4½-year old Hitachi Travelstars - useable in new build?

[Nesher]

Hello!

I have a 4½ year old laptop holding two Hitachi 200 GB Travelstars. Now I am planning a new build (desktop), and as I have a budget I obviously try to save were I can. My question now is, would using the old hard drives be an idea, or will it simply set me up for a crash with corresponding loss of all my files in the next year(s)? Another alternative, if they shouldn't be trusted as main drives, are obviously to use them as storage for older pictures that I have back-up:ed on DVD's. Or then I could use them for running Ubuntu as a second OS (always been interested in running something else than Windows for my non-game activity, but never gotten around to actually do it). Are these viable alternatives, or are older hard-drives simply best left out of newer systems?

 

[WyomingKnott]

In my opinion, older hard-drives are best left out of new systems, because current hard drives are much faster and you will enjoy your system more with a new drive. If it weren't for your budgetary restriction, the answer would be an SSD big enough for your OS and an HDD for storage, but it sounds as if that would be beyond your means right now.

 

[Nesher]

Yeah, obviously a SSD coupled with an HDD for storage would be the best alternative, but as prices around here don't go under 70€ for a 60/64 GB SSD, and as I still need an HDD for mass storage, I will probably go with a 500 GB 7200 rpm HDD for now, and hopefully later upgrade with a SSD.

 

[thirteenthcor]

I wouldn't use one of those drives as an OS boot or important data storage, but if space is a commodity, and you're prepared for eventual failure, run one as OS drive only, and store important stuff elsewhere.

If it eats it, oh well.

As for 7200RPM storage, Seagate is offering their new drives with 1TB per platter so you get amazing speed, Advance Format 4K drive sectors, and you can get the drives in 500, 1000, 2 and 3TB I believe. The drive model number I personally know is the ST2000DM001 which is the 2TB.. The 500 may look like ST500DM003 or something..

If you can afford the 1TB get it because that platter density will make it insanely fast.

 

[thirteenthcor]

Yeah, obviously a SSD coupled with an HDD for storage would be the best alternative, but as prices around here don't go under 70€ for a 60/64 GB SSD, and as I still need an HDD for mass storage, I will probably go with a 500 GB 7200 rpm HDD for now, and hopefully later upgrade with a SSD.

Hey 70 where you are is good! I know the exchange rate isn't congruent, but SSDs still run 60/64 @ $90 on Newegg here in the states.

A dollar's a dollar, a pound's a pound; we all work for them.