Hitachi 7200RPM 200GB notebook drive plus case - $139 at BB

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kmtv

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May 17, 2005
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Needed a bigger hard drive for the second bay in my Toshiba A200. Saw that Best Buy had a Hitachi external USB 200GB on sale for $139. Bought one and was surprised to find the 7K200 7200RPM SATA drive inside. I've been lusting after this drive since it was released a few months ago. This same drive is $210 at newegg.

If you need more SATA storage for your laptop, grab one of these, image your old drive with the trial version of Acronis True Image, take out the two screws under the sticker on the bottom of the Hitachi, slide the top off and remove the drive. The SATA-USB converter is also held on with two screws. Slap the old drive in the Hitachi case and the 200GB in your laptop and you're ready to go.

Only down side is warranty issues. I suspect the serial numbers on these drives are tied to the external case and the warranty will be void if something happens.
 
i'm gonna head down to BB tomorrow and check this out, thanks

i actually came in here looking for a notebook hdd deal :D 80gb doesn't cut it these days

hope it has the 7200 in mine also :)

edit: mine is indeed the 7200rpm drive
 
Hitachi and BB both list this as 5400 RPM drive.

If you got a 7200 Drive great, but I highly doubt it guarnteed.
 
i think the biggest 7200 rpm laptop drives are 160gb. but i could be wrong ;)
 
Wow this is a great price, man these suckers are dropping fast.
 
Can we get pics of the drive inside?
The BB website says it contains a 5400 RPM drive.
 
I bought a 60GB 7200rpm notebook hdd a little over a year ago for about $160
 
Just got back from Best Buy buying my second drive (nearest store was sold out). Plugged it in via USB to format to NTFS and mirror the drive in my little Toshiba U205. XP confirms that it found a Hitachi HTS722020K9SA00. This matches the number on both the Hitachi and newegg websites. HDTach confirms that the drive has an average read speed of 53.8MB/s vs. the stock 5400 RPM 120GB Hitachi at 37.9 MB/s. I agree, there are no guarantees that you'll get a 7200 RPM, but if the model number pops up when you plug it into your USB port, you'll know.
 
kmtv = best n00bie ever :cool:

i'll update this post tomorrow with my model

edit: model is 7200rpm model, warranty is in effect

edit: just noticed bb website has pick up option...i'm not using it but the option is there

also apparently not all stores have them in stock so do check the website (it says avaliable at most stores)
 
Thanks for the props - I've been around a while, just don't post much. I'm guessing this sale will end tomorrow at close of business.
 
kmtv said:
Needed a bigger hard drive for the second bay in my Toshiba A200. Saw that Best Buy had a Hitachi external USB 200GB on sale for $139. Bought one and was surprised to find the 7K200 7200RPM SATA drive inside. I've been lusting after this drive since it was released a few months ago. This same drive is $210 at newegg.
Click to expand...

I had no idea you could open up something like this. That's a brilliant idea. From the www pics it looks seamless. Do you smash it open with a hammer? I have a dremel.
 
Just ordered one for pickup but am thinking of cancelling it.

Can someone check the serial number through the hitachi website to see if the warranty is valid?

I assume if i open, i will be charged 15% to return. Can you tell by looking at the serial number on the box? I am guessing no.
 
spacecadet said:
Just ordered one for pickup but am thinking of cancelling it.

Can someone check the serial number through the hitachi website to see if the warranty is valid?

I assume if i open, i will be charged 15% to return. Can you tell by looking at the serial number on the box? I am guessing no.
Click to expand...

You can be almost certain that dismantling the drive will void your warranty. As much as I hate to roll the dice with hard drive survival rates I think that this deal is worth it. Of course it is possible that they tagged the drives for external after they were put into whatever warranty tracking system is used and put a new serial on the outside of the external unit itself...but who knows. I will certainly check when I get mine.
 
well you probably don't need to dismantle it to determine HD model.

Once pplugging it in the OS should be able to tell you that.

