HARD DRIVES
There are a large number of hard drives on the market today, so I have carefully selected the drives below for their build quality, performance and price. All internal drives are OEM unless otherwise stated.
For more information see my FAQs on Hard Drives.
INFORMATION
Make sure you get the right
connection type for your motherboard,
the older standard is Parallel ATA and the newer/current
standard is Serial ATA.
As always, check your motherboard manual before purchase
Hard drive prices have massively increased in the aftermath of some of the worst flooding in Thailand's history which has seen hundreds of lives lost and many thousands more displaced. Thailand is the location used by most of the main hard drive manufacturers; their fabrication plants are now having to close, or are running at limited capacity due to a shortage of components and staff. Hard drive prices have doubled over the last week, with further increases likely, due to limited stocks and unpredictable delivery dates. Unless you are absolutely desperate for a new hard drive my advice is to wait a few months while this appalling situation improves. The Glitch's thoughts are with the Thai people at this difficult time.
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Western Features: SATA II Interface, 7,200rpm rotation speed, 16MB-32MB Cache, 3-year warranty Western Digital offers WD Caviar SE Serial ATA (SATA) hard drives with features and capacities that are ideal for next-generation computers and low-end enterprise storage. Users benefit from a data transfer rate performance roadmap that begins with 150 MB/s and extends to 600 MB/s, as well as improved cabling that enables greater system design flexibility. Designers of enterprise storage systems and servers are increasingly using desktop-class, large-capacity SATA hard drives because of the advantages that the SATA interface provides.
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Western Features: SATA Interface, 10,000rpm rotation speed, up to 32MB cache, 5-year warranty The VelociRaptor is the world's fastest Serial ATA drive. Western Digital's Raptor hard drives are a new class of hard drive that matches SCSI reliability and performance while providing simplified connectivity.
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Samsung Features: SATA II Interface, 7,200rpm rotation speed, 32MB cache, 3-year warranty The F3 operates at 7200RPM with offerings of up to 1TB data storage capacity by using two 500GB per platter disks. As well as meeting datacentre requirements for addition storage to meet rising demand and increasing performance needs, the new drives also deliver high-performance with lower power for desktop computers and servers.
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Seagate Features: SATA II Interface, 7,200rpm rotation speed, 16MB cache, NCQ, 5-year warranty Combining proven components, state-of-the-art technology and industry-leading manufacturing expertise, the Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 drive - the 12th generation of this award-winning desktop hard drive family - delivers 500GB of high-performing, eco-friendly digital storage.
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Western Features: SATA III Interface, 7,200rpm rotation speed, 64MB cache, NCQ, 5-year warranty WD Caviar Black drives combine a high performance electronics architecture with a rock solid mechanical architecture to deliver the perfect storage solution for your fully-loaded PC or maxed out gaming machine. Cool drive operation, no-touch head technology, and leading-edge vibration protection ensure enhanced reliability and sustained data throughput. And we back it all up with a 5-year limited warranty
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Star Tech Features: USB 2.0 Interface This USB 2.0 External SATA Hard Drive Enclosure supports the latest generations of hard drive storage up to 1TB (1 Terabyte), and allows automated data/file backups at the touch of a button. The HDD enclosure connects to a host computer through USB 2.0 and supports 3.5in Serial ATA hard drives, providing a cost-effective way to take advantage of the high capacity offered by the newest SATA hard drives.
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Western Features: 5.0 Gbps (SuperSpeed USB) Interface, USB Card Adaptor and Cable Inc. Western Digital's fastest external drive ever! The winning combination of a USB 3.0 interface and our high-performance hard drives boosts read and write speeds to levels never seen before. See the performance charts below. 2 Year Warranty.
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Western Features: USB 2.0 and Firewire 400/800 Interfaces, High speed SATA drive, USB and Firewire Cables Inc. Speed is what you need for video editing, big design projects, or managing photo shoots and that’s what this drive delivers with FireWire 800 connectivity. With our automatic backup capability your creative masterpieces will be backed up the minute you save them. 5 years warranty. |
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Iomega Features: USB 3 Interface, 7,200rpm rotation speed, USB 3 Cable Inc. The Iomega eGo Desktop Hard Drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is super fast - up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. Now transfer large video files faster than ever before! You will need a PC with a USB 3.0 port for the best performance (drive is backward compatible for USB 2.0 use). Iomega Protection Suite includes Trend Micro Internet Security, EMC Retrospect Express Backup software, Iomega QuikProtect, and MozyHome Online Backup service to protect your data and your computer. (Software available via easy download). This is a great travel companion that lets you take your files, photos and music anywhere.. 3-year limited warranty.
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Iomega Features: eSATA-300, USB 2.0 Interfaces, High speed SATA drive, Cables Inc. A wealth
of digital space can be yours in an instant when you
plug the Iomega Prestige Pro Desktop Hard Drive into
your desktop or laptop PC. Choose the eSATA connection
for incredibly rapid file transfer speeds, or opt for
USB for simple connectivity that's available on nearly
every computer. 1 year warranty. |
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Western Features: Gigabit Network Interface, RJ45 Cable Inc. Simplify your digital life by consolidating your movies, music, photos, and files in one location for everyone on your wired or wireless network to share. Back up all your PC and Mac computers to one safe place, access files securely over the Internet, stream media to your entertainment center, and show off all your photos with your iPhone.
