Hitachi is claiming the world’s first 320GB hard disk drive to spin at 7,200 RPM in a 7-mm thick package. The 2.5-inch Serial ATA 3Gbps Travelstar Z7K320 boasts a 1,334Mbps maximum transfer rate with a 16MB cache. This HDD draws 1.8 watts during read/write and 0.8 watts while idle, at 23dB when idle or 24dB when seeking.

Thanks to the slim form factor, it’s ready to boldly go some places that standard 9.5-mm thick drives can’t. Expect these to hit production lines in August and appear in next generation ultra-thin netbooks.

[Hitachi]