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New hard drive.

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Get the Seagate Momentus drive, either a 5400.3 or a 7200.1. Search the web for benchmarks -- they are both top in their class.
 
Originally posted by: ShellGuy
Amphib, The pwr us by a 7200rpm drive is not a noticable amount over a 5400 or 4200 so never let that be an issue, the only real issue becomes connection or price..



Will G.
Click to expand...

I don't know where you got that info, but it is definitely false. I just replaced a dead 4200 rpm drive on my sisters laptop with a 5400 rpm model, and it has made a huge difference in the battery life. Buying that drive was a mistake, and if I had the chance, I would buy a lower rpm drive, because now the maximum run-time I can get while running on battery is a few minutes over an hour, which is terrible for mobile use.

If your lappy has a 4200 rpm drive, I would suggest getting a 4200 replacement, and certainly don't go with a 7200 rpm, or you may end up having the same poor results as I did. Of course, like you said, you rarely use it without AC power, so it's all up to you.
 
Originally posted by: antsct
I don't see why the motherboard wouldn't support it. Both have the same connections. The rest of the specs is in the drive itself...
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The motherboard's chipset and driver set have everything to do with whether you will get the benefit of the additional speed offered by the ATA 133 spec offered by the drive. If the chipset doesn't support it you won't achieve the benefits, even if the connectors match.

Look at it this way: The chipset and the driver set are the traffic cop and traffic laws. The drive specifications governs the maximum throughput / burst or otherwise of the drive. If the traffic cop (chipset) and the driver set (traffic laws) do not allow the max throughput then the drive will be limited to the lower specifications.

Of course, the chipset / driver combination in this case may be ATA133. I'm just saying that it is possible that it isn't. The ATA133 spec was approved sometime in late 2001 or early 2002. If the laptop is newer than this, then it should be capable.🙂



 
Oh ok thanks for that. I guess I'm going to go for the Seagate 100gb 7200rpm drive. As I previously mentioned I don't use it much off the A/C adapter and when I do it's usually not for very long (I always make sure I have the A/C adapter with me).

EDIT: What's the best way to transfer all my files across? Burn to DVD?

Thanks.
 
Originally posted by: Maluno
I don't know where you got that info, but it is definitely false. I just replaced a dead 4200 rpm drive on my sisters laptop with a 5400 rpm model, and it has made a huge difference in the battery life.
Click to expand...
Note, too, that A FEW laptops had problems handlling the higher current draw of the 7200 RPM drives. The couldn't supply enough current to spin up the drives.

I don't recall the specific models, and I suspect this isn't a problem with recent laptops, but the problem did exist when 7200 RPM laptop drives were introduced.
 
I have an Emachines M6805 laptop, I upgraded the HDD from the stock 4200rpm 8meg cache drive to a 7200 rpm HGST 7k60 (at the time the fastest laptop drive on the market) I lost 3 min of battery life down to around 152min, both drives were 60GB and IBM / HGST. modern 7200 rpm drives just don't use that much more juice than their 5400 and 4200 rpm siblings, they actualy use less power than some older 4200 and 5400 rpm drives. your laptop uses IDE / ATA 6/7 and has a 44 pin laptop conector so thats the type of drive you'll need to go with.

edit: I'd rec using Ghost or True Image to close your HDD to an external one, or if thats not an option just clone it to the new drive w/ a desktop adaptor so you can power both of your drives in a normal desktop
 
Thanks for the help everyone.

Just out of curiosity. If I get the Seagate 100gb 7200, 8mb, 10.5ms drive and in future the same drive comes out in a 16mb cache version, would there really be much of a difference between the drives? I've never really know about the 16mb drives. Also, would a 10.5ms 8mb drive be better than a 12ms 16mb drive?

Thanks again!
 
Originally posted by: antsct
Thanks for the help everyone.

Just out of curiosity. If I get the Seagate 100gb 7200, 8mb, 10.5ms drive and in future the same drive comes out in a 16mb cache version, would there really be much of a difference between the drives? I've never really know about the 16mb drives. Also, would a 10.5ms 8mb drive be better than a 12ms 16mb drive?

Thanks again!
Click to expand...


I would say that this depends on what kind of work you do on the laptop. However, if it is normal laptop stuff, then you will definitely want to go with the lower seek time drive.

Also, shellguy, the reason a 7200RPM drive uses more power is simple physhics. Law of conservation and all that jazz.
 
Originally posted by: Arcanedeath

edit: I'd rec using Ghost or True Image to close your HDD to an external one, or if thats not an option just clone it to the new drive w/ a desktop adaptor so you can power both of your drives in a normal desktop
Click to expand...


I personally like Acronis True Image. I upgraded a friends laptop drive and used True Image for the first time and was amazed about how easy it was.
 
Now I need to choose a hard drive.

What do you guys reccomend out of these two:

ST910021A Seagate MENTUS 7200.1 2.5" 100GB 7200RPM 8MB 10.5MS UATA100 5 YR

or

Hitachi HTS721010G9AT00 100GB 2.5" Notebook HDD 7200rpm 8Mb Cache

Thanks.
 
Any reccomendations?

I'm thinking of going with the Hitachi because it seems to have slightly better specs and slightly better preformance than the Seagate however the Seagate seems to be quieter and have an extra 2yr warranty.
 
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