WesternDigital SATA 500GB $150

[lacywest]

WesternDigital SATA 500GB $150
Regular Price $250 ... Instant Saving of $100

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7821967&ref=39&loc=01&type=product&id=1142294266760

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822136040

Newegg is selling it for ... $269.99

NewEgg user comments ...

Great Drive
Reviewed By: MentalElf on 12/28/2006 Tech Level: average - Ownership: 1 day to 1 week

Pros: Can't hear it over my case fans. Installation was a snap. Got 52MB/s sustained performance according to one benchmark in stand alone SATA (not RAID, Windows XP Home SP2 OS).

Cons: Too quiet

Other Thoughts: Uses standard "legacy" 4 pin power connector, NOT a SATA power connector. Also, I have no indication when the HD is being accessed on the case front. This may be my problem or a motherboard issue however.
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All most a Raptor
Reviewed By: Os on 12/21/2006 Tech Level: high - Ownership: 1 month to 1 year

Pros: Like I said, all most a raptor. Just raid 0 two of this puppies and you will have a silent and fast configuration. With storage getting cheaper and cheaper, you might be tempted to pick up a two or more WD5000KS drives for a nice RAID configuration, and I think that's a great idea. The single drive performance results pretty much speak for themselves -- this is one of the fastest 500GB drives on the market.

Cons: Nothing man.

Other Thoughts: Get the retail and forget the hazel of DOA of OEM drives.
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Read the Label
Reviewed By: Jon Hogue on 9/4/2006 Tech Level: high - Ownership: 1 week to 1 month


Pros: Fast Cool Quiet

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: There are 3 Models of the 500gb version this one ending end SRTL Is Top Notch and worth the Price as of today B#$t B@! Has them for xxx.

[budz]

It's a good deal but too bad the warranty is only 1 year. That's why I won't buy the retail versions of Western Digital hard drives.

The Western Digital OEM models that begin with RE have a 5 year warranty and the SE models carry a 3 year warranty.

Here's a RE model:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822136032
Although it is expensive at least you get the 5 year warranty.

[Super Warrior]

Good gawd...500GBs? Who would ever need anywhere near that much?

I myself am plenty satisfied with my "tiny" IDE 40GB

[Artik2]

Super[/url] Warrior]Good gawd...500GBs? Who would ever need anywhere near that much?

I myself am plenty satisfied with my "tiny" IDE 40GB

You never needed more because you don't have where to put it. I was in your position... but right after buying a 300gb HD I soon (a month after the buy) noticed that the available space was only a 50%... If you have it, you will use it. =)

[Soopafresh]

Splurge and shell out an extra $4.00 for a hard drive fan as well.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835150075

[solarfox]

Super[/url] Warrior]Good gawd...500GBs? Who would ever need anywhere near that much?

Depends on what you're trying to do. I pretty routinely manage to fill up the 300Gb drive in my video-editor system... of course, I'm doing things like converting an entire season's worth of obscure TV shows from VHS to DVD, or editing down a 3-hour live performance filmed from four different camera angles, or...

At 3.5Mb/sec for DV captures, it adds up fast. Now, if you stay strictly in MPEG and DivX-land and never have more than a couple hours' worth of video on your drive at any given time, then yeah, you probably don't need 500 gigs.