that my Transfer rate was:

Minimum 2.7 MB's
Maximum 62.2
Average 51.9

Access time: 13.6 ms
Burst rate 112.5 MB's
CPU usage 21.0%

From what I've read about newer HDD's, these times seem slow. Is that correct?

For instance, a review of a WD 6400AAKS 00A7B got these times or results:

Transfer rate
Minimum 55.9 MB's

 

[garyhope]

No difference between sata 3 and 6 for hard drives. Sata 6 was designed for SSDs but even those are not fast enough to take advantage of it yet.

You should look up benchmarks of the hard disk model you are interested in and compare it to benchmarks of other brand models. You can't just look at cache and tell which HDD is going to be faster.

SSDs are faster but also expensive so they are mostly used for installing the OS and some frequently used applications. Everything else is placed on a large hard disk. So you should get both or just a HDD depending on your budget.

Sorry, butter fingers, to continue:

WD6400AAKS-00A7B times:

Transfer rate
Minimum 55.9 Mb's
Maximum 115.9 MB's
Average 92.8 MB/sec

Access times:
11.8 ms
Burst rate 149.9 MB/sec
CPU usage 2.9%

This is better than my old 250 gig WD right?

Sorry for my naivete

Thanks

Gary

 

[garyhope]

Best answer selected by garyhope.

 

[Ian Heppleston]

No difference between sata 3 and 6 for hard drives. Sata 6 was designed for SSDs but even those are not fast enough to take advantage of it yet.

You should look up benchmarks of the hard disk model you are interested in and compare it to benchmarks of other brand models. You can't just look at cache and tell which HDD is going to be faster.

SSDs are faster but also expensive so they are mostly used for installing the OS and some frequently used applications. Everything else is placed on a large hard disk. So you should get both or just a HDD depending on your budget.

Hi Abdussamad.

I have a SATA 2 HDD.

If I use it with a SATA 6 HDD within the same operating system I take that all would be OK.

 

[garyhope]

Thank God I bought an SSD for my new build. I wouldn't want to be a "girly man". LOL. I'm even thinking of buying a second SSD because the prices have dropped.

 

[eXistenZ]

I, too, am confused.

Just because neither a SATA III (6GB/s) nor a SATA II (3GB/s) drive will max out a SATA III channel, that does not mean that one will not see a performance improvement of a SATA III drive over a SATA II drive. Right?

A SATA III SDD will utilize the bandwidth of a SATA III channel [?], but that is a different matter. I expect that one should find a SATA III HDD faster than a SATA II HDD.


Anyway, this is my understanding. . .

 

[RaptorHunter]

I, too, am confused.

Just because neither a SATA III (6GB/s) nor a SATA II (3GB/s) drive will max out a SATA III channel, that does not mean that one will not see a performance improvement of a SATA III drive over a SATA II drive. Right?

A SATA III SDD will utilize the bandwidth of a SATA III channel [?], but that is a different matter. I expect that one should find a SATA III HDD faster than a SATA II HDD.


Anyway, this is my understanding. . .

How so? Not only do spinning hard drives not "max out" the connection, they don't even come close so what's the point?

 

[eXistenZ]

How so? Not only do spinning hard drives not "max out" the connection, they don't even come close so what's the point?

Suppose the speed limit on the highway can be either 600 mph or 300 mph.

You can buy one of two cars: one goes 120 mph and the other goes 60 mph.

Wouldn't you see increased user speed with the 120 mph "SATA III" ?

Cars means HDDs.

 

[RaptorHunter]

No!

 

[eXistenZ]

. . . because one type of SATA II car may go faster than another brand of SATA III car, right? It depends on the HDD characteristics. OK.