Seagate ST3120026A-RK conversion to External 1

[tubbers]

I'm looking at purchasing a Seagate ST3120026A-RK 160GB internal hard drive to convert to an external hard drive.

I was wondering if anyone who has done this before could offer some advice on what kind of enclosure kit I would need. I see some that are 3.5" but I think that this particular internal drive measures 4". Does that mean I would have to purchase a 5.5" enclosure kit?

If there's a better brand than Seagate, what would you recommend? I had looked at Maxtor and Western Digital but the reviews for Seagate were better.

Any help appreciated.

 

[paparazi]

tubbers
The Seagate ST3120026A-RK is a standard 7,200rpm 120gig RETAIL 3.5inch desktop hard drive so requires a 3.5inch external hard drive enclosure not 4inch.
I personally like Seagates, they are quiet, reliable and don't create as much heat as some.
Remember metal (alluminium is better) as it acts as a heatsink for the drive, choose one with an external switch and active fan if possible but not essential.
Bare in mind that the USB2 bus, although quick, isn't as quick as the drive itself so is the restricting factor.
This is the reason why many users choose a slower 5,400rpm drive for their external USB2 enclosure.
They are cheaper, quieter and produce less heat.
I add this last point for information only as you may still prefer to buy the 7,200rpm drive anyway.
Martin

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Participate and help others.

 

[tubbers]

If I were to use a combo enclosure kit with firewire and USB2.0, would I be able to take advantage of the 7200rpm?

 

[paparazi]

tubbers
No not really! as firewire is, at least in theory, slower than USB2.
Don't let me put you off the Seagate Barracuda, I'm just saying that it wouldn't be any quicker than a 5,400 drive because of the USB2/Firewire bus "relative" restriction, it's still fast! especially when you think how slow HDD's were on the old USB1.1 bus which was 40x slower.
Personally I think I would still go for the 7,200 drive I was just making a technical point.
Martin

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[tubbers]

I went ahead and got the hard drive. Now I just have to get an enclosure for it! Thanks.