9.5 Versus 12.5 mm: Which Notebook HDD Is Right For You?

Features
By
Published

Notebook drive manufacturers can choose between two drive heights: 9.5 mm and 12.5 mm. At 9.5 mm, most drives are limited to two spinning platters, while 12.5 mm has enough room for three, enabling higher capacity. We compare the two 2.5" variants.

Comparison Table And Test Setup

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Manufacturer Toshiba Toshiba
Model MKxx65GSXMK6465GSX MKxx59GSMMK1059GSM
Form Factor 2.5" (9.5 mm) 2.5" (12.5 mm)
Capacity 640GB 1,000GB
Spindle Speed 5,400 RPM 5,400 RPM
Other Capacities 160/250/320/500GB 750GB
Platters 2 3
Cache 8MB 8MB
NCQ Yes Yes
Interface SATA 3Gb/s SATA 3Gb/s
Operating Temperature 5-55°C 5-55°C
Specified Idle Power 0.8W 0.7W
Measured Idle Power 0.8W 0.8W
Operating Shock (2 ms, read) 400 G 400 G