Seagate Momentus XT 500 GB

This is a 500GB 2.5" HDD on the SATA interface. At roughly $0.38 per gigabyte it sits in the high-end tier. Sequential throughput tops out at 550 MB/s reads and 520 MB/s writes, backed by 32MB of cache. SATA throughput caps near 550 MB/s — fine for game libraries and backups, slower for heavy scratch work.

Expect to pay around $187.50, which lands it among high-end options. Use the PlanMyPC system builder to verify it works alongside your other components and to keep a running tally of the cost. Support and warranty service run through Seagate, with terms that vary by region.