2.5" hdd good for gaming?

[hdgaming]

Hello people of the internet,

I recently build myself a gaming pc, only thing missing was storage for a lot of games.
I have a ssd but only 120gb which primary for windows ofc.

Now I remembered I still had a WD 2.5" hdd, 7200rpm, laying around from my laptop which I upgraded with a ssd, The hdd is currently 4.5 years old, though it still runs fine, I have put it in my pc and it works fine.

But how long will this 2.5"hdd last me cause its already 4,5 years old and has been heavily used in the years before with VM's etc. Now I only use it for games and nothing else.

And is there a difference in gaming performance between a 2,5" and 3.5"? also I heard a 3.5" is louder than a 2.5" and gets hotter.

Can some of you answer these questions? I understand you guys can't tell when it will brake but what is kinda the average lifespan of a hdd?

Thanks!

 

[Gingerbread]

You can run the 2.5" on the PC no problem. Usually 2.5" are slower than 3.5", smaller cache etc, but for gaming it will do the job.

 

[D_Know_WD]

Hi there hdgamingm,

What is the model of the drive?
As your HDD is 7200 RPM, then I guess you shouldn't really notice any significant performance difference if you compare it to a 3.5'' 7200 RPM drive.
You can write zeros on the drive and test it afterwards. You can do both these things with WD's DLG(run both short and extended tests) tool.

The drive could last for many years. On the other hand, it could fail in a week as any other drive. You can just test it from time to time and keep an eye on its health status.

To sum it up, you can use the drive for gaming as long as it is in a healthy condition.

WD's DLG tool: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=bR1cgs

Let me know in case you have some more questions,
D_Know_WD

 

[hdgaming]

Hi there hdgamingm,

What is the model of the drive?
As your HDD is 7200 RPM, then I guess you shouldn't really notice any significant performance difference if you compare it to a 3.5'' 7200 RPM drive.
You can write zeros on the drive and test it afterwards. You can do both these things with WD's DLG(run both short and extended tests) tool.

The drive could last for many years. On the other hand, it could fail in a week as any other drive. You can just test it from time to time and keep an eye on its health status.

To sum it up, you can use the drive for gaming as long as it is in a healthy condition.

WD's DLG tool: http://products.wdc.com/support/kb.ashx?id=bR1cgs

Let me know in case you have some more questions,
D_Know_WD

Thanks! for now I dont know the model anymore, I will have a look later on.

If my hdd brakes down one day, do you think its better to get a 2.5" or a 3.5", like I said I won't use it for anything else besides gaming. And is it true that 3.5" hdds are getting hotter and more noiser when gaming? I like to keep things as quiet as possible.

 

[D_Know_WD]

In case it breaks down and you have a desktop computer, I can't see a reason for not getting a 3.5''(desktop) drive.
You can always check the acoustics levels of a given drive in its spec sheet. This really depends on the model and on the characteristics(RPM, cache, etc.) but not on the form factor.
I don't thing that they get hotter. More or less, all HDDs should operate at the same temps.(if we assume that there is nothing wrong with them)

Cheers,
D_Know_WD

 

[Gingerbread]

Generally 2.5" are more expensive and slower than 3.5". The 3.5" have more cache and etc, you can see that by comparing a $50 3.5" and $50 2.5", if paying more for a HDD which generates slightly less heat (which you will never notice since you have a desktop) and which is slightly quieter (which again you most likely won't notice) then go ahead and use 2.5" for a desktop. As we said, it will run. But it's pointless to waste money.

 

[hdgaming]

thanks guys, if I ever need a new hdd I just will get the cheapest 7200rpm one, prob WD or Seagate.

 

[Gingerbread]

WD Blue is pretty much the best 1tb choice at the moment. glad we helped!