Seagate Momentus 5400.3 160GB Mobile HDD

The Momentus 5400.3 is one of the coolest pieces of hardware I’ve been able to review lately. Despite it’s size, it packs quite a huge punch. 160GB is finally possible in your laptop, and Seagate are to be commended for being the first ones to make them commercially available. After a few quick e-tailer searches, I was unable to find any mobile drive at 160GB except for this one.

If you own a laptop and have ever upgraded it, you understand how it can hit your wallet. This is certainly no exception, because for the same price of this drive, you could get a 500GB model for your desktop. The cheapest price at the time of writing is found at NewEgg at $327. That’s just over $2 per GB, so it may not be easy to swallow.

Disregarding the cost of the drive though, it is the only 160GB mobile drive out there so it has nothing to compete to. It’s a drive that has a lot to offer. The transfer rates are on par with what we expected.. only a little bit slower than older models. The 5400.3 also boasts low heat and low noise, though I could not personally see much of a difference between the two drives I tested with.

The absolutely only problem I have with the drive is that it is not 7200RPM, but that can’t be helped right now. Like most laptop users who visit this site, most like to game. For the ultimate gaming performance on your notebook, you will want a faster drive. If you don’t mind your levels loading a little slower, then you have nothing to worry about. If you use your laptop as a desktop replacement, this you can’t go wrong with this drive.

This drive well deserves it’s 9/10 score. If you have the money to pick it up, it’s currently the best choice you could make when considering a new mobile drive.

Pros
• 160GB!
• Kept close to 7200RPM performance
• Perpendicular Magnetic Recording
• Low heat and noise

Cons
• No 7200RPM model available yet
• Maybe the price