You haven't a clue what you are talking about. Every part run produces components which have a bell curve of quality which can be tested to determine which components fall into what sigma of the curve. Those that are in the 95% percentile are considered the most reliable for speed and data seeking. Even components such as resistors and capacitors which come off the same assembly line will be rated 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10% according to how precisely they meet the specified resistance or capacitance rating on repeated tests. The higher percentage ratings are "good enough" for most usages and are priced accordingly, higher ratings are required for more precise usage and are "rarer" and priced accordingly.
I am certain you have not done a part for part comparison between an Apple product and any low end Windows PC as you claim. You've looked at drive capacity, speed, and perhaps seek time and maybe cache and nothing else in making your comparison, which you based on specs alone. Meanwhile you ignored the Apple logo added by the manufacturer after testing, which you will not find on any generic off the shelf drive found in any Windows PC.
Your snide, off-the-cuff claim that Apple is a "third-tier" manufacturer is specious and idiotic. No qualified rating puts Apple products as third tier anything. All reviewers put Apple at the top tier of quality and many PC Windows reviewers rate Apple's quality and performance when running Windows as the best. So, no, Apple is not by any stretch of fact "third tier." Only you Apple hate merchants push that line of bilge.
As usual, Swordmaker, you set the record straight with facts that are only challenged by low-IQ simpletons like ARL295. Everything ARL295 spews is woven out of nothing, a fabrication of what passes for his mind. Early on, I gave an example of WD drives being labeled with color codes indicating quality to show that not all drives are equal. The lower end drives go in home security camera boxes and his Windows machines (probably buys the cheapest PCs). The higher quality stuff is what we use, supplied in Apple computers. Facts are facts, despite the anti-Apple spewers.