Laptop HDD question

[retice]

Recently my laptop HDD has decided to go on the fritz, an was wondering if they are like desktop HDD as long as you get the right size and everything will it fit in the laptop or Would i have to get only a certain kind?

[Cephius]

Just watch the size of the hard drive, most are 2.5" drives but they're also made smaller. They come in IDE or SATA drives just like their desktop counterparts, so just figure out exactly what you have and order the same basic type. Brand doesn't really matter, but personally I like seagate or western digital.

[Isiolia]

Generally speaking they're like desktop drives. Can get another 2.5" drive of the same interface (IDE or SATA) and swap them out. I do it all the time at work.

I've seen a few rare cases where drive height is an issue, or at least was at the time. The original Powerbook G4, for example, had a specified max drive height. Another consideration could be power/heat. You'll obviously bump up the performance by dropping a 7200rpm drive in instead of a 4200rpm one. The catch is it'll also probably run hotter and use more power (which may just be a battery issue, but you never know). I've never had a problem with middle of the road 5400rpm stuff, but ymmv.

[Sigi]

one trick with the drive: if you pull it out, make certain if it has an adapter on the connector. If so, remove the adapter and use it on your replacement drive