The "older" WD 'raptors' (36/74gb) will have 16mb buffers (if not already)
See subject line, & check it:
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2557
A DIRECT QUOTE/EXCERPT:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Western Digital silently updated two of its Raptor series drives: the 36GB WD360ADFD and 74GB WD740ADFD 10,000RPM models have been blessed with doubled buffers to 16MB each. The performance specifications have improved over the 8MB cache models along with a slight increase in power consumption. The new models also add Native Command Queuing to the list of features, a change from the older Tagged Command Queuing method.
Among the performance updates are increases in 'Buffer To Disk' sustained transfer rates of 84MB/sec up from the previous models' 72MB/sec as well as lower overall average seek times. The updated 36GB and 74GB Raptor models are also 3 dBA quieter in the idle state. However, both drives still carry a SATA 1.5Gbps throughput rating."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sounds good to me @ least)
* Might save you some 'coins/deadpresidents' & also possibly gain you performance, because the onboard cachebuffer amount is GREATER by % of "surface area" overall on the disks!
(Not only that, but another possible "performance-wise" (assuming space isn't a concern for you only & all that - which I doubt, or you'd go for LARGER disks space-wise) is that striping 2 of them, say 74gb units, will be FASTER than a single 150gb unit most likely I would think.... but, the "proof's in the performance-test pudding" though, so I am only speculating here!)
APK
P.S.=> Something to think about... I know I would have, but I bought before this news came out! apk