Conclusion:
The Seagate Momentus 5400.2 120GB drive was intended for use in a notebook computer, but testing it in a Mini-ITX HTPC proved it is capable of performing well in either setting. The low noise and low heat output of the drive make it an excellent candidate for any small form factor system requiring a 2.5" hard drive. Couple these features with the 120GB of storage space, a very high amount for a drive of this form factor, and you have an HTPC ready to house a large collection of multimedia files, capable of playing them back without interruption.
The drive performed admirably in real world use, and put up decent numbers in a few different benchmarks, as well. The 5400.2 Momentus drive did well, and Seagate does offer other models that may perform even better. With the option of going from PATA to SATA, and from 5400 RPM to 7200 RPM, a few higher performance options are available to those who feel these features are appropriate for their needs. With heat being an issue, and this HTPC board and case only supporting PATA, the PATA 5400.2 was the perfect choice.
One thing that can never be overlooked as a positive feature of a Seagate drive is the 5 year warranty. Having a reliable, high performance drive is nice, but knowing the manufacturer is going to stand behind it for 5 years is even nicer.
A search of PriceGrabber shows the Momentus drive is widely available, and presently carries a price tag of $230 and up! For those used to the rock bottom prices found on 3.5" SATA and PATA drives, this figure may come as a shock. The reduced size of 2.5" drives comes with added design considerations, and in order to squeeze 120GB of disk space and 8MB of cache memory into such a small package, it is going to cost you. The price per GB of this drive is roughly $1.92, and shopping around for similarly sized 2.5" drives from other manufacturers shows that you may be able to a bit better, perhaps in the $1.40 to $1.60 range.
The Momentus 5400.2 would make an excellent choice for use in any Mini-ITX system (or notebook), and easily earns a final score of 4.5 out of 5 stars and a rating of "Highly Recommended".
Final Rating (4.5 out of 5 stars):  
Pros:
• Solid performance
• Extremely low noise
• Large capacity for a 2.5" drive
• 8MB of cache memory boosts performance
• Safe operating temperature, even with zero added cooling
• Excellent choice for notebooks or Mini-ITX systems
• Five year warranty
Cons:
• Price
Special thanks to Seagate for providing the Momentus 5400.2 120GB hard drive to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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