If you're going for a 3.5" drive, I'd recommend a 5400rpm drive too. If you look for something like the Samsung F2 Eco range, their higher platter density offsets the lower spinning speed, so data transfer rates aren't any worse than older 7200rpm drives.Originally Posted by David75
Especially if you're buying a cheap enclosure, 5400rpm will keep temps down, which translates to drive longevity. I've had external HDDs transferring data for more than an hour before, and those things get HOT.
After about year, and not much use, that drive has died. Twice.