Western Digital VelociRaptor 150 GB

This is a 150GB 3.5" HDD on the SATA interface. At roughly $1.34 per gigabyte it sits in the high-end tier. Sequential throughput reaches 550 MB/s reads and 520 MB/s writes, backed by 16MB of cache. SATA throughput caps near 550 MB/s — fine for game libraries and backups, slower for heavy scratch work.

At $201.62 it sits in the high-end drive bracket. PlanMyPC's builder flags compatibility problems automatically and tracks the latest drive deals from multiple stores. Support and warranty service run through Western Digital, with terms that vary by region. Scroll down for the complete spec table; the builder's compatibility checker will warn you about any conflicts with components you have already picked.