P150EM hard disk problem and replacement

Hey people.
So I had my laptop for approx 9 months so far and its hard disk configuration was
. 500GB SATA-II 7200U/Min Seagate Momentus 7200.4 (ST9500423AS)
. 60GB mSATA-II SSD OCZ Nocti (NOC-MSATA-60G)

The problem is my 500GB hard disk experienced some errors lately(thats what windows claimed), and it happened i was not able to watch a movie on that hard disk(it got stuck at min XX).
Today, after 3 days, I booted my pc and the disk wasnt there. Checked in disk management, and I guess in the bios too (im not familiar with the BIOS, i just tried to change the boot priority and it was not there)
Does all this mean the hard disk is forever dead and nothing can be done?
Why has this happened? I thought seagate was a good brand, didnt expect the HDD to last 9 months.
Could it be possible that if I kept the laptop on my lap, it would have got hot and therefore the HDD failed? (its a doubt that came to my mind)

Ive started to look for a replacement, but I dont know which HDD to buy next since im pretty disappointed. Also it must be 2.5', 3.5' or what? Or how many mm? There are a lot of models

Thanks for reading.

 

Hitachi 7200rpm 1TB 2.5' 9.5mm HTS721010A9E630. it is indeed western digital, very good

 

Seagate does make good drives but its really hard to predict the lifespan on one of those are any parts.
If you've only had the computer for 9 months you should still covered under warranty. Contact your reseller to inquire about that. If you do replace it yourself you want a 2.5" as 3.5" are for desktops.

You should not use the computer on your lap without some type of lap desk. Doing so will block the intake vents on the bottom increasing heat and causing overheating. You always want to use it on a flat surface like a desk.

 

hard drives can take a lot less heat compared to cpu/gpu. 50c is the average and 60c is the almost max. one it starts running at 62c+ is where problems can arise. as mentioned having it on your lap will certainly not help the heat and it will get hotter much quicker.
it will still be covered by warranty and even if it wasnt it could be with the manufacturer whose vary from 3-5 years depending on drive.

if you can afford it i would look at the crucial m4 512gb ssd or if you want the faster read/write speeds the samsung but they are more expensive.

 

Yes, and when on a flat surface, it's a good idea to have the laptop slightly elevated in such a manner that heat can flow freely. The thermodynamics are good on the P150EM but you have to allow for proper dissipation. About an inch elevation should do it.

 

Ok so few minutes ago it resurrected, after 3 days -.-
Can I keep it, or I should still replace it?
Weirdest thing is I did not do anything. Just booted my pc and a new hard drive was found.

 

I'd check to see if the HDD is correctly seated in the bay. It should be ok, but you never know, it could be a connector issue. Also do a surface scan to see if that throws up any errors. As long as you are backed up, it easy just to replace the drive if you need to.