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Last Rated:	1. Samsung 160GB Hard Drive (Samsung-SP1614N) 160GB, ATA/133 interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer, Price when ranked: $159 Bottom Line: A good blend of strong performance and great price (just under a dollar per gigabyte), plus round-the-clock phone support, helps this drive claim the top spot--though it lacks an installation kit. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated:	2. Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST3160023AS 160GB, Serial ATA interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer, Price when ranked: $170 Bottom Line: A price drop boosts this model up the chart. It includes good documentation and lots of software for partitioning, drive cloning, diagnostics, and formatting. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated:	3. Maxtor 250GB SATA Ultra 250GB, Serial ATA interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer, Price when ranked: $350 Bottom Line: The third-fastest performer overall, this drive ships with an installation kit that includes an extensive software bundle, plus a Serial ATA interface card and cable. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated:	4. Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST3200822A 200GB, ATA/100 interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer, Price when ranked: $210 Bottom Line: Finished fourth overall in our speed tests. Comes packed in an innovative, protective enclosure, and includes an easy-to-follow setup poster that helps with installation. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated:	5. Maxtor DiamondMax Plus9 - 160GB Drive (Maxtor-6Y160M0) 160GB, Serial ATA interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer, Price when ranked: $230 Bottom Line: Though not the fastest drive we've tested, this Maxtor turned in impressive performance. Includes a complete drive kit and comprehensive documentation. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated:	6. Western Digital 250GB Int Hard Drive (Western Digital-WD2500JD) 250GB, Serial ATA interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer, Price when ranked: $255 Bottom Line: Debuts as the second-fastest performer in our speed tests. Western Digital provides extensive diagnostics information online. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated:	7. Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 120GB (Maxtor-6Y120P0) 120GB, ATA/133 interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer, Price when ranked: $135 Bottom Line: No longer has the lowest cost per gigabyte among models on the chart, but still a great value. Bundled with a drive kit and excellent documentation. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated:	8. Hitachi Deskstar 180 GXP 120GB Hard Drive (IBM-07N9214) 120GB, ATA/100 interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer, Price when ranked: $137 Bottom Line: This bargain-priced Deskstar has excellent speed. It does not include a mounting kit, so you'll have to obtain an IDE cable, screws, and drive rails separately. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated:	9. Western Digital 120GB (Ultra ATA/100, 7200 RPM) (Western Digital Corporation-WD1200JB) 120GB, ATA/100 interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer, Price when ranked: $150 Bottom Line: This drive fell in the middle of the pack in speed and cost per gigabyte. Diagnostic tools are available online. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated:	10. Hitachi IBM (Hitachi) Deskstar 7K250 250GB Serial ATA 7200RPM Hard Drive (Hitachi-13G0255) 250GB, Serial ATA interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer, Price when ranked: $384 Bottom Line: The fastest drive we've tested to date is also the most expensive on the chart, but it doesn't come with an installation kit, and its support hours could be longer. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices

Each drive's overall rating is based on price (25 percent), performance (35 percent), features (30 percent), and technical support policies (10 percent). To test performance, we copy 1.3GB of data (first as one large file and then as a number of folders and files) from one location on the drive to another, time how long it takes to open a 105MB file in Adobe Photoshop 6 and perform a number of operations, and time how long it takes to do a find-file operation in Windows. All tests are carried out on a Dell Dimension 8200 with a 2-GHz Pentium 4 CPU, running Windows XP and using the integrated Ultra ATA/100 interface. Data based on tests designed and conducted by the PC World Test Center. All rights reserved.