Momentus XT for notebook & desktop

[faye]

Hi
I am going to get a Momentus XT 320GB for my notebook and 500GB for my desktop

My notebook is running Win7 Home Premium 64bit
1. I have the recovery data installed to the harddrive, how can i move that to the new drive.
2. Will there be compatible issue? I mean driver ...
3. How should i do the installation? I mean after i have plug into the new drive, what should i do next, as all the recovery data are in the old drive.
4. Will the new Momentus XT help the notebook battery life? now i can only do 1:50h with fully charged battery.
5. If i want to transfer the data from my notebook to the new drive, How/what method i should be using? Data will be big files like movies, mp3, AI, CAD drawing, Documents. Around 150GB data

My desktop is running WinXP 32bit
1. Is there hybrid drives in 3.5" ?
2. I am running a 32GB Western Digital Raptor 10,000rpm. Will i be noticing difference?

 

[FishAk]

First, I would not recommend the hybrid drive for your desktop. I believe you would be better served with a small (69-09Gb) SSD, and a 1Tb Samsung F3. Put your OS and programs on the SSD, and everything else on the HDD. XP doesn't support TRIM, but the SandForce drives have good garbage collection that is about the same. I expect you would notice a big difference compared to the Raptor.

1. Download Macrium Reflect (free version), make an image of the partition you wish to move, than recover the image to the new location. Connect the new drive via USB or an eSATA enclosure to your laptop, or just put the drives in your desktop, and do the work from there. If your laptop drive has proprietary connectors, you may need an adapter to connect to your desktop SATA ports.

2. No

3. Same as 1.

4. Likely yes, but YMMV

5. Data can be simply copied to the new location.

 

[corkyg]

Echo what FishAk syas. XT is good for laptop only, especially where you have only a single drive option. Stick with your Raptor on the desktop or go SSD as FishAK suggests. I have the XTs in my laptops, and they are better than the WDC Scorpio Blacks they replaced.

Never used Macrium Reflect, but think CLONING. I happen to use TrueImage, and do it using their bootable Rescue Media. Place your new XT in an external case (USB or eSATA) and clone from your exisiting drive to the XT.

When finished, remove the source drive and replace it with the XT in your laptop. Boot, and you are good to go with everything that was on the old drive duplicated on the XT.

You will probably have to swap the drives in your laptop's caddy tray.

All your recovery and drivers will be exactly was they were. No restore needed. You can then keep the old 2.5" drive as a backup spare tire.

 

[Blain]

My desktop is running WinXP 32bit
1. Is there hybrid drives in 3.5" ?

Sort of

 

[Compman55]

Laptop:
I am still doubting the XT hard drive in how much more it offers than lets say a nice 500GB Hitachi 7k500. Yes it is a little better, but opinions are mixed, and real word feel in my friends laptop, I cannot tell the difference over my 7k500. I really recommend going for the 500GB model in your laptop. Spend the money now, and not late is my opinion. As far as data transfer, install the OS fresh, then hook up the new HD & old HD to your desktop and copy the info over.

Destop:
The XT is for laptops, although it would work perfect in your desktop, it is a waste of money and would be a downgrade over other products.

For price:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152185
Samsung makes excellent fast hard drives, but their tech support / rma is very frustrating and they do not offer an advanced rma procedure. This one fact keeps me from buying more of the drives.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136533
Western digital drives are also very fast if not faster than samsung. WD drives cost a tad more but are very popular. The RMA process is painless with a credit card.

Either way, any hard drive that is 7200RPM w/ 16MB of cache or greater, and larger than 500GB will blow that 36GB raptor out of the water. Raptors were a failure once densities surpassed 250GB.