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750gb@5200rpm or 500gb@7200rpm?

andrewface

andrewface

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 17, 2006
284
56
I'm getting a MBP 15" and I've picked out all the specs and am about to pull the trigger. I'm just stuck on this hard drive thing. Not sure If I should go with the faster 500gb drive or the slower 750gb drive. I have no idea how big of a difference the two are in terms of speed? I'm pretty sure that 500gb will be enough space for me but it's always nice to have a bit of extra space.
 
If you really need the extra 250 GB of storage then go for the 750 GB, otherwise the 500 GB 7200-RPM will be the better choice.
 
If you care about performance, get an SSD. Apple's upgrade at $100 isn't actually a bad deal this time around. If you don't mind slower performance, and just want more space, 750 GB would be the better option. In my opinion, the 500 GB 7200 RPM is probably the worst choice on the high end 15, since it isn't the best at capacity OR performance.
 
I have to say the 500GB 7200 RPM drive. It isn't the best performance out of the options, nor the highest capacity, but I think it strikes a nice balance between the two. Plus I imagine you won't fill up a 500 GB drive, much less a 750, so you get the performance benefit without spending extra money.
 
axu539 said:
If you care about performance, get an SSD. Apple's upgrade at $100 isn't actually a bad deal this time around. If you don't mind slower performance, and just want more space, 750 GB would be the better option. In my opinion, the 500 GB 7200 RPM is probably the worst choice on the high end 15, since it isn't the best at capacity OR performance.
Click to expand...

Really? I didn't know that about the 7200 RPM. I ordered the 128gb SSD. I think $90 was a great deal. I already have an OWC Mercury in my other laptop so I am probably going to switch them out and give the one to a family member. If I use bootcamp to get Windows, is that true that the SSD degrades faster?
 
750gb was the only option for me in the store so im using it until i get an 256gb ssd .. then ill put the 750gb in the optibay
 
axu539 said:
If you care about performance, get an SSD. Apple's upgrade at $100 isn't actually a bad deal this time around. If you don't mind slower performance, and just want more space, 750 GB would be the better option. In my opinion, the 500 GB 7200 RPM is probably the worst choice on the high end 15, since it isn't the best at capacity OR performance.
Click to expand...

I def want more than 128gb's and the solid states are all crazy expensive still. Maybe once they go down in price ill pick one up but for now im stuck with the regular hard drive...I just dont know how much faster the 7200 will really be...I hear words like slower performance and better performance but just how much slower is it?
 
I'd like to know how much the heat difference from the 5400 to 7200 drives are. The 7200 drive will run a bit hotter in theory, and some people in the past have complained about heat issues on the 7200's.

Best option is SSD still though... if you need the extra space, a small HD is easy to carry.
 
Personally, I went with the 7200 RPM drive. 500GB is plenty for my needs, and if it's not then I have a 1TB portable USB drive I can use as well. The speed difference between 5200 and 7200 is quite noticble and well worth giving up capacity. Another thing to keep in mind though is that the faster drive will drain your battery faster. Again, for me it's worth the speed increase.

In a year or so I might put an SSD in if the prices fall. This is going to be my personal laptop though, not my main work machine. For that I'm stuck with a Dell provided by my employer. Now I would kill for an SSD in that since Norton is the bane of my existence.
 
parseckadet said:
Personally, I went with the 7200 RPM drive. 500GB is plenty for my needs, and if it's not then I have a 1TB portable USB drive I can use as well. The speed difference between 5200 and 7200 is quite noticble and well worth giving up capacity. Another thing to keep in mind though is that the faster drive will drain your battery faster. Again, for me it's worth the speed increase.

In a year or so I might put an SSD in if the prices fall. This is going to be my personal laptop though, not my main work machine. For that I'm stuck with a Dell provided by my employer. Now I would kill for an SSD in that since Norton is the bane of my existence.
Click to expand...

I think you and I are working on the same wavelength. I will probably do the exact same.

so here's what Im thinking.

15" 2.2ghz 500gb hdd 4gb ram hi res glossy screen!
 
axu539 said:
If you care about performance, get an SSD. Apple's upgrade at $100 isn't actually a bad deal this time around. If you don't mind slower performance, and just want more space, 750 GB would be the better option. In my opinion, the 500 GB 7200 RPM is probably the worst choice on the high end 15, since it isn't the best at capacity OR performance.
Click to expand...

