asked on

How do you test for udma 66 or 100?

I have an Asus P4B-266, 2Ghz, 1Gb, WD80Gb with 8Mb cache.

The mobo and the WD80Gb states that it handles 100Mb/sec transfer. The only thing I have found to test it is from Canopus called Rex test, but I have been told that this is unreliable also.

The computer did not come with the special cable that I have now just ordered and soon will install, but how can I test the results after installation?

Thank you all.

CrazyOne

Well I don't know of any truly reliable software based testers. But for the most part generally speaking you usuall won't see the transfer reach the stated speed. To many things involved that hinder the process. The 100Mb/sec is the state max it can reliably attain but not likely to be attained.

The Crazy One

JJSnow

ASKER

That's a fair comment, but Rex Test states 24Mb/sec and if I presummed my system was supposed to get 100Mb/sec or close to it isn't it fair to say that there appears to be a descrepency here.

I agree that with out the udma ide cable I can't get it. I am just looking for someway to test it. Thanks.

CrazyOne

Yeah I see your point but wait until you gat that cable and then see what REX comes up with then.

CrazyOne

Umm another thing that might help is Promise card. It has its own BIOS and you attach your hard drive to it. It probably would get more consistent high transfer rate then just relying on the mother boards ability.

CrazyOne

http://www.promise.com/product/product_list_eng.asp?familyId=3

msa2003

You should use HDTach utility (http://www.tcdlabs.com/hdtach.htm ) to determine a speed on which your IDE controller could cooperate with IDE HDD cache (drive burst speed). It is the most reliable way that I know. Value you will receive will be less that declared data rates. For example, for ATA/100 you will get approximately 80 MBps, for ATA/66 - 40-55 MBps, for ATA/33 - less values.

You need a special 80-wire 40-pin ATA/100 cable to use data speeds over 33MBps. Usage of the default 40-wire cable may result in data loss.

kiranghag

100mbits/s = 100/8 mbytes/s = 12.5 megabytes/s
so practiclly u should expect 70% of that

so you should get 8.75megabytes per second in benchmark tests

msa2003

kiranghaq: MBps is a Megabyte per second. Mbps is a Megabit per second. Don't confuse Fast Ethernet and ATA/100 ;)

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

SHurd

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Al Jee

100MB/s is burst speed not sustained speed.
It's like measuring an audio amplifier at peak watts output instead of RMS output.
Sustained transfer speed will always be slower.
What are you going to transfer to/from?
You will be limited by whatever is at the other end of this transfer plus any hiccups in between.
I suspect that you would need a dedicated test bench for tests of peak performance.

CrazyOne

>>>any hiccups in between

Depends on how many drinks the mahine had. LOL

Al Jee

whoo-hoo!

kiranghag

dear msa...
i havent used mbps or MBps...intentionally used megabytes/s.
udma100 is rated for 100mega_bits_per ssecond afik..
if not then its a practical joke played on us.
we pay money expecting 100mbytes/s and get only 6-8mbytes/s

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