Specification

Judging by the specs, they have changed only the size. :) The record density is therefore greater as well. Well, I like the Western Digital's passion for non-integral record density values. Here they have 66.(6) GB per platter. 

Tests

The test system is standard. 

• Mainboard - Iwill WO2-R (BIOS ver. 6.00PGN); 
• Processor - Intel Pentium III 800EB; 
• Memory - 256 MB PC133 SDRAM; 
• System disc - IBM DTLA 307015; 
• OS - Windows 2000 Professional SP2.

The test suite is the same. 

• Ziff-Davis WinBench 99; 
• HDTach 2.61; 
• Intel IOMeter. 

Ziff-Davis WinBench 99

The linear read speed is evidently higher. 

Unfortunately, the access time is greater as well, though it wasn't promised at all. We were promised 4.2 + 8.9 = 13.1 ms. The 120 GB models couldn't reach it, not to mention the new-comers. 

The situation is quite obvious here. Note that the increase in the record density doesn't tell upon the results so strongly as the increase in the buffer size. 

Intel IOMeter

Here the trend is reverse - the greater buffer size results in worse scores. 

Here such scores of the WD1200JB are exactly on account of the buffer size. 

Again, the greater the buffer, the worse the scores. Note that the 200MB drives have their graphs almost parallel. 

Conclusion

The growth of the record density makes the performance better. And whether it's worth buying the model with a 8MB buffer I can't say for sure.  

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