Where to buy an IDE laptop hard drive in Phuket

[Phronesis]

I have two older Dell Inspirons that both require new hard drives.

I went to the computer shop at the big Super Cheap the other day and they look at the old drive I had from one of the laptops and told me that they don't sell IDE drives, only SATA.

Does anyone know a shop in Phuket that would sell a replacement drive for my laptops. I have lived here a long time and know my way around in Town. I know there are a lot of computer shops in town in and around the Sam kong area...but was hoping someone could give me the heads up to save wasting time shopping door to door.

Thanks in advance.

[LivinginKata]

Have you tried Amorn in the basement of Big C (bypass road). I find that they have sources for older items. Worth a try.

[Phronesis]

Have you tried Amorn in the basement of Big C (bypass road). I find that they have sources for older items. Worth a try.

Thanks, I know of the shop but haven't been in there yet...I will give them a try and report back. Do you have a contact number for them??

There used to also be a very large and disorganized computer shop at the very top floor of Big C next to the music school....is it still there?

[JetsetBkk]

Have you tried Amorn in the basement of Big C (bypass road). I find that they have sources for older items. Worth a try.

Thanks, I know of the shop but haven't been in there yet...I will give them a try and report back. Do you have a contact number for them??

There used to also be a very large and disorganized computer shop at the very top floor of Big C next to the music school....is it still there?

It's still there, but not so big.

I got a replacement IDE drive for my old laptop from Advice, but they had to send the faulty one to Samsung in Bangkok for a warranty replacement.

[phuketrichard]

Big C basement

also u can try the shop, the block before the Merlin hotel in Phuket town heading down the hill on the right ( if coming from Patong) forget the name

between the turn off to Koh Rong Hill and the next traffic light

[Guest]

I have found it difficult to find older computer spare parts in Phuket.

Some places to look for:

BigC basement: Digital life is a authorized Western Digital service center, check JIB as well.

Shops opposite old Town bus station. Some of those do laptop repairs, so they might have older parts.

I don't remember any names of the shops.

Is there any second hand laptop shops in Phuket?

[Phronesis]

I just got back from the basement of Big C. Some young lads at Future Accessories were quick to sell me an 80gb IDE Seagate hardrive. To easy I though and only 1530THB. I have just arrived home and taken it out of the foil bag only to discover the labels NOT SUITABLE FOR LAPTOP COMPUTER USE.

So now It would appear those little sweethearts have ripped me off.

What do you reckon my chances of a refund are. I have a printed receipt.

The size and pins and everything else on the drive appear the same as the old Hitachi Travelstar HDD.

The PN is: 9cv012-501

Anyone know why this drive is not suitable for use in a laptop???

[sustento]

Found on the net...

"This Seagate LD25.2 ST980210A 2.5-inch Hard Drive offers the ideal combination of capacity and size for leading-edge game consoles, low-profile DVRs and small-footprint computing applications!

The ST980210A is designed for use with consumer electronics devices like videogame consoles, low-profile digital video recorders, printers, scanners, copiers, POS devices, ATMs and stationary external storage devices and more!

Key features include an 80 GB storage capacity, fast UDMA/100 data transfers, 5400 RPM spindle speed and a 2 MB buffer! Order today!

Note: Because of the low G-force rating, the ST980210A is not designed or recommended for laptop/notebook use."

[Phronesis]

Yeah

I found this so now I am not sure if I should use it or not.

LD25.2 Series

Ideal combination of capacity and size for leading-edge game consoles, low-profile DVRs and small-footprint computing applications

OWC NOTE: While these drives are labeled as 'not suitable for laptop computer use', OWC has fully tested this drive model and it exceeds the qualifications required of standard 2.5" drives from just three years ago. While this would not be suitable for the design requirements of some of today's latest models, this is an exceptional hard drive option and value for PowerBook G3/G4, iBook G3/G4, and PC Laptops manufactured in 2005 or prior and which utilize an IDE/ATA (PATA) 2.5" Hard Drive. This drive is extremely low power, has as much or more anti-shock protection, and offers very good performance compared to a factory stock drive it would replace in these older systems.

Product Description

The Seagate LD25.2 Series drive is the ideal combination of capacity and size for leadingedge game consoles, low-profile DVRs, and small-footprint computing applications. Providing a lower cost alternative to standard laptopsize storage solutions, the LD25.2 Series drive delivers sweet-spot capacities of 40GB and 80 GB, whisper quiet acoustics, and low power consumption.

Made for Unique Applications

Your application needs determine the capacity, performance and interface requirements of your hard drive. The LD25.2 Series drive is ideal for space-constrained designs where power consumption, acoustics and reliability matter because it:

• Provides 2.5-inch storage options without the cost burden of drives designed for notebook PCs or other mobile applications
• Runs cooler and requires less power than desktop drives for less than the cost of notebook drives
• Incorporates SoftSonic motors and quietseek profiles for whisper-quiet operation.

Advantages of Perpendicular Recording

After more than ten years of pioneering research at Seagate, perpendicular recording is now a proven technology. It increases capacity and dependability by storing data vertically, rather than horizontally. And vertically stored data bits mean increased data density—which means higher performance to increase productivity. All LD25.2 Series drives come standard with perpendicular recording, enabling a more dependable drive.

APPLICATIONS

• Game Consoles
• Low-profile DVRs
• External 2.5-inch drives
• Printers and copiers

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

• QuietStep ramp load technology enables whisper-quiet load/unload acoustics
• Advanced manufacturing and latest technology for the most reliable storage solutions ever
• Assured, steady supply from the industry’s largest supplier of disc drives
• Seagate 5-year warranty for distribution demonstrates commitment to product reliability

[stevenl]

I'd give it a go. You bought it anyway, so might as well try it.

[sustento]

As long as you're not in the habit of throwing your laptop round the room it seems ok.

[LivinginKata]

I would for sure give it a go. And you were happy with the 1,530 baht price. Maybe the lads were not ripping you off.

[Phronesis]

The shock specs listed online for the seagate drive the Thai lads sold me are as follows:

175 g @ 2ms (operating) / 500 g @ 2ms (non-operating)

The shock specs listed online for the current failed hitachi drive that came out of my Dell are:

200 g @ 2ms half-sine pulse (operating) / 800 g @ 1ms half-sine pulse (non-operating)

It is really only the operating shock spec that is of interest to me as I have never (yet) dropped a laptop.

I note from the table below I pulled from the net that the operating shock resistance of desktops is circa 55-65G.

So the drive the lads sold me would appear to be inferior to the old one from the machine (by 25G) but still well above the specs for a desktop HDD.

Given that I only use the laptop as desktop with a dual monitor configuration I think I will just install and format the drive rather than waste time arguing with the lads back down at Big C.

What do you all reckon??

Drive Model Shock Resistance (operating) Shock Resistance (non-operating) Hitachi 7K250 55 G 350 G Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 60 G 300 G Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 63 G 350 G Western Digital WD2500JB 65 G 350 G

[Guest]

As you are going to use the drive pretty much the way it was mentioned to be used (stationary), I would not worry about slightly lower shock resistance specs.

I just wonder of the laptop specifications as IDE disks has not been used for a while now.

Another option for you other laptop could be to use external drive as root/system files and NAS for media storage..

[stevenl]

See posts 10, 11 and 12.