Rereading bestbuy policy, i THINK that they will charge you 15% restock fee
 
I got one tonight, it is indeed a 200GB 7K200

my total $139.99 - 10% (USPS Movers Coupon) + tax = ~$136 OTD

Not bad for a storage size and speed upgrade for my thinkpad
 
any chance you could please check the serial number on the hitachi website for warranty?

freddy418 said:
I got one tonight, it is indeed a 200GB 7K200

my total $139.99 - 10% (USPS Movers Coupon) + tax = ~$136 OTD

Not bad for a storage size and speed upgrade for my thinkpad
Click to expand...
 
Just a warning.

I bought 3 of them from 2 different Best Buy stores.

1 is the 7K200; the other 2 are 5400rpm drives
 
spacecadet said:
Just a warning.

I bought 3 of them from 2 different Best Buy stores.

1 is the 7K200; the other 2 are 5400rpm drives
Click to expand...

warranty is too short for my tastes. other hitachi drives are 3 years. i thinki'll still with the 7200rpm 160gb seagate laptop drive for 129 :)
 
And the 7K200 I have looks like a faulty drive. It keeps unmounting itself with an error unexpectedly.

Wow what great luck i have.

spacecadet said:
Just a warning.

I bought 3 of them from 2 different Best Buy stores.

1 is the 7K200; the other 2 are 5400rpm drives
Click to expand...
 
Kevlarman said:
Yeah, I was wondering if the different drives have different serial numbers.
Click to expand...

Well they had 3 at my local BB. The 2 oldest serial numbers, were just in the plastic clamshell case. The newest one had the clamshell and was also shrinkwrapped.


I took a chance and got the newest serial number. Guess it paid off. :D
 
Checked out my local BB and scored one. Make sure you all use this coupon for an extra 10% off. Expires 9-30-07.

Serial number for my drive is DTG0EW**
 
Here's what I found at the Springfield, IL store:

1. 4 drives in stock when I got there. 3 now.
2. Price was listed at 169.99, pricematched it to 139.99, but I couldn't use the coupon listed above.
3. Most importantly: 7200rpm of glorious speed. I did cherry pick the newest serial number

Now, I have to figure out how to shuffle the drives in my systems. I know the 200 is going in my T60 to replace the 100gb 7200, I just don't know where to move everything else to.
 
I just got back. plugged it in and it is a 7200rpm drive. i was able to use the coupon above
hitachi%20drive.jpg
 
Well i already returned my 2 5400rpm ones so sorry i don't have the serial numbers

i did notice that the 2 5400rpm ones had the serial number label on the back of the packaging, while the 7200RPM one had the serial number in a different location on one of the front middle panels.
 
my macbook would love to have one of these in it, the stock 80gb only has 15gb left.

thanks for posting the deal!
 
RiDDLeRThC said:
Anyone know how to get it apart but to keep the casing?
Click to expand...

There are only two screws securing the case. They're right underneath the sticker with the serial number on it. Be advised, the sticker is one of those "security" ones that say "VOID" if you try to peel it off. I used a razor to peel only the corners to get access to the screws, so when I re-assembled it, you can't tell it's been tampered with (unless you look closely). ;)

EDIT: I should also mention that the serial number on the packaging, the enclosure, and the drive itself are all the same. So it's up in the air as to whether or not Hitachi knows that only the drive + enclosure are under warranty, or just the drive itself.

Here's a pic of the Hitachi vs. my old laptop drive, a Seagate Momentus 100GB (also 7200 RPM).
 
spacecadet said:
Well i already returned my 2 5400rpm ones so sorry i don't have the serial numbers

i did notice that the 2 5400rpm ones had the serial number label on the back of the packaging, while the 7200RPM one had the serial number in a different location on one of the front middle panels.
Click to expand...

I saw the same thing when i was at bestbuy. they had a total of 4. two of them had newer looking lables starting with SN DTG and the other two had labels on the back starting with a different SN. I picked the DTG ones because someone else had already posted that they got a 7200rpm drive out of it.
 
spacecadet said:
And the 7K200 I have looks like a faulty drive. It keeps unmounting itself with an error unexpectedly.

Wow what great luck i have.
Click to expand...

Just an FYI, I moved the 60GB Segate out of my PS3, into the external enclosure. Not even 3 hours after using it, the USB adaptor took a dump.

Not like I can complain I still got the drive for $70 less than Newegg.
 
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