Top 10 Hard Drives

That 60GB hard disk you bought with your new PC seemed roomy at the time, but now you're thinking about adding a second drive. Your options include some of the best hard drives today, which offer at least 120GB of storage. Here's a list of PC World's recent favorites.

Note: Prices drop fast, so although the figures listed below were in effect when PC World ranked these drives, you can probably get them for less today. For more details, see the Top 10 Hard Drives chart.

1. Samsung SpinPoint SP1614N. (160GB, ATA/133 interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer) A good blend of strong performance and great price (just under a dollar per gigabyte), plus round-the-clock phone support, earns this drive a PC World Best Buy, even though it lacks an installation kit. Price when ranked: $159.

2. Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST3160023AS. (160GB, Serial ATA interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer) A recent price drop makes this model a PC World Best Buy. It includes good documentation and lots of software for partitioning, drive cloning, diagnostics, and formatting. Price when ranked: $170.

3. Maxtor 250GB SATA Ultra Series Kit. (250GB, Serial ATA interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer) This drive is a fast performer. It ships with an installation kit that includes an extensive software bundle, plus a Serial ATA interface card and cable. Price when ranked: $350.

4. Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST3200822A. (200GB, ATA/100 interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer) Another speedy drive, this model comes packed in an innovative, protective enclosure, and includes an easy-to-follow setup poster that helps with installation. Price when ranked: $210.

5. Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 6Y160M0. (160GB, Serial ATA interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer) Though not the fastest drive PC World has tested, this Maxtor still performs well. Includes a complete drive kit and comprehensive documentation. Price when ranked: $230.

6. Western Digital WD Caviar SE SATA WD2500JD. (250GB, Serial ATA interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer) This relative newcomer is among the fastest drives PC World has tested. Western Digital provides extensive diagnostics information online. Price when ranked: $255.

7. Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 6Y080L0. (120GB, ATA/133 interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer) This drive no longer has the lowest cost per gigabyte among models on PC World's chart, but it's still a great value. It comes bundled with a drive kit and excellent documentation. Price when ranked: $135.

8. Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Deskstar 120GXP 120GB. (120GB, ATA/100 interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer) This bargain-priced Deskstar provides excellent speed. It does not include a mounting kit, so you'll have to buy an IDE cable, screws, and drive rails separately. Price when ranked: $137.

9. Western Digital WD Caviar SE WD1200JB. (120GB, ATA/100 interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer) This is a fairly middle-of-the-pack drive in terms of speed and cost per gigabyte. Diagnostic tools are available online. Price when ranked: $150.

10. Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Deskstar 7K250 (SATA). (250GB, Serial ATA interface, 7200 rpm, 8MB buffer) Here's the fastest drive PC World has tested to date. It's also the most expensive in the Top 10. It doesn't come with an installation kit, and we wish the support hours were longer. Price when ranked: $384.

PC World ranks all types of computer products. To see more rankings, visit the Top-Rated Products page.

Kalpana Ettenson is a PC World senior associate editor.