Hitachi announces energy-sipping Deskstar P7K500

For all the dollars and headlines that energy-saving CPUs garner, the hard drive is hardly a blip on the radar, but Hitachi claims to have the most efficient desktop drive yet in the Deskstar P7K500. The unit includes Hitachi's HiVERT technology for more efficient voltage conversion -- a method swiped from Hitachi's Travelstar laptop line -- and also features improved power management capabilities and "load / unload" tech to pull the heads off the drive for improved idle efficiency, with up to 44 percent power savings over traditional idle modes. Sizes range from 250GB to 500GB, and the drives should be available by the end of this year. No word on price.

[Dan Parmelee @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:13AM]

Performance versus a standard Desktar? I guess this would make sense for SFF desktops or embedded systems, but I really don't think the average desktop computer will ever use this.

[Ariel @ Oct 23rd 2007 9:39AM]

I strongly disagree. 'Going Green'? Ever-decreasing technology prices? It's only a matter of time before the technology is integrated into all computers.

[Lonnie McClure @ Oct 24th 2007 8:51PM]

Aside from green being the newest marketing buzzword, power consumption (and the related heat is generates) is becoming a major factor.

Before anyone claims data centers would not be using consumer hard drives, I would suggest you inform Google of that first. :)