Laptop Hard Drive

[plumberscrack]

I need a new hard drive and have no idea what to look for

This what I have currently:

Hitachi Travelstar model HTS4240M9AT00 2.5in. x 9.5mm
40 gig
4200 RPMs
ATA-6
2 MB Buffer
100MB/sec Ultra DMA mode 5

I would like to move up to at least and 80 gig 7200RPM

not sure how important the other specs are
what interface, data buffer, latency it's all very confusing :confused:

any recommendations?

oh and I don't want to spend more than $75 :o

thanks,

Bill

[Josh]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000150380%201035907889&name=ATA-6

I'd pry go for the Seagate 120 gig (4th from the bottom) for the pricepoint. No rebate, free shipping.

Disclaimer: I have never replaced a laptop hard drive before. I have replaced tons of Desktop drives but dont know that much about the laptops.

Maybe CPW can help out on this one.

Josh

[cpw]

not sure how important the other specs are
what interface, data buffer, latency it's all very confusing
The interface is chosen for you, you've got to use the same one as you have now.

The data buffer: bigger is better.
Latency: lower is better.

I would like to move up to at least and 80 gig 7200RPM
I agree with you on trying to get higher RPM, that will increase the transfer rate, but using the nice Newegg link Josh provided looks like for that interface you're going to be stuck with 5400RPM.

Narrowing the list of ATA-6 drives to 5400RPM, and $50-75:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000150380%201035907889%204026%201035507777&bop=And&Order=PRICE

I would pick a Western Digital or Seagate 160GB for $65.

[PLUMBER RICK]

you geek:nyaa-nyaa4:

this is what you want for your birthday:confused:

i would have asked for a new dvd pack;)

isn't that the hard drive that goes in your extreme duty laptop:confused:

if it is, you need a to worry about shock/ shaking isolation;)

now look who's the geek:eek:

rick.

[Velosapien]

You need an EIDE laptop drive. Pretty straight forward swap. Not much different than a desktop other than probably needing to take out a few different micro screws to access it depending on the laptop. 7200rpm is nice but most laptop drive are 5400rpm and there performance is very good. 7200rpm are considered performance drives on laptops and will run you a fair bit more per gigabyte. 5400rpm drives will typically be more power efficient so take this into consideration if battery life matters to you.

[ToUtahNow]

Here are the specs to my work laptop drive:

Samsung
HM250JI
Spinpoint M5
capacity : 250 GB
interface : Serial ATA 1.5 Gbps
buffer memory : 8 MB
5400 RPM

I got tired of running out of space so I carry a Store-it Pro 500GB portable drive with all of my info from my desktop on it. Now when I want to travel light I can get away with my 16 GB Dell Netbook.

Mark

[wathman]

only other advice to add to the already excellent posts is this: 7200 rpm drives are indeed faster, though that extra speed will come at the cost of battery life when you aren't plugged in. That's why 5400 rpm drives are still around, and why some people use them over 7200 rpm drives in laptops. newer hard drives from Western Digital and Samsung are becoming more "green" by having the ability to spin at variable speeds, or just 5400 because the energy savings are significant when considered over the lifespan of the hard drive.

I can't give you any real hard numbers, as there are so many variables that go into actual battery usage, but an additional 15-20 min of operation should be the difference between a 5400 and 7200 rpm drive