Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 500 GB

This is a 500GB 2.5" HDD on the SATA interface. Sequential throughput tops out at 550 MB/s reads and 520 MB/s writes, backed by 8MB of cache. At roughly $0.1 per gigabyte it sits in the mid-range tier. SATA throughput caps near 550 MB/s — fine for game libraries and backups, slower for heavy scratch work.

Its $50.00 price tag places it squarely in mid-range territory. Use the PlanMyPC system builder to verify it works alongside your other components and to watch live retailer pricing. Hitachi backs the product through its standard warranty channels; check the listing for region-specific terms.