Serial ATA performance
The Serial ATA disk controller is one of the most important components of a modern core logic chipset, so we threw each platform a selection of I/O-intensive storage tests using a Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD.

IOMeter
We'll begin our storage tests with IOMeter, which subjects our systems to increasing multi-user loads. Testing was restricted to IOMeter's workstation and database test patterns, since those are more appropriate for desktop systems than the file or web server test patterns.

The 790FX's long-standing problems running in AHCI mode are a handicap here, allowing the nForce chipsets to deliver higher transaction rates that scale more aggressively as we move from a single outstanding I/O request up to 256 concurrent requests. Here, the 750a is every bit as fast as the 780a.

IOMeter response times look a little closer, but again, it's the nForce chipsets delivering more responsive performance. As one might expect from chipsets that share the same MCP component, the 750a and 780a are essentially tied.

Despite performing more transactions per second, the nForce chipsets don't consume more CPU cycles than the 790FX in IOMeter.