Storage performance
Starting with this review we've updated the USB caddie to a USB 3.0 model with a 500GB Seagate drive in it.
In addition we've also updated the SATA hard disk used to a Seagate
Barracuda XT, 2TB SATA 6Gbps model.
| HD Tach v3.0.4.0 SATA average read speed | |
|---|---|
| Intel DH55TC (H55) | ASUS P7H57D-V EVO (H57) |
| 117.8 | 118.1 |
| HD Tach v3.0.4.0 SATA burst speed | |
|---|---|
| Intel DH55TC (H55) | ASUS P7H57D-V EVO (H57) |
| 213.7 | 1798.2 |
Despite the theoretical advantage the ASUS should have over the Intel due to its onboard Marvell SATA 6Gbps controller, performance is almost identical between both boards.
The ridiculously high SATA burst speed isn't realistic and gets misreported due to the way the Marvell driver uses system memory for the read/write cache. When the same drive was connected to the Intel PCH and run at 3Gbps, burst performance on the ASUS was actually slightly below that of the DH55TC.
| HD Tach v3.0.4.0 USB average read speed | |
|---|---|
| Intel DH55TC (H55) | ASUS P7H57D-V EVO (H57) |
| 30.5 | 110.7 |
| HD Tach v3.0.4.0 FireWire average read speed | |
|---|---|
| Intel DH55TC (H55) | ASUS P7H57D-V EVO (H57) |
| 0.01 | 10.5 |
Unlike SATA 6Gbps, the USB 3.0 advantage is clear to see, and the drive is effectively performing at its peak and as if it were connected internally via a SATA cable. The same can't be said however of the P7H57D-V EVO's FireWire performance, which can only be described as abysmal.
At first we thought this could have been an issue with the caddie or drive, however connecting it up to our high-end graphics platform which utilises a Foxconn Bloodrage motherboard revealed everything to be running fine. Maybe the low-cost VIA FireWire controller is to blame as the Foxconn board utilises a TI chip. The Intel DH55TC doesn't have any onboard FireWire hence the score of zero. Even its full-ATX bigger brother, the DH55HC doesn't get FireWire support.