The 2.5-in. Spinpoint M7 internal hard-disk drive (HDD) from Samsung offers 640 Gbytes of storage (see the figure). That’s an areal density of 516 Gbits per square inch for each 320-Gbyte platter, which is a 28% increase per platter over Samsung’s 500-Gbyte hard drive. The Spinpoint M7 targets high-end mobile computing applications requiring greater shock resistance without a compromise in performance.

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Increasing the areal density to 516 Gbits per square inch raises the total drive capacity without adding additional platters. By maximizing capacity without increasing mechanical parts, Samsung says, the two-platter 640-Gbyte drive consumes less power and offers higher operational stability than drives with more platters. An optimized system-on-a-chip controller reduces power consumption in sleek and idle modes to the lowest level among comparable drives, the company also says.

The 2.5-in. Spinpoint M7 internal HDD from Samsung offers 640 Gbytes of storage. It targets high-end mobile computing applications requiring greater shock resistance without a compromise in performance.

The M7 boasts a shock resistance level of 400G (2 ms) in operation mode and 900G (1 ms) when power is off. It uses Samsung’s proprietary SilentSeek and NoiseGuard technologies to minimize noise levels during operation. Halogen-free, it complies with the European Union’s Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS). It offers a rotational speed of 5400 rpm, a 3.0-Gbit/s SATA interface, native command queuing, and an 8-Mbyte cache memory as well.

Capacities of 160, 250, 320, 500, and 640 Gbytes are available. Initial shipments will be available in Europe and the U.S. from mid-September, with worldwide availability starting in late September. The 640-Gbyte Spinpoint M7 will begin shipping with an MSRP of $149.99.

Samsung