The performance of this 200GB SATA drive was average. However, despite a three-year warranty, this fell into the lower bracket when it came to value – its price per gigabyte was high. The Maxtor 200GB SATA ultimately ranked lowest overall, but you'll find it interesting that it beat every other drive in at least one category - its poor ranking can therefore, be attributed to the fact that it simply did not shine in any area. It only convincingly outperformed two IDE drives with a 2MB buffer; this drive has an 8MB buffer.
One thing we noted during testing was that the drive was awfully quiet. And unlike the 250GB WD drives, it remained relatively 'touchable'. The manufacturer's specifications do not boast this drive to be the fastest, so we can say that its performance was not an unpleasant surprise. There are better options for a SATA drive, but this consistent scorer is by no means a loser.