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Seagate Features: Gigabit Network Interface, High speed SATA-II, 60 second setup. Gives you access to files on any external USB drive that is connected to your GoFlex Net from any computer on your local network, and from anywhere in the world via the Internet or a smart phone. Delivers built-in award-winning Pogoplug software so that you can access and share files anywhere in the world. Simply log in from any web browser for easy access to your files at home — no special software is needed and no hidden fees. Includes free iPhone,Blackberry and Android apps that let you listen to your music, view and upload your pictures and watch your films and ensures fast file transfers within your home network via a Gigabit Ethernet connection. 2 years warranty.
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Western (Blue) Features: PATA Interface, 9.5" High, 5,400rpm rotation speed, 8MB cache, 3 year warranty. WD Scorpio delivers best-in-class performance with low power requirements comparable to much slower notebook drives. In addition, you'll get the quietest 2.5-inch drive on the market with real-time data protection technology to help keep your data safe.
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Western (Blue) Features: SATA II Interface, 9.5" High, 5,400rpm rotation speed, 8MB cache WD Scorpio delivers
best-in-class performance with low power consumption and
cool operation. In addition, you'll get one of the
quietest 2.5-inch drives on the market with real-time
data protection technology to help keep your data safe.
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Western (Black) Features: SATA II Interface, 9.5" High, 7,200rpm rotation speed, 16MB cache Designed
with top-of-the-line notebook computers in mind, this
high performance drive delivers the capacity and speed
needed to supercharge a notebook PC without compromising
battery life or quiet acoustics. Features like these
also make this drive an outstanding option for compact
desktops, external hard drives, gaming systems, and
blade servers.
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Kingston Features: Serial ATA-300 Interface, 3-year warranty.
Kingston's SSDNow V Series offers performance gains and
power consumption reductions at a fraction of the cost
of a new system. For added peace of mind, they're backed
by 24/7 tech support, a three-year warranty and
legendary Kingston reliability.
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OCZ Features: SATA II Interface, 64MB cache, 2-year warranty Offering your system the incredible performance of flash-based technology, the OCZ Vertex Series delivers the performance and reliability of SSDs at less price per gigabyte than other high speed offerings currently on the market. The OCZ Vertex Series is the result of all the latest breakthroughs in SSD technology, including new architecture and controller design, blazing 200MB/sec read and 160MB/sec write speeds and featuring 64MB onboard cache. The OCZ Vertex drives have no moving parts, making the drives far more rugged than traditional hard drives. Designed for ultimate reliability, Vertex Series SSDs have an excellent 1.5 million hour mean time before failure (MTBF) ensuring peace of mind over the long term.
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OCZ Features: SATA II Interface, 285 MBps (read), 275 MBps (write), 3-year warranty Based on a cutting-edge architecture, Vertex 2 Solid State Drives raise the bar once again and deliver unprecedented performance for the complete gamut of gaming and professional multimedia applications. OCZ designed the Vertex 2 to surpass the competition where it counts most, pushing the limits in both sequential and random read/write rates. With spectacular performance in 4k file writes up to 50,000 IOPS, these drives take productivity to the next level with over ten times the performance of the previous generation. Using the controller technology, Vertex 2 not only provides a faster, more responsive PC experience, but promotes cooler, quieter, and more energy efficient conditions compared to traditional mechanical hard drives. For more information
| FAQ
| Review
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Crucial Features: SATA III Interface, 355 MBps (read), 185 MBps (write), 3-year warranty Designed
with high-speed synchronous MLC NAND, advanced
controller technology, optimized NAND management, and
the new SATA 6Gb/s interface, these drives dramatically
improve data transfers for bandwidth-demanding
applications like audio and video.
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Startech S25SLOTR
The S25SLOTR Trayless Hard
Drive Rack can be installed into an available (full
profile) PCI expansion card slot, providing easy access
to a bare 2.5" SATA hard drive from the rear panel of a
computer case.
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Startech HSB220SAT25B
This 3.5in SATA hard drive
hot-swap bay allows you to install two 2.5in SATA drives
in an available/unused 3.5in floppy drive bay.
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Startech SATSASBAY425
The SATSASBAY425 Removable
SAS, SATA, and SSD Backplane/Mobile Rack offers a
convenient and efficient way to maximize the storage
density of your PC or Server when drive bay space is
limited.
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Western Pack up
your office files and take them home. Carry thousands of
songs or pictures. These drives are simple to use, light
and easy to carry, and require no power adapter--they are
powered directly through the USB cable. Dimensions (WxDxH): 83 x 110 x 18 mm Drives come with a minimum of 2 years warranty.
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Iomega The
Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive offers a stylish look
that is fast, sleek, and rugged. Now with a SuperSpeed
USB 3.0 interface you can save your media in a fraction
of the time – up to 10 times faster than with USB 2.0.
You’ll need a PC with a USB 3.0 port for the best
performance (drive is backward compatible for USB 2.0
use). 256-bit hardware encryption built-in for your data
security (PC only) and Iomega Protection Suite software
is included at no additional cost (software available
via easy download) with antivirus and backup software.
Plus, the Iomega Drop Guard Xtreme feature helps protect
the drive from drops up to 7 feet! Drive comes with the
Iomega Power Grip Band and is protected by a 3-year
limited warranty when you register your product.
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