Should I sell my 160gb PS3 for $200 and get the 500gb Assassins Creed 3 bundle for $299 or should I spend $50-$100 on a 500gb HDD thats 7200rpm?

How's the new HDD in the super slim? Is it still 5400rpm? Are there more upgrades over the slim model than its smaller size, less power, and a bigger HDD?

What's a good HDD to put into a PS3? I know that you can get a faster HDD than the stock HDD but what should I be looking at? I found this 500gb HDD.

Should I just deal with the 160gb and continue the PS Plus balancing act I've been doing and save my  money?

For the price difference between the price you would sell the slim and the super slim is probably enough for you to upgrade to a 1TB drive, that being said if you were going to get Assassins creed 3 anyway and 500gb is enough for you the super slim is probably the right choice. Drive speeds don't really make that much difference anyway.

I personally don't like the look of the new PS3 or it's cheap top loading function.

There are little game that takes advantage from a 7200rpm HDD.

The most notorious is GT5... I have a 7200rpm HDD just because it.

I am using Western Digital Blue Scorpion 750GB, no problems.

I forget to say what HDD model I use lol.

Seagate Momentus XT 500 GB Hybrid

That HDD is more expensive because there are 32MB SSD... so hybrid... there are a version with 750GB too.

Here some performance tests in GT5: http://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=151463

That seagate is looking good. How does the hybrid work? A new HDD is looking intriguing even if I do want the new PS3 model. Any idea if the new PS3 is loaded with a better HDD? I can't find the actual specs on it.

Also any overheating issues with that 7200rpm drive?

I'm with it for over a year and still nothing.

I found that review: http://www.thegameraccess.com/reviews/tech/accelerate-ps3s-speed-with-seagates-momentus-xt-review

The reviiew is made with the first generation ot the HDD... mine is second generation and the numbers are better (the shops sells the second generation only today).

Never had any heat problems with my old 500GB WD and it also reached 7200rpm.

I've since upgraded to a 1TB WD @ 5400rpm and the speed is noticibly worse for GT5 and even navigating the PS Store (compared to my brother's 320GB WD @ 7200rpm). If you're willing to wait a few more seconds (sometimes 7-10 more) for things to load, don't worry about the RPMs too much.

I have read that increased RPM doesn't really make any difference, possibly noticeable on loading times for a couple of games?

Personally (in your situation), if you could sell your old console for $200, I'd get the bundle.

They're both effectively $100 you have to spend (on the hard drive for your current console, or the extra on top of the sale for the new console), but with the bundle you're getting a game, whereas with the hard drive you're not getting anything in particular.

Gl in any case!

edit: Oh, I put a Western Digital hard-drive in btw.  Working fine for 6+ months now, no complaints.

There are difference just with installed games... GT5 is the most noticiable... for disc only games (no install) there are no difference.