Slow hard drive

[Metalhawk]

A few weeks ago, one of my hard drives (a Maxtor 120GB) started running slow. Since this is a very busy drive (lots of downloading, video editing, deleting), I tend to defragment it every week or so, therefore I know this isn't the problem.

The slowness can be seen in Nero when burning a DVD. The drive seems to lag (for lack of better term) and the read buffer can't keep up with the burning speed, hence empties and causes a slow burn.

I then got a new one from Maxtor since it's only 8 months old (advance RMA, so I have both the old and new one). I installed and tested it, and have the same problem with it. My primary drive (a 30GB maxtor) doesn't have that problem.

When I run a speed test on the drives, I get the following results:

30GB drive:
linear read: ~36 MB/s
random read: 2.4 MB/s
access time: 11.56 ms

old 120GB drive:
linear read: 4.1 MB/s
random read: 1.2 MB/s
access time: 9.05 ms

new 120GB drive:
linear read: 4.3 MB/s
random read: 1.33 MB/s
access time: 9.13 ms

I don't get it. the access time is faster with the 120GB drives, but the data transfers much slower, even with a new drive. This didn't used to be the case. In Nero, for instance, my 120 drive used to keep up no problem.

BTW, DMA is enabled on both channels (I have win XP).

In case it matters, my specs are

1.2 GB Duron
some ECS motherboard
768 MB ram
on board video and sound card
LG 4163 DVD burner

Any ideas what causes my drives other than C: to slow down like that?

 

[smileygladhands]

Have you tried another burning program? Also.. are you burning MP3's as an audio CD or burning WAV's as an audio CD? Reason I ask is because many of the newer programs will convert files then burn. I like to convert prior to burning.

Anyways, I'm not a huge fan of Nero, perhaps I'm in the minority on this, but I think it sucks. I'm a huge fan of Accoustica programs.

Dl some different programs (download.com) and try them out, see if you have the same issue.

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

Well that's a benchmark

Even though maxtor does suck, you should be getting much higher.

Can you benchmark a CD-ROM drive or anything?

 

[Metalhawk]

I just re-did the benchmarking after copying some data from my old 120 to the new 120, and my new drive went through the roof:

linear read: ~57 MB/s
random read: 3.1 MB/s
access time: 9.08 ms

WTF?

 

[SHAWN]

Maxtor quality blows.

 

[Metalhawk]

Maxtor quality blows.

Unfortunately, I found that out after I bought my latest Maxtor. I already decided that it's the last one. I am considering a Seagate next.

 

[Metalhawk]

Can you benchmark a CD-ROM drive or anything?

With a CD, after 30 seconds of spinning (as we all know, the speed keeps climbing as it spins) it had reached about 4 MB/s.