Ok, i finally have done the comparisons of the 200 GB Seagate and the 160 GB. Truth is, I've found the 200 GB to be quieter. However, there are some restrictions -
1. Because of my schedule, I was unable to have the time to put the two drives in the same enclosure. My 200 GB is in my BQE, on the HDD rails with the rubber grommets, whilst the 160 GB is in my SN45G with the raw metal screws.
2. Both were set as the MASTER on IDE 0
Acoustic Test
I found that the 200 GB was quieter, and the seek noise to be similar to a VERY VERY faint tapping/ticking
The 160 GB, on the other hand, was noisier, with a seek noise similar to that of a notebook drive, with the tapping/ticking noise more evident.
I have used my Sony DSC-P100 Digital Camera to take short clips from both cases. Note that on the BQE movie, the heavy seek noise is not the 200 GB, rather it is the 200 GB Maxtor that is the slave on my IDE 0 Channel (i was defragmenting).
While the BQE.avi was shot while defragmenting, the SN45G.avi was shot during boot-up.
I apologize for not providing equal ground for comparison between these two drives, but I will point out that the 160 GB is noisier from my ears.
Both of the cases were set below my desk, with the SN45G's M1A HSF set to "Auto", and the BQE's rear exhaust fan off, front intake off, video card's off (yes, crazy aint it).
Anyways, here they are... again I apologize for not providing equal ground/environment for comparison (i.e., having both in the same case), but the 200 GB, I must say, is at much quieter than the 160GB.
Performance Test
This test was performed on both systems using the built in speed test bundled with the latest nVidia ForceWare drivers w/the nVidia SW IDE Driver.
Both systems were set so that they would be evenly evaluated as possible, with the latest ForceWare drivers. Both were running Norton AntiVirus 2004 Professional Edition and their respective Graphics Card Utility (ATI Catalyst for the BQE, and nVidia Detonator Utility for the SN45G). Both systems also run on the same chipset, the nVidia nForce 400 Ultra with SoundStorm, so the NVMixer utility was also running on both with the same settings.
Results:
Units shown in MB/sec
As you can see, the 200 GB Seagate (in the BQE) shows higher performance than the 160GB Seagate in the SN45G. Is it due to the increased density in the platters? Who knows.
Again, I apologize for not testing these two acoustically and in terms of performance in the same system for a more even evaluation. Due to my schedule with meetings, interviews, and classes, I cannot do such a thing. However, I suppose this is better than just guessing.
Enjoy.
Finally, stats on the SN45G:
AMD Athlon 2800+ w/1 GB Mushkin High performance DDR RAM 2 x 512 in Dual Channel Mode PC2700. Plextor 708A, 160 GB Seagate 7200.7, M1A HSF.
While the 3200+ on my BQE provides a faster bus, so that my BQE has 400 FSB/Clock for the RAM and the SN45G has a 333FSB/clock, I don't think it provides a big impact. But then again I could be wrong.
And last, but not least, sorry for the disorganization of this review. Like I said, I have a busy schedule =[