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Real World Speed
Performance profile from 447,972 user samples
212,471 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 67% 1.5TB free
Worst Bench: 31% 607GB free (System drive)
Poor: 31% Great: 67%
SPEED RANK: 289th / 1015
235,501 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 113% 3TB free
Worst Bench: 56% 2TB free (System drive)
Poor: 56% Great: 113%
SPEED RANK: 31st / 1015
Effective Speed
Effective HDD Speed
50.9 % 88.3 % Much faster effective speed.
+73%
Read
Avg. Sequential Read Speed
90.5 MB/s 152 MB/s Much faster read speed.
+68%
Write
Avg. Sequential Write Speed
85 MB/s 127 MB/s Much faster write speed.
+49%
4K Read
Avg. 4K Random Read Speed
0.75 MB/s Slightly faster random read.
+6%
0.71 MB/s
4K Write
Avg. 4K Random Write Speed
1.63 MB/s 1.72 MB/s Slightly faster random write.
+6%
Mixed
Avg. Sequential Mixed IO Speed
66.7 MB/s 75.6 MB/s Faster mixed IO speed.
+13%
4K Mixed
Avg. 4K Random Mixed IO Speed
0.61 MB/s 0.72 MB/s Faster random mixed IO.
+18%
SusWrite
Avg. Sustained Write Speed
86.6 MB/s 155 MB/s Much faster sustained write speed.
+79%
Read
Peak Sequential Read Speed
123 MB/s 200 MB/s Much faster peak read speed.
+63%
Write
Peak Sequential Write Speed
113 MB/s 177 MB/s Much faster peak write speed.
+57%
4K Read
Peak 4K Random Read Speed
1 MB/s Faster peak random read.
+11%
0.9 MB/s
4K Write
Peak 4K Random Write Speed
2.4 MB/s 3.11 MB/s Faster peak random write.
+30%
Mixed
Peak Sequential Mixed IO Speed
98.7 MB/s Faster peak mixed IO speed.
+14%
86.9 MB/s
4K Mixed
Peak 4K Random Mixed IO Speed
0.8 MB/s 0.9 MB/s Faster peak random mixed IO.
+12%
SusWrite
Peak Sequential Sustained Write 60s Average
116 MB/s 200 MB/s Much faster peak sustained write speed.
+72%
Market Share
Based on 53,961,383 HDDs tested
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days)
0.36 % 0.51 % Much higher market share.
+42%
Value
Value For Money
25.8 % 63.3 % Hugely better value.
+146%
User Rating
UBM User Rating
52 % 55 % Slightly more popular.
+6%
Price
Price (score)
$79 Slightly cheaper.
+6%
$84
Age
Newest
163 Months 158 Months +3%
Capacity
Capacity
2TB 3TB

The Western Digital Green (EARX) was released approximately three years ago and proved to be an extremely popular hard drive. This drive has been benchmarked by our users far more than most, currently 118 samples, so we have a relatively large set of performance data from which we can infer robust performance characteristics. With sequential read/write Lab speeds hitting the 150 MB/s mark, and more importantly, average read/write UserBenchMark (UBM) figures of 125/117 MB/s the 2011 WD Green is no longer able to compete with the newer and in many cases larger platter (1TB) drives of today. Looking at a direct comparison between the EARX and, its direct successor, the EZRX shows that the newer 2012 EZRX outperforms by around 37% in real world tests and 18% in peak Lab tests. This additional performance comes at no extra cost and makes the newer EZRX a far better choice. [Jan '14 HDrivePro]

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This drive can be used as a combined system and storage drive thanks to its fast 7200K rpm and enormous 3TB capacity. Recently prices for all large drives have been dropping and the 3TB Barracuda 7200.14 is currently a good choice in terms of both value for money and performance. Not only does the Barracuda have respectable sequential read/write speeds but it also goes head to head with the various green options, consuming a very reasonable 5.4W vs 5W (idle) on average for a "green" drive. That amounts to a tiny power consumption disadvantage and a lot more speed. Overall the Barracuda is priced aggressively and represents very good value for money. [Oct '12 HDrivePro]

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Hard Drive Rankings (Price vs Performance) November 2024 HDD Rankings

We calculate effective speed which measures performance for typical consumers. Effective speed is adjusted by current cost per GB to yield value for money. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top HDDs. [HDrivePro]

Group Test Results

  • Best user rated - User sentiment trumps benchmarks for this comparison.
  • Best value for money - Value for money is based on real world performance.
  • Fastest real world speed - Real World Speed measures performance for typical consumers.
How Fast Is Your HDD? (Bench your build) Size up your PC in less than a minute

Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.

UserBenchmark of the month

How it works

  • - Download and run UserBenchmark
  • - CPU tests include: integer, floating and string
  • - GPU tests include: six 3D game simulations
  • - Drive tests include: read, write, sustained write and mixed IO
  • - RAM tests include: single/multi core bandwidth and latency
  • - SkillBench (space shooter) tests user input accuracy
  • - Reports are generated and presented on userbenchmark.com
  • - Identify the strongest components in your PC
  • - See speed test results from other users
  • - Compare your components to the current market leaders
  • - Explore your best upgrade options with a virtual PC build
  • - Compare your in-game FPS to other users with your hardware

 Frequently Asked Questions

 Best User Rated

Why does UserBenchmark have a bad reputation on reddit?
Marketers operate thousands of reddit accounts. Our benchmarks expose their spiel so they attack our reputation.
Why don’t PC brands endorse UserBenchmark?
Brands make boatloads on flagships like the 4090 and 14900KS. We help users get similar real-world performance for less money.
Why don’t youtubers promote UserBenchmark?
We don't pay youtubers, so they don't praise us. Moreover, our data obstructs youtubers who promote overpriced or inferior products.
Why does UserBenchmark have negative trustpilot reviews?
The 200+ trustpilot reviews are mostly written by virgin marketing accounts. Real users don't give a monkey's about big brands.
Why is UserBenchmark the gold standard for users?
Instead of pursuing brands for sponsorship, we've spent 13 years publishing real-world data for users.
The Best
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-13600K $210Nvidia RTX 4060 $285WD Black SN850X M.2 2TB $125
Intel Core i5-12600K $160Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $389WD Black SN850X M.2 1TB $80
Intel Core i5-12400F $111Nvidia RTX 4070 $500Crucial T700 M.2 4TB $330
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