Hitachi Sets Hard Drive Efficiency Record

The Deskstar P7K500 uses up to 59 percent less power than comparable drives, according to Hitachi, making it ideal for building green PCs.

PC builders looking to reduce the environmental footprint of their systems now have a new option when it comes to hard drives. Hitachi has pushed the envelope of low power consumption with its Deskstar P7K500 drives, which it claims are the most efficient in the world.

The new drives will be available in capacities from 250GB to 500GB, all of which operate at 7200 RPM and use a Serial-ATA interface. According to Hitachi, they will be up to 40 percent more efficient than the last generation of Hitachi drives, and the 250GB version will be up to 59 percent more efficient than comparable drives offering the same capacity.

Various developments from Hitachi allow the smallest drive to draw just 3.6 watts at idle. To manufacturers trying to build a system that must function at less than 50 watts for Energy Star compliance, this means more electricity can be used on performance features rather than powering a hard drive.

The Deskstar P7K500 will be available in the fourth quarter of 2007, but Hitachi has not yet announced pricing.