Laptop HDD required (IDE PATA, 2.5")

[Smasher]

Hi peeps

Got an Inspiron 6000 Laptop, although it's only 3 years old the HDD is dying.

DELL are asking for almost £100 for a replacement 40GB drive.

The specs I understand are as follows:

9.5 (mm?) depth
2.5" width
IDE PATA (not SATA)

I've found the following drives on Scan:

http://scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=335766

http://scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=648903

Is there any preference between Seagate/Western Digital? As it stands the WD one seems better value (especially with the free shipping offer! come on 20 posts! ) though the seagate although out of stock has a 5 year warranty...

Any advice would be welcome

[TheKork]

Western Digital is my recommendation... always bought them never had a problem.

[Webby]

Well the WD has a 3 year warranty and you have to ask yourself will you still be using that laptop in 3 years? Because if you won't then any replacement will be using SATA drives so you won't be transferring the drive (I suppose you could find an external enclosure for it though...)

Either way both manufacturers are good if you think the extra space would be useful then get the WD if not save yourself the money and go for the seagate.

[TAKTAK]

personally i always go down the WD route.. but TBH there isn't much difference nowadays...

[Koolpc]

Samsung are great too

[TAKTAK]

TBH the only drive makes i wouldn't buy is maxtor or hitachi... i have no idea why though... i just have a random sense of foreboding about those brands...

but i don't have a problem with seagate... and seagate own maxtor...

it is highly illogical.. and yet i still refuse to like maxtor...

[Smasher]

Thanks folks (will click thanks buttons once I get the requisite no. of posts!)

It currently has 40GB which, honestly, is tiny compared with the 320GB on my tower PC. I can't see the laptop being used for more than three years and the point about the SATA interface is a good one.

I think 80GB makes more sense but then again by choosing that over 160GB, we're only saving a few quid. The space is going to be for videos mostly: iPlayer, 4OD...

It would be cool to upgrade the RAM from current 512MB too, guess Crucial is the place to go for that.

[Webby]

Scan stock SODIMM memory as well you know Though crucial may tell you what RAM you need Oh and get 10 more constructive posts and you qualify for free delivery from Scan need to keep active on here to keep it though

[TAKTAK]

Oh and get 10 more constructive posts and you qualify for free delivery from Scan need to keep active on here to keep it though

yup, and the free delivery only counts on orders that are more than £20 ex vat (if after you link your account you need to make a lesser value order then you need to phone the order through.. otherwise the order will be stopped and you may have the privilege removed , but SCAN have nice staff... so you'll be fine)

just a friendly heads up

[Smasher]

Thanks all, and yes about the free delivery, I googled for "scan free delivery" and came across this place, best site ever!

I'll take a look at their memory, do you mean an order under £20 still gets the free delivery if you phone it through?

Actually, is it a good idea to replace two things at the same time? I mean, would there be any different drivers needed for the new RAM, would it matter which order I replaced, i.e. ram, then the hard drive, so it reinstalls windows with the new hardware setup?

Sorry for the questions, I'm hitting the learning curve though!

[TAKTAK]

do you mean an order under £20 still gets the free delivery if you phone it through?

no, free delivery is only for orders over £20 ex vat (and mainland Britain...)
you have to phone the order through or the system stops the order as abuse of the free delivery terms. (i think )

Actually, is it a good idea to replace two things at the same time? I mean, would there be any different drivers needed for the new RAM, would it matter which order I replaced, i.e. ram, then the hard drive, so it reinstalls windows with the new hardware setup?

RAM doesn't require drivers neither does the Harddrive, but it would be a better idea to put the RAM in and then install windows otherwise you'll have to take the laptop apart twice... you might aswell save yourself time and do it in one step

[Webby]

Replacing the RAM will have no effect on the windows install and will require no drivers or anything software related for that matter.

It could be worth doing it all at the same time just as then you can do it while its apart, unless it has handy access panels (some do, some don't) in all the right places then it won't really matter.

And you don't get free delivery on orders under £20 (ex VAT) but the site applies the discount anyway and then the order gets stopped, if you order over the phone you can avoid this hassle (and if your lucky you may get free delivery, who can say!)

[Smasher]

Replacing the RAM will have no effect on the windows install and will require no drivers or anything software related for that matter.

It could be worth doing it all at the same time just as then you can do it while its apart, unless it has handy access panels (some do, some don't) in all the right places then it won't really matter.

Hi Webby, thanks for that.

The Inspiron apparently does have easy access panels if this is anything to go by. My sister actually has the laptop at the moment so I'm hoping when she next pops home that it will have that panel on it, because the above website is a USA Support page.

Looks like Crucial is cheapest for RAM but I'll pop a thread up when I've done proper research into that.

[NovaSphere]

no, free delivery is only for orders over £20 ex vat (and mainland Britain...)

That part is still giving me Nightmares =(

[TAKTAK]

That part is still giving me Nightmares =(

are you in one of the places on the mainland that citylink refuse to accept as mainland?

[NovaSphere]

are you in one of the places on the mainland that citylink refuse to accept as mainland?

Nah, I'm pretty sure they would accept the Netherlands as mainland, we are small, but not that small xD
But to be completly honest, I haven't really checked into that, I'd basicly stayed at Dutch retailers. If Scan would only have a shop in the Netherlands :X