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    How to find hard drive speed/model

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by loser, Feb 26, 2008.

  1. loser

    loser Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have recently been sent a replacement 1530 from dell as my previous one died on me. I am just in the process of checking everything here is the same as on the last laptop. The last laptop had 160GB 7200rpm HD, in windows explorer, this new one says it has 220GB of space. I'm wondering if they have changed the HD to a larger but slower HD. Is there any way of checking this?
     
    loser, Feb 26, 2008
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  2. ifti

    ifti Undiscovered

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    Remove the HDD from the system, and check the label on top of it. It should tell you the capacity and speed of the drive.
     
    ifti, Feb 26, 2008
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  3. John Ratsey

    John Ratsey Moderately inquisitive Super Moderator

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    Look in Device Manager. This will give the HDD model number. Then use Google to find the specs. 220GB is an unusual capacity. I suspect that it is 250GB (actually 232GB) less about 10GB of recovery partition. As far as I know, all the 250GB HDDs are 5400rpm, but overall performance is very similar to 160GB 7200rpm and you get 50% more space and a little less heat.

    It's probably one of HM250JI (Samsung); WD2500BEVS (Western Digital); MHY2250BH (Fujitsu); HTS542525K9SA00 (Hitachi); ST9250827AS (Seagate).

    John
     
    John Ratsey, Feb 26, 2008
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  4. loser

    loser Notebook Enthusiast

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    talking to someone on the Dell site it seems that in in the UK you can't get 160GB 7200rpm HD with the processer I have (the original laptop was from US) and looking at the Device manager it is WD2500BEVS (Western Digital); . I suppose they've swapped it with the next best thing. So would people say performance between 5400rpm and 7200rpm isn't huge? I use it for games, but nothing right at the top end of graphics
     
    loser, Feb 26, 2008
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  5. Johnny T

    Johnny T Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    The read and write times wouldn't be too big of a difference because it is a large 5400rpm hdd, therefore higher data density. But as for seek times, the 7200rpm will still be faster.

    As for gaming, hdd shouldn't affect in game performance, except for level load times. :)
     
    Johnny T, Feb 26, 2008
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  6. ifti

    ifti Undiscovered

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    If its over 200GB there is no way its a 7200rpm.
    The largest 7200rpm drives you can get at the mo are 200GB.
     
    ifti, Feb 26, 2008
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  7. loser

    loser Notebook Enthusiast

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    I was thinking I could switch it with the previous HD, that saves me having to get all the data off of it, but I don't want to be voiding the warantee and all that in case this one goes wrong (fingers crossed it doesn't)
     
    loser, Feb 26, 2008
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