| Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 200GB Hard Disk Drive - Page 2 of 6 |
The Basics:
The review sample drives arrived in perhaps the best packaging I have experienced. Although it really holds no bearing on what end users should expect to receive when buying retail, the attention to detail was well appreciated. Each drive was shipped inside its own form fitting pocket cut into an oversized block of foam, with thick foam sheets on either end.
From a distance the two ST3200826AS drives look like just about any hard drive on the market...
 
The two images below provide an up close look at the label on one of the drives, where the bulk of the pertinent information is provided. From basic specifications and environmental data to detailed installation instructions, a good deal of information can be found on this little sticker.
 
Taking a look at the bottom of the drive reveals the typical SATA data connector, the SATA power connector, and a good look at the drive's PCB. In the distance, a Samsung chip can be seen which provides the 8MB cache for the ST3200826AS.
The Basics of NCQ:
While we are covering the basics of the drives, let's also take a look at the basics of Native Command Queuing and what it is supposed to do for you.
Seagate was the first drive manufacturer to implement NCQ, and what it basically does is allow multiple commands to be active on a drive at one time. Drives without NCQ execute commands as they are submitted, and lack the smarts to sequence them in the most efficient order. The following analogy is provided on the Seagate website:
"In simple terms, NCQ functioning is somewhat similar to an elevator. The elevator travels sequentially from floor to floor and lets people on and off. It does not follow the sequence in which users push the floor request buttons, because that would mean an excessive mechanical load and much longer times for waiting or riding."
A performance increase can be expected through the implementation of NCQ, and the overall wear and tear on the drive can be expected to be less.
Please read on to the next page for more... Next
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