Summary And Conclusions: Bigger Isn't Always Better

When it comes to maximum drive capacity, the DeskStar 7K500 can help to reduce the number of drives you have to install, such as when using compact RAID array storage with a capacity in the teraByte range. It's thus clear that storage densities in rack-mounted servers will start hitting new records almost immediately. For desktop use, the massive 500 GB of capacity will be a Godsend for many users.

That said, this new monster isn't as worry-free as other new offerings introduced recently: the 7K500, for example, runs noticeably hotter than most other drives. In the interests of maximizing its service life, don't deploy this drive without applying cooling. Any air flow touching the drive will be adequate, or you might go for a hard drive cooling kit as well.