Hard drive advice, please...

[reyxlp]

I am considering some upgrade options for the hard drive in my Inspiron 8200.

Can I install the 60GB 7200rpm HD from my Precision M65 into it?

If not, I am looking at one of these 100GB 7200rpm drives on the 'Bay. I found a bunch in the $130.00 price range, but the same search also turned up a few for $300.00, way down in the "Stores" section toward the bottom. One of them is a "2nd" hard drive for the front bay, but the others are for the fixed bay and otherwise indiscernable to me from the ones for $130.00. What am I missing about them that makes them worth over twice as much as the $130.00 ones?

*snip* ebay links are a nono

Last question is, is it true the higher rpm hard drives tend to have shorter lifespans? Saw this in one seller's ad for a 5400rpm drive.

Thanks for your time and advice.

[sakor1]

Please do not post ebay links.

No, you cannot use the HDD from the M65 because the interface is different. The M65 uses SATA whereas the i8200 is ATA. So you are looking for a 2.5" ATA 100GB 7200rpm drive.

It does not have to be Dell one with caddy or anything, as you can simply swap it into the existing one. You can go for either the Hitachi or Seagate they are both great drives.... and no, rotational speed does not have any significant bearing on operational lifespan.

Stu

[reyxlp]

Thanks for the advice.

I'm very sorry about the ebay link - won't happen again. Wasn't trying to promote anything, just to get advice on what was out there.

So, just to clarify, any 2.5" ATA is good for my Inspiron 8200? I've seen some ATA drives that are ATA-x or ATA/(E)IDE. Are all those okay, too?