Yep, remember the old man's "every time you use it..." rule.
Sure, defrag every now and then when if things are horrible but twice a week is mucho exercise.
Better than defragmenting is lots of free space. Say ~50%.
Those drives are good. They've varied over time but I've had very good luck overall. Heat problems mostly depend on placement. Best to keep a space between drives and case areas that limit airflow. If your dell mounts the drive flat up front in the intake flow then no problem. Wherever, keep an eye on the drive's temperature sensor until you're comfortable with operating temp. Edit: (Sorry, watching F1 racce.) Dilbert's right, they can get warm out of airflow. If you notice this you can add a small cpu fan at 7v to keep a breeze moving. Of course, measure temps with the case closed.