new internal m17 hdd, any suggestions?

I'm looking for something between 320gb-500gb for mainly storage, possibly a ubuntu/slackware partition, and media playing (movies, music, etc). Not really for placing gaming directories though. I would consider a 250gb hdd, if it is worth it for really low-noise, low-power, and low-heat, but I would like to get as much space into the system as possible and deal with external drives less, if possible.

I'm wanting to get feedback as for quality/reputation of the drives below, any heating/power issues (preferrably the coolest and lowest power consumption model), and/or any other tips or suggestions anyone might make.

I'm looking at 5400rpm and 7200rpm models, mainly seagate and wd below, but 1 hitachi model

WD Scorpio Black 320gb 7200rpm

The Seagate Momentus 320gb 7200rpm

WD Scorpio Blue 500gb 5400rpm

Seagate's Momentus 500gb 5400rpm version

And lastly Hitachi's travelstar 500gb 5400rpm drive (I think it was on sale here on SD recently too =/

Lastly, Are any of these models duds? Have there been problems and should I avoid any of them? Are there better/other drives out there that I should consider instead?

 

If you look on Newegg.com, there are usually several user reviews you can use to help you make your decision. I personally would go with a 7200RPM hard drive, regardless of the size.

 

Out of the 320gb 7200rpm options, the answer is clear, WD3200BEVT
Out of the 500gb 5400rpm's choose the Hitachi 5K500.B, it is the same speed if not a bit faster than the WD5000BEVT, and uses less power.

If your deciding between 320gb 7200rpm and 500gb 5400rpm, the difference is not all that great in terms of loading times, so stick with the more power efficient drive, the 5K500.B


K-TRON

 

I agree with K-Tron, Hitachi 5K500.B seems the best fit for your needs.

 

Thanks, you guys rock! I've just read most of the other hdd threads (5400 vs 7200, 5k500 v 5k500.b, wd scorpios, etc), so I was just about to make the same conclusion. Thanks again!