Comparing: GeForce MX350 [Disk] vs HGST HTS545050A7E680

Specification Comparison Table

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Submission Comparison Table

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Submission Comparison Chart

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About Hardware GeForce MX350 [Disk]

The NVIDIA GeForce MX350 is an entry-level GPU designed for thin and light laptops, delivering significant graphics performance improvements over the processor's built-in iGPU. The GPU is based on the Pascal architecture with 640 CUDA Cores, and features 2GB or 4GB of GDDR5 memory with 64-bit bus width. The MX350 is generally used for light graphics tasks such as photo editing, light video, and casual gaming, and provides GPU acceleration for CUDA-enabled creative applications.

But in this particular test, a portion of the video memory (VRAM) on the GeForce MX350 was configured as a VRAMDisk. The concept of a VRAMDisk is similar to a RAMDisk, but it uses the VRAM of the GPU as a super-fast storage medium. VRAMDisk allows the creation of temporary, high-speed drives that can be utilized for technical experiments, speed testing, or graphics caching in certain scenarios. Although its capacity is limited and volatile (data is lost on reboot), the high bandwidth and low latency of VRAM provide compelling performance in certain contexts.

The tests were conducted on a Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 14ITL6 laptop with Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 12GB DDR4 3200MHz dual channel RAM, and Windows 11 22H2 operating system. The VRAMDisk was created from a 2GB GeForce MX350 GPU, with virtual disk sizes of 1GB and 1.5GB, using special software called GPU RAM Drive.

Benchmark results with CrystalDiskMark recorded read speeds of 1113.58 MB/s and write speeds of 995.48 MB/s, showing the high bandwidth potential of VRAM as a temporary storage medium. Although the performance does not match DDR4-based RAMDisks, VRAMDisks remain a unique and attractive solution for certain technical purposes, especially for users who want to utilize idle VRAM for fast I/O processes. With its dedicated laptop GPU form factor and PCIe x4 Gen 3.0 interface, the GeForce MX350 VRAMDisk opens up new exploration possibilities in the world of experimental graphics-based high-speed storage.

Device test (testbed):

Device: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 14ITL6
CPU: i5 1135G7
RAM: 12GB DDR4 3200MHz Dual Channel (8+4)
OS: Windows 11 22H2

Friday, 06 August 2021 04:34:19 | Update: 2 weeks ago

About Hardware HGST HTS545050A7E680

The HGST HTS545050A7E680 is a 500GB hard disk drive (HDD) designed for storage needs in laptops, external enclosures, and other mobile devices. With a 2.5-inch form factor, 5400 RPM rotation speed, and 3.0Gbps SATA II interface, this HDD offers an ideal blend of capacity, power efficiency, and stable and quiet performance for everyday computing needs.

Based on the Travelstar Z5K500 family, this HDD uses 1 platter and 2 heads, which structurally supports reasonably efficient performance without generating excess heat or noise. The 8MB buffer cache provides a speed boost in short data processing, which is especially useful for light activities such as opening document files, playing videos, and storing business application data.

In tests using a USB 3.0 HDD enclosure connected to a Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 14ITL6 laptop (with Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor and 12GB DDR4 dual-channel RAM), the drive recorded CrystalDiskMark scores of 108.05 MB/s read and 104.88 MB/s write speeds. Meanwhile, the ATTO Disk Benchmark (64M) test showed read performance of 102.40 MB/s and write performance of 101.45 MB/s - relatively good results for a 5400 RPM HDD in an external configuration.

While not an SSD, the HGST HTS545050A7E680 still offers high reliability and low power consumption, making it a suitable solution for users who need additional storage or an affordable replacement for an internal HDD while still prioritizing long-term stability. In addition, HGST's shock resistance feature provides extra protection against minor physical impacts that often occur on mobile devices.

Overall, the HGST HTS545050A7E680 is a great choice for laptop users, light content creators or business users who require medium capacity, low power consumption and reliable performance in a portable or internal drive.

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

Saturday, 04 November 2023 13:01:20 | Update: 2 weeks ago