The big 7200rpm vs 5400 rpm debate

I'm planning to buy a 2.2ghz Macbook Pro. I would get one with 2Gb of RAM and the 160Gb 7200 rpm HD, but now someone I know had already bought the standard config (2.2 Ghz, 2Gb, 120 5400 rpm) through his company but he's selling it because he'd rather use the money he gets from it to buy a 24"" iMac. I would be using the MBPro for iLife, Parellels with Win2K, and possibly Ubuntu Linux. I'm not one to store thousands of songs or photos on my mac, because I'd be buying an external HD for that. He's offering me the MB Pro for a reduced price (a bit above the price of the Black Macbook with a 160Gb HD). I also plan to buy Starcraft 2 when it's released and will also be playing Freespace Open heavily. Will I regret not getting the 7200rpm drive or is the 5400 rpm drive more than fast enough for everything but high-end stuff ?

Probably not. However, if you do regret it the saving should be enough for you to go out a buy one and swap them over giving you the 5400rpm drive to put in an external case.

Similar Messages

  • 5400 rpm vs. 7200rpm HD for Premiere

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    great thanks--- other than that is this the right thing to get?

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    Thanks.

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  • Is it possible to upgrade from 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm to ssd on the new 13" 2012 macbook pro?

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  • Can I replace the 5400 RPM drive with a seagate 7200 RPM drive in a Lenovo B570

    Hi there,
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    Solved!
    Go to Solution.

    To add a little to what Tanuj said, you may have a (fixable) issue when moving to the new drive.
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    Z.
    The large print: please read the Community Participation Rules before posting. Include as much information as possible: model, machine type, operating system, and a descriptive subject line. Do not include personal information: serial number, telephone number, email address, etc.  The fine print: I do not work for, nor do I speak for Lenovo. Unsolicited private messages will be ignored. ... GeezBlog
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  • 7200 rpm vs. 5400 rpm for the new MacBook Pro?

    Hi there,
    I'm ready to buy one of the new MacBook Pros. I was going to go for the 15" 2.0 GH. There's one thing that's difficult to decide. Should I go for the 7200 rpm HD upgrade?
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    What is your experience and/or opinion? I'm anxiously waiting for your response so that I can go ahead and enjoy the new Mac Book Pro.
    JM

    Thanks for your prompt response japamac. Interesting results. I wonder whether the results for performance, battery usage and temperature for the 7200 rpm that comes as an option in the Apple store would be similar to the ones you got for the 7200 rpm HD you used in your test.
    One question, since the difference is quite remarkable in the synthetic tests for "Media Center", I'm curious to know what real life applications would that relate to.
    Thanks again for your help.
    JM

  • The New Hard Drives - 4200 rpm vs. 5400 rpm?

    Hi,
    Many thanks in advance for your attention.
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    I do a lot of video editing. Isn't the 4200 (slower) HD inferior?
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    Keep in mind that some drives have perpendicular technology in them, improving their performance even if the rpm is slower. the 160 GB 5400 in the current MBP's is one of those.
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  • X301: 250 GB 5400 rpm vs 128 GB Solid State Performance - How Much Difference?

    Any idea about how much faster XP Pro will boot with the 128 GB solid state drive vs the 5400 rpm 250 GB drive?  And for apps like Word and Excel how much performance difference will there be when launching the apps (doesn't seem like it could be much more than a second or two)?  Any idea of the real world performance for writes and reads in terms of Bytes per second?  Any users have expereince with both drives using X301s?

    The answer to your implied question, "Is 128GB big enough?" is Yes, 128GB is big enough for a Boot Drive.
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    Mac OS X needs a Swap file and some Paging files as well, and if you do not have enough your Mac Pro will get really weird.
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    128GB is NOT enough to also store your Photo collection, substantial Tunes Library, or Video editing files. If you have any of those, you will need to move them to a different drive, or get a MUCH larger and more expensive drive, or keep the bulk of them on an external drive that stays on your desk.
    You also need a Backup Drive.

  • Speed of SSD vs 5400 rpm Serial ATA

    On the online Apple store the difference between SSD hard drives and the 5400 rpm Serial ATA drive is said to be in durability. How does the speed of the two kinds of drives compare? I know that 7200 rpm is preferred for video editing because the drive can be read faster. Is there any difference in how fast a 5400 rpm drive and an SSD drive can be read? Apple does not mention this on their website, which I think they would do if the SSD drive was faster (which is why I ask).

