Today's hottest deals
Real World Speed
Performance profile from 239,614 user samples
4,113 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 93% 3TB free
Worst Bench: 49% 3.5TB free
Poor: 49% Great: 93%
SPEED RANK: 111th / 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
74.1 % 88.3 % Faster effective speed.
+19%
Read
Avg. Sequential Read Speed
132 MB/s 152 MB/s Faster read speed.
+15%
Write
Avg. Sequential Write Speed
124 MB/s 127 MB/s +2%
4K Read
Avg. 4K Random Read Speed
0.78 MB/s Slightly faster random read.
+10%
0.71 MB/s
4K Write
Avg. 4K Random Write Speed
3.16 MB/s Hugely faster random write.
+84%
1.72 MB/s
Mixed
Avg. Sequential Mixed IO Speed
86.1 MB/s Faster mixed IO speed.
+14%
75.6 MB/s
4K Mixed
Avg. 4K Random Mixed IO Speed
0.96 MB/s Much faster random mixed IO.
+33%
0.72 MB/s
SusWrite
Avg. Sustained Write Speed
125 MB/s 155 MB/s Faster sustained write speed.
+24%
Read
Peak Sequential Read Speed
169 MB/s 200 MB/s Faster peak read speed.
+18%
Write
Peak Sequential Write Speed
155 MB/s 177 MB/s Faster peak write speed.
+14%
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
3.7 MB/s Faster peak random write.
+19%
3.11 MB/s
Mixed
Peak Sequential Mixed IO Speed
108 MB/s Faster peak mixed IO speed.
+24%
86.9 MB/s
4K Mixed
Peak 4K Random Mixed IO Speed
1.1 MB/s Faster peak random mixed IO.
+22%
0.9 MB/s
SusWrite
Peak Sequential Sustained Write 60s Average
159 MB/s 200 MB/s Faster peak sustained write speed.
+26%
Market Share
Based on 53,961,347 HDDs tested
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days)
0.01 % 0.51 % Insanely higher market share.
+5,000%
Value
Value For Money
22.9 % 63.3 % Hugely better value.
+176%
User Rating
UBM User Rating
52 % 55 % Slightly more popular.
+6%
Price
Price (score)
$259 $84 Much cheaper.
+68%
Age
Newest
144 Months Slightly more recent.
+9%
158 Months
Capacity
Capacity
4TB 3TB

I don't understand the pricing on this drive, on the face of it, it looks seriously overpriced. Although the Black has a marginal speed advantage compared to a 3TB Barracuda, one 4TB Caviar Black costs more than two 3TB Barracudas! I have only seen benchmarks from 3 user samples for the 4TB 2012 Black so I will re-visit this recap over the coming months by which time I should have a better sample size. Additional samples may indicate far better performance than I have seen so far. [Aug '13 HDrivePro]

MORE DETAILS

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]

MORE DETAILS

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 $130
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
Today's hottest deals
If you buy something via a price link, UserBenchmark may earn a commission
About  •  User Guide  •  FAQs  •  Email  •  Privacy  •  Developer  •  YouTube Feedback