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User profile for user: jacoblisbygd
jacoblisbygd Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

HDD 5400 vs 7200 RPM

Hi everyone,
I'm new here, however, not new to mac's. With todays update I am about to let my iBook G4 retire and get a brand new MBP. I have decided for the model, only one question remains:

*Should i go for the 7200 RPM HDD instead of the standard 5400 RPM?* The size is the same (320GB) and the price doesn't mater, my worries are if it will affect battery life in any way, produce more heat or be more noisy with the 7200 compared to the standard 5400?

What is the difference? (Speed, i know 😉 ) But, will i be able to notice the difference? Anyone have any benchmarks?
I have chosen to go Pro for the graphics as I would like to edit HD video and pictures, will a faster HDD make a significant difference? What's your experience?

I truly appreciate any help - thanks in advance!
BR, Jacob, Denmark

iBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Oct 14, 2008 2:02 PM

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User profile for user: Kappy
Kappy
User level: Level 10
361,731 points

Posted on Oct 14, 2008 2:48 PM

There is no significant difference in power consumption except at idle, but the difference then is not great. If you need speed over power conservation then go for the faster 7200 RPM drive - and get a drive with a 16 MB cache also for better performance.

Heat is not a factor, but unfortunately some drives may be noisier than others. You can look for reviews at Bare Feats, Storage Review, and Tom's Hardware Reviews.
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User profile for user: Kappy
Kappy
User level: Level 10
361,731 points

Oct 14, 2008 2:48 PM in response to jacoblisbygd

There is no significant difference in power consumption except at idle, but the difference then is not great. If you need speed over power conservation then go for the faster 7200 RPM drive - and get a drive with a 16 MB cache also for better performance.

Heat is not a factor, but unfortunately some drives may be noisier than others. You can look for reviews at Bare Feats, Storage Review, and Tom's Hardware Reviews.
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User profile for user: Marc Feldesman
Marc Feldesman
User level: Level 2
313 points

Oct 14, 2008 3:21 PM in response to jacoblisbygd

Since Apple have made the MBP hard drive user upgradeable, I don't think it matters. Personally I would buy the cheapest option and upgrade aftermarket. The 320 5400 is probably quite serviceable and you can pick up a 500 GB or higher for a song at Fry's, OWC, or other suppliers. That's what I did. I ordered the 2.8 GHz model with the 320, 5400 HD. If I want to upgrade, it should be pretty trivial to do so. That's the primary reason why I'm passing on my current MBP to my wife. She doesn't need the HD capacity and the previous version was expensive to upgrade and risky to do.
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User profile for user: jacoblisbygd
jacoblisbygd Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Oct 14, 2008 3:30 PM in response to Marc Feldesman

But I don't need more than 320 GB so the 500GB would not be an issue for me. I quess it would be fairly simple to change it, but the price for the upgrade from Apple Store is 330 Danish Crowns (60USD) so it's not a big deal, I just want whatever is better in terms of speed, power consumption, heat and noise!?

Appreciate any suggestions!
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User profile for user: sonicwind
sonicwind
User level: Level 1
15 points

Oct 14, 2008 3:33 PM in response to jacoblisbygd

I went for the 7200. Performance is important to me. Battery life, heat and noise is essentially the same and the markup is not significant. It would cost you more to get a lower harddrive and sell it (now used) and buy the 7200. It's a no brainer for me. The speed boost is at least equivalent to going up the next level in processor speed, and it costs a lot less.
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User profile for user: Panny1
Panny1
User level: Level 1
14 points

Oct 14, 2008 6:45 PM in response to LukeD

It all seems to get complicated and seems to be arguments on both sides. Found this:
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/02/11/macbookair_face_off_hdd_vs_ssd_withvideo.html
In real life use, what is the most useful speed wise for me is opening application and accessing the data I want as fast as possible.

I like the idea of how quiet the SSD is too and apparently battery lasts longer too?

I'm going to get a new MacBook Pro, just deciding on the drive is the hard part.
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User profile for user: LukeD
LukeD
User level: Level 4
3,144 points

Oct 14, 2008 7:10 PM in response to LukeD

Here is one link regarding Outlook.

"Are you running a computer that has a Solid State Drive (SSD)?
If you are running Outlook 2007 on a computer that has a solid state drive (SSD), you may experience frequent pauses when you perform typical operations in Outlook. The Outlook product team is aware of this issue and is investigating solutions for a future release."

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940226/en-us
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HDD 5400 vs 7200 RPM

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