Right i've given up i'm buying a bigger hard drive for my laptop!

[LeperousDust]

So after trying to reclaim space on my laptop it's actually only got worse, and its a day to day struggle now to find a few hundred Mb just to stop VIsta and subsequent app's going totally mental over the lack of space for temp files...

http://www.ebuyer.com/search?sort=pricehigh&submit2=submit&store=2&cat=4&subcat=2274&limit=50&page=1

Question is which one?

£72 Western Digital 500GB 2.5" Hard Drive SATAII 5400rpm 8MB Cache - OEM Scorpio Blue

OR

£67 Western Digital 320GB 2.5" Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 16MB Cache - OEM Scorpio Black

So basically more space or more speed? At present i'm running some 5.4k 160Gb samsung jobbie i think, and tbh the speed seems ok, and it obviously helps the battery life i guess. But i don't know what impact a faster drive would have on performance or battery life, more space is never a bad thing especially the rate i seem to chop through it... Advice?

Also once i retire this trusty little 160Gb beauty, what portable docks should i be looking at to place him in for backups and easy large file maneuvers? Preferably something that doesn't require external power (since its a laptop drive).

[Burble]

I strongly believe you can never have enough storage, so I'd probably go for the 500Gb drive.

As far as enclosures go, I've got one of these (http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductID=751140&source=froogle) (in my car) with the original 160Gb HD from my Macbook in. It does say that it can sometimes need additional power so the USB cable has a pair of A type connectors on to give it a bit more current. I'm only using one and it's fine.

[Daz]

I have the same sort of thing as Burble but a generic branded, slightly uglier one. Work fine though, had it for ages :)

A fiver for 180GB of space seems better value than the extra revs. If they were the same capacity I'd say pay the extra for 7,200 though, and I always buy that new.

[Burble]

And there was me thinking you'd have the pink version of the one I have, Daz!

[Stan_Lite]

I've recently replaced the 160GB drive in my NC10 netbook with a 500GB Samsung Spinpoint (5400rpm). Perfectly happy with it now.

I'm with Burble, I prefer to have as much storage in the actual machine as I can, rather than carrying external storage around. I don't see much point buying an ultraportable and then having to carry around a separate drive for storage - kinda defeats the purpose.

I would go for the 500GB drive. I doubt that the 7200rpm and 16MB cache would give you enough of a speed boost to sacrifice the storage capacity.

I put the 160GB drive into the 2.5" caddy I previously had a 100GB drive in and I've never had to use the second lead yet - it works perfectly well just using the one USB lead. Edit: Mine's an Icy Box too but metal and squarer than the one Burble linked to (This one (http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Icy-Box-IB-250-St-UH-B-Ext-Enclosure-for-25-(95-12mm)-SATA-HDD-USB-interface-plus-Leatherette-Pocket)).

[Will]

I'm one of the few that would actually go for the speed! :o It's already doubling his capacity... but of course looking at the numbers it seems plain obvious to go for the bigger size for the money.

[Knipples]

Oh my god I am so fed up with my laptop and the fact its five years old and soooooooooo slow now!
Its driving me nuts, I just wouldnt have a clue what to do with it.

[LeperousDust]

Right size it is, thanks guys this is why i ask! I was edging towards size because i generally each space for lunch the way i go about things. I just didn't want to find out i was really losing out on speed.

Those ICY boxes look perfect as well. Wonderfully helpful as always! :)

Out of interest guys how easy is it to swap the drives in your external enclosures? Are yours screwless? Might make laptop recovery for my friends a little easier now and then...

[Burble]

Mine is held together with 4 screws I think. I seem to remember it even came with a screwdriver in the box.

[Stan_Lite]

Mine has four screws too. All you need is a size 1 phillips screwdriver - undo the screws, slot drive in, replace screws. Took me about two minutes when I did it a couple of weeks ago.

[Toby]

Wish I'd seen those prices last week when I dropped 67 quid on a 250GB Scorpio Blue!

Oh well, more than enough space for me and the drive performs well.

EDIT: Just realised those are SATA whereas mine is the old PATA type as that's what the lappy I've blagged needs, which explains the price differential. Don't feel so bad now.

Alex, make sure you get the right interface type :)

[LeperousDust]

Bargain! Free Delivery at Scan too which i forgot about. For 85 good english pounds i managed a 500Gb sammy and a flexible case for my current drive :) Cheers chaps!

[Feek]

Now all you've got to do is ghost from one to the other :)

[LeperousDust]

Yep, thats the plan, i'm opening a book on disasters that will happen in between ;D

[Mark]

Ghosting in the wrong direction is the obvious one. :p

[Toby]

Why not sieze the opportunity to reinstall afresh? Maybe even Windows 7? If the lappy is modern enough to have a SATA interfaced hard drive then I'd wager it'll probably cope with W7.

[Mark]

You obviously don't know Alex well enough. ;D ;D :p

[LeperousDust]

Why not sieze the opportunity to reinstall afresh? Maybe even Windows 7? If the lappy is modern enough to have a SATA interfaced hard drive then I'd wager it'll probably cope with W7.

As much as that is a good idea indeed, its too much hassle. I've got loads of programs on here i'll no doubt forget or something or other. Hopefully ghosting will be, press buttons leave, switch, done. As opposed to installing a million and one programs and getting things how i like it again.

Although in all seriousness, a massive format is needed. I would like to seriously check out Win7, and i might put a partition to one side on the new drive for a fresh Win7 install. Problem being is at present i've got a legit vista install and i don't want to get stuck playing cat and mouse with a dodgy win7 install. I want this to be futureproof in the sense i can just leave it be.

[LeperousDust]

It's just arrived, very impressed with the enclosure, total bargain. Currently formatting, and i'm planning ahead even moreso now. 3 40GB partitions for OS's (instead of one 20GB :p) which still leaves me with 3 times the amount of room i have right now for general media. Totally perfect :)

[LeperousDust]

Wow, this is a massive breath of fresh air, i'd forgotten what it was like to have "free space" ;D