2 HHD - which one I have to choose?

Hello,

I need to buy HDD for old notebook. Right now I have:

ST9808210A

This HDD is
4,200 RPM-Class Performance (Actual spin speed 5,400 RPM) - according to manual

Here you can find some statistics -
Seagate ST9808210A - Momentus 4200.2 80 GB Hard Drive Manuals

I can buy ST96812A, which again, according to manual, have the same performance (read, write, latency, transfe etc), statistics here - http://www.manualslib.com/manual/524...oduct-ST96812A


So here is the question - why on PassMark test - PassMark Software - Hard Drive Benchmark Charts

first hdd have only 176 points, but second have 257?

I need new disk, because notebook read and write everything so slowly I bought allready more RAM, but I thought that new hdd can help a lot. Notebook is for my parents, just for reading mails, skype or google searching, nothing more, so I want to give this hardware second life, instead of buying new one. Am I thinking correct? More RAM and better (if those PassMark test is correct) HDD will help?

 

Not sure how much you paying for a IDE drive, which can't be find anywhere except used.

Personally, I would get a msata to IDE adapter with a smallish msata SSD. Put the page file on the SSD and it will even help for low RAM issue.

Not sure if 2.5"SSD with IDE adapter would fit.

 

If I'd second an IDE/mSATA adapter. All conventional IDE HDDs are going to be about as fast as each other.

 

Unfortunately there is no space in notebook hdd pocket for any kind of adapter.
As I said before - notebook just for emails checking or facebook, google etc. I just want to make it a little bit faster. I found used pata hdd (mint condition) 60GB (which is enough) for 9$, so I can handle with it

So my question is actual.
1. Why those hdds have different pass mark rank, but according to the manual, have the same statistics?
2. If I change old hdd for ST96812A, would it help?

 

The mSATA/IDE adapters should fit within the volume of a conventional HDD. If you have room for a regular 2.5" IDE drive, you will have room for the mSATA/IDE adapter and an mSATA drive.

In fact, many of them are even smaller than that:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/mSATA-Mini-...t=US_Drive_Cables_dapters&hash=item19eaf533e4

 

They will hardly make a difference unless i am mistaken, as long as it have no bad sector and such.

Slowness is usually associate with fragmentation or bad drive.

 

Ok guys, thanks for answers!
So if I understand you - I need to buy pata/esata adapter, put it inside hdd pocket, buy SATA hdd and put into notebook, right?

 

Well, for the SSD route, you are looking to spend around~60-70.
It is a msata SSD, to a adapter so it become pata/ide then into the notebook.

 

Hmmm, I don't know is it worth it, because if I sell this notebook and add money I would spend for SSD and adapter, I could buy used notebook with better parts in general (cpu, ddr3, chipset)
So is there any other option? Do you think, that performance of ST96812A would be as poor as the hdd I've got now?
I will try to find smaller adapters ide/sata tho...

 

Those drives are horrendously slow, even by PATA standards.

What you should be looking at - in my opinion - and I still own several laptops that utilize those drives...

In order of preference:

a) Seagate 7200rpm, either 80 or 100GB

b) Hitachi 7200rpm, 60/80/100 GB

c) Samsung HM160HC which is 160GB/5400, but a surprisingly fast drive in real life.

My $0.02 only...

Good luck.

 

Thanks! I searched for those disks, but didn't found any 7200 rpm seagate or hitaachi. It's difficult also for HM160HC

In Passmark HM160HC have 345! It's really good score there (for pata) PassMark Software - Hard Drive Benchmark Charts

I found only HM080HC - is this the same hdd as above? Is the only difference is twice less space? If so, why it have only 223 points?

 

If you don't mind ordering from Hong Kong or China:

New Seagate 80GB 7200RPM 8MB 2 5 IDE PATA ST980825A Laptop Hard Drive 000059516576 | eBay

New Samsung Spinpoint 160GB M5 2 5" HDD Hard Drive IDE 8MB 5400RPM HM160HC 102646199060 | eBay

I'm NOT affiliated with either seller in any way, proceed at your own risk.

Good luck.

 

How the hard drives work. Extremely simplified: when there is more space the head moves over bigger amount of data in one move because the disk itself is always physically same size.

 

Well, this hdd from link is not cheap at all. I live in Poland and here we've got hdd's much cheaper, so I stay with our local market...
That is why I asked, is performence of HM080HC is just like HM160HC and the only diference is space?

@KLF as I understand you, those points are not only for performance, but also for storage space, right?

But read, wite or latency are the same in both?

 

No.

The larger drive will perform better in all the areas.