Help me choose a hard drive.

[DRR]

Looking to update a C2D Mini from its 160GB HD to something a little roomier.

Fujitsu 320/7200:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6822116160

Western Digital 320/5400:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6822136197

Western Digital 400/5400:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6822136315

The Fujitsu would appear to be the fastest of the bunch, but the WD 400 is apparently a 2 platter drive like their 500GB model, and I've heard that's as fast as smaller capacity 7200's. It's a Mac Mini so battery life isn't an issue. The extra space of the 400GB is nice but not essential. I manage to fit everything i need on this computer in about 120GB right now. Speed is always nice, but it's a medium-use mini, not my workhorse computer, so not essential.

WWYD?

[Fritz]

WD is still my fave drive for long term survival.

[SteveO]

Whatever is cheapest since it's a medium use.

[DRR]

Good point, SteveO.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

The WD Scorpio should be the fastest of the three you listed. I would get the 500 GB WD Scorpio Blue wd5000bevt if I was going to bother opening a mini to replace a drive.

Previous thread on it here. http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1,758677

[DRR]

Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
if I was going to bother opening a mini to replace a drive.

Another good point. The 400 is only $15 more than the smaller 320.

[mattkime]

if i were in this position i'd upgrade the drive in my MBP and pass the old one down to the mini

[DRR]

Unfortunately not an option. Both are 160GB. Until I upgrade the Santa Rosa MBP to a new Unibody :boink:

[gabester]

The question really should be, "Is an extra 70GB worth $10 on a laptop?" I'm inclined to go with either the WD400 or the Fujitsu 7200. You really need to see if someone's done speed comparisons of the two and determine if the difference is meaningful for your application.

Alternately, route the SATA cable externally to a 3.5" enclosure and get a 500GB 7200RPM drive for the same price. Then you can easily swap drives in the future without cracking the case.

I've done this on my Mini and it works great.
g=

[JEBB]

I suggest, instead or upgrading the HD in the Mini, adding one of those external drives that has the same footprint as the Mini.

With my Mini, which I use with EyeTV, I have two such drives that carry duplicates of the programs I've recorded.