Comparing: WD Caviar Blue WD3200AAKX-001CA0 vs HGST HTS545050A7E362

Specification Comparison Table

This specification comparison presents technical details of several devices or components to help you understand the key differences between each option. Use this table as a reference to determine which device best suits your needs.

Submission Comparison Table

This submission comparison table displays the number and details of benchmark data submissions from various devices or components. This information helps you understand the performance based on the benchmarks that have been tested, as well as providing an overview of the consistency and popularity of the available benchmark results.

Submission Comparison Chart

This chart visualizes the benchmark scores comparison between two hardware devices based on submitted data.

Media Gallery

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About Hardware WD Caviar Blue WD3200AAKX-001CA0

The WDC WD3200AAKX-001CA0 is a 3.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD) that comes with a 320GB capacity, designed specifically for storage needs on desktop computers. Part of the Western Digital Caviar Blue family, this HDD uses a SATA-III 6Gbps interface that provides better data transfer speeds than the previous generation (SATA-II).

With a rotation speed of 7200 RPM and a 16MB buffer cache, this drive offers reliable performance for a variety of daily computing activities. From storing documents, running office applications, to playing light games, the WDC WD3200AAKX is able to accommodate the needs of home and office users with maintained stability.

It uses a single disk and two head configuration, which helps to maintain data transfer efficiency and reliability. In tests using a ThinkCentre M58 system with an Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 processor, 3GB DDR3 RAM, and Windows 7 operating system, the performance of this HDD was very good for its capacity class. Testing with CrystalDiskMark showed read speeds of 107.58 MB/s and write speeds of 105.50 MB/s, proving that this HDD is still relevant for legacy systems and light computing tasks today.

As part of the WD Caviar Blue line, the WD3200AAKX is designed with a blend of performance and reliability, making it a popular choice for desktop PC users who need a 7200 RPM speed drive at an affordable price. It can be used as a primary or secondary drive for legacy operating systems, data storage, or as an upgrade solution from older, lower-speed HDDs.

Device test (tesbed):

Device: ThinkCenter M58
CPU: Core 2 Duo E7500
RAM: 3GB DDR3

Tuesday, 07 March 2023 10:02:46 | Update: 1 month ago

About Hardware HGST HTS545050A7E362

The HGST HTS545050A7E362 is a 2.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD) with a storage capacity of 500GB, specifically designed to meet the data storage needs of laptops, notebooks, and other portable computing systems. This hard disk is part of the Travelstar Z5K500 product line, known for its balanced combination of performance, power efficiency, and reliability. As part of the HGST (Hitachi Global Storage Technologies) family, now part of Western Digital, this model offers proven high quality in various everyday usage scenarios.

Featuring a SATA II (3 Gb/s) interface and a rotation speed of 5400 RPM, the HTS545050A7E362 falls into the category of energy-efficient HDDs with low noise levels—ideal for laptop users seeking comfort without compromising storage capacity. Equipped with a 16 MB cache buffer, this HDD enhances data transfer efficiency for general use such as storing documents, playing multimedia files, and running lightweight applications.

Technically, this hard disk is built with 1 platter and 2 read/write heads, ensuring stability and consistent performance. With a 2.5-inch form factor, the HTS545050A7E362 is highly compatible for installation in laptops, external USB enclosures, or as backup storage in portable systems. Although not the fastest in its class, this HDD remains an economical and reliable choice for users prioritizing capacity and durability over extreme performance.

Device testing was conducted using a Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 14ITL6 laptop equipped with an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 12GB DDR4 dual-channel RAM, and a USB 3.0 enclosure. In the test, the HDD tested was able to record a read performance of 97.28 MB/s and a write performance of 50.47 MB/s based on benchmark results using the CrystalDiskMark application. These results reflect fairly standard data transfer performance for HDDs connected via the USB 3.0 interface.

These figures reflect the typical performance of a 5400 RPM HDD, sufficient for light to moderate use such as storing important files, backing up photos and videos, or as additional storage media. Support for USB 3.1 Gen 1 ensures optimal transfer speeds in testing via an external enclosure.

Overall, the HGST HTS545050A7E362 500GB is an economical, reliable, and energy-efficient storage solution. With stable performance, robust build quality, and support from a major brand like HGST/Western Digital, this HDD remains relevant for laptop users or external systems requiring medium-capacity storage that is still affordable.

Device test (testbed):

Device: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 14ITL6 (using HDD Enclosure USB 3.0)
CPU: i5 1135G7
USB: USB 3.1 Gen 1
RAM: 12GB DDR4 3200MHz Dual Channel (8+4)
OS: Windows 11 22H2

Friday, 11 April 2025 19:16:37 | Update: 1 week ago