Like I said, the heat generated by any large internal drive can be problematic in laptops. That is a function of the drive size more than anything, although the 7200s are likely running a bit hotter than the 54's.

As for a brand name, just pick something well recognized and not at the bottom end of the price range. Not at the topshelf end, either. Something towards the middle price range.

It is a good idea to find out if the USB drive can run okay from your laptop's USB power if at all possible, too. Or get one that has an external power supply of its own. This is especially true for large sizes that spin fast.

For the record, today's 5400 rpm drives are much better at doing audio than in the past. Some of them actually can stream audio equal to or faster than 7200s when in the laptop size rather than full desktop size.


--Mac