Samsung SpinPoint T133 HD401LJ: 400 GB SATA
Silent drives and a respectable price-value proposition helped Samsung to establish a well-known reputation. It is the only manufacturer that has recently entered the 3.5" hard drive market and been successful with it.
The SpinPoint T133 stores 133 GB per platter, and is available in sizes up to 400 GB. The drive works comfortably silently, and doesn't get warmer than 45°C (113°F), making it one of the coolest candidates to go through our test lab so far.
However, its ergonomics and the bargain price (starting at $ 130) take a toll on performance: the SpinPoint's access time of 15 ms is significantly higher than the usual 13 to 14 ms of today's drives. The maximum data transfer rate of 78 MB/s is high, though.