    That's actually barefeats.com.
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  • 5400 RPMs a keeper?

    I bought the macbook pro i7 with a 5400 RPM hard drive because the rep said that Apple stores only carry hard drives with this speed (I hate dealing with returns by mail.......and the refund would've taken 10 business days on special orders). Has anyone experienced both the 7200 and 5400? Is there a difference considerable enough to have to wait for 7200 delivery by mail and give up the restocking fee of 10% ($230)? Oh, and the load I put on my laptop is generally moving files around ALOT, having between 10 - 20 different windows open (a mix of folders, internet tabs, and others), and minor photo and video editing programs (for converting file types and trimming).

    Sorry to tell you this, but I’d always go with the 7200 rpm drive. I once switched drives in my PBG4 from 5400 to 7200 and the speed difference was really noticeable. Booting, copying, launching apps is faster. Later I had a MBP which I bought with a 5400 due to lack of 7200-equipped ones while ordering. I replaced it a few weeks later and noticed the speed difference again. Today I always order my portable Macs with 7200 rpm drives until SSDs get cheap and big enough to switch.
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  • Option to go from 5400 rpm HD to 7200 rpm? Apple waiting for my phone call.

    Hi,
    My new 15" Macbook Pro is being replaced with a new laptop due to problems. I am in discussion with Apple regarding confirmation of my current laptop specs. When the HD spec was discussed, 5400rpm 500g, I asked about upgrading to a 7200rpm. Apple indicated that would be possible.
    So the question is; is it worth upgrading to the 7200 HD? I heard from a local Apple store that the 7200's can cause heat problems and quick draining of the battery. But they couldn't tell me why. I don't have a lot of confidence in what I was told by then, due to other experiences.
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    Thanks in advance.
    Peter
    Message was edited by: Petermgr

    Unless its bearings are failing, the hard drive temperature sensor will typically show the lowest reading of all the sensors in a MBP, often by a wide margin. How a hard drive could "cause heat problems" is a complete mystery to me. As for power consumption, most users notice no perceptible difference in battery run time after switching from a 5400 to a 7200 RPM drive. Some manufacturers' specifications show nearly or exactly the same power demands for 7200 RPM drives as for 5400s.
    It is likely that you will hear a 7200RPM drive more of the time than a 5400, though it may still be pretty quiet. And it's possible that you will feel more vibration through your hands on the keyboard and wrist rests.
    I wouldn't have Apple upgrade the drive, though. I'd save $60 and have them install a 5400RPM unit, and then I'd spend the $60 and maybe a little more besides to get a bigger 7200RPM drive, install it myself, and use the 5400 RPM drive for backup or extra storage. Then I'd have two drives for $10-$30 more than just the 7200RPM drive would have cost me if Apple had installed it.

  • How do I know if a core I5 and 5400 rpm drive is ok for me or if I should get a core I7, 7200 rpm dr

    Buying a new laptop.  My old Dell Inspiron is giving up the ghost.
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    This question was solved.
    View Solution.

    I actually have the Envy Ultrabook is why I asked. HP provided me one for a testing unit so we here on the Forum could keep abreast of their latest offerings. The mSSD accel cache is amazing. It gives ultrafast boot times and hard drive access. It does make the laptop hard to work with for tekkies, but for most users who will not try to monkey around with the OS, like dual boot with Linux or reload with a clean install of your own Windows 7 and other similar stuff it is a great performer...no need for a 7200 rpm drive.

  • Can I replace 5400 rpm hd with my own brand of ssd?

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    Agreed... an SSD can make a system seem much faster. The impact can actually be more significant on lower end machines. With an SSD, booting into OS X is nearly as fast as waking from sleep. It's a significant improvement. You just have to decide if the limited capacity and premium price is worth it to you.

  • WD scorpio blue 500GB doesn't run at 5400 rpm constantly

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    Those drives like other "green" drives use variable speed motors to reduce energy consumption. It's something you'll have to bear. Open your Energy Saver prefs and turn off the option to spin down drives when idle.

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