You know that's right!
 
andrewface said:
I def want more than 128gb's and the solid states are all crazy expensive still. Maybe once they go down in price ill pick one up but for now im stuck with the regular hard drive...I just dont know how much faster the 7200 will really be...I hear words like slower performance and better performance but just how much slower is it?
Click to expand...

Switching from a 5400 RPM to a 7200 RPM, you'll probably feel a slight difference in speed. It'll be noticeably nicer, but still slight (i.e. start an application in maybe 5 seconds instead of 7). Going to an SSD from either is like a whole new world. Apps will start almost instantaneously (bouncing in the dock will almost be a thing of the past).

Of course, for just media, SSDs are absolutely useless unless you have insanely high bitrate media, since the rate at which data in most media moves is far slower than even a 5400 RPM drive can dish out. You'll see the most performance boost when you use a solid state drive to load applications and or use them as scratch disks.

Since upgrading from an HDD to the 128 GB SSD is only about $100 for the high end MBPs, it's a pretty good deal, even if you factor in the value of the HDD ($80 tops). So, you're getting a 128 GB SSD for $180, which is still maybe $40-50 cheaper than most SSDs on the market. You can then keep your iTunes and iPhoto libraries on a small external USB-powered hard drive, or even play the Optibay game.

Personally, I will actually be doing both. I'm going to order my MBP with Apple's 128 GB, and then Optibay the machine and put my own Intel into it. I'll install Windows onto my Intel drive, so that games will run better. No Boot Camp or partitioning needed. For OS X media, I'll keep it on a FireWire drive, and well, I don't plan on doing anything other than games in Windows.
 
I went with the 7200 rpm because I'd also rather have speed over space. I have a 500 gb external for extra space, if need be.

FYI - The 7200 rpm is a free upgrade/sidegrade on the high end 15" and 17" only. It's $100 for all of the other models.
 
i was reading the other different threads about this topic and somebody mentioned something how the 5400 would be better for gaming? whereas video editing other uses would make use of the 7200? just didn't understand how that works :confused:
 
Most 7200RPM drives are slightly faster on throughput and seek. Much better on i/o as well. I can only think they were referring to the extra 250GB as "better" for gaming because you could have more games. Usually gamers want speed for level loads but then again most 7200RPM drives beat the 5400RPM regardless of platter density (at least at the moment). Can anyone confirm the make and model Apple is shipping with the 2011 MBP's? That is pretty important for a clearer answer.
Here is a chart testing "Gaming" in PC mark:
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2009-2.5-mobile-hard-drive-charts/PCMark-Vantage,1117.html
 
Speed over space ofcourse.

Also, i dont know why people keep suggesting SSD lol, if the OP is deciding between 500GB and 750GB why on earth would he just decide, well 128GB SSD will be enough. If space wasn't an issue there are smaller high speed HDD's he could get, but I have a hunch space is a big issue as well
 
I just get a wdc scorpion black 750 GB 7200 rpm, couldnt be happier
it replaces my previous HDD which was a WDC scorpion blue 640 GB 5400 rpm which is veryyy slowwww

the new hdd is very fast , and silent as well,
but i never tried SSD so cant comment on it :p
 
10-Dee-Q said:
I just get a wdc scorpion black 750 GB 7200 rpm, couldnt be happier
it replaces my previous HDD which was a WDC scorpion blue 640 GB 5400 rpm which is veryyy slowwww

the new hdd is very fast , and silent as well,
but i never tried SSD so cant comment on it :p
Click to expand...

Great choice! In fact I plan to buy a wdc Scorpio black 500 gb bekt and the 500 gb stock drive will become my time machine hdd. Did you have any problem under Mac os x/bootcamp? Vibrations, battery life huge decrease? did you simply turn off the apple SMS and go? Thank you in advance
 
I picked the 7200RPM knowing full well I will pull it out and put a SSD in =), I got enough storage floating around my network in the house. regardless of what you get, please spend a bit more on a 3.5" external for your important files, I can't tell you how many ppl run to me in the last few months crying that their laptop died with the only copy of their photos. (btw they were ALL PC Laptop owners if that makes you feel better lol)
 
500Gb 7200rpm no doubt for me.

When I changed my MBP HD some years ago from a 5400rpm to a 7200rpm I saw a very noticeable increase in performance.
 
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