4200 RPM Harddrive in iBook

[bodeh6]

I hear a lot of people complaining about the 4200 RPM harddrive in the iBook. I ask what do you expect? This is any entry level laptop and thus does not need a 5400+ harddrive. Plus it saves on energy and heat levels. If you look at other manufacturers, many are still using 4200 RPM harddrives. Look at all the Dells that still use 4200 RPM HDs in the attached pic.

Also the Sony T-, FS-, and B-Series all have 4200 RPM harddrives and some of those go up to $2500 .

 

[Capt Underpants]

I don't really know if it saves energy or heat levels. It seems to me like the 5400 RPM HD would initially use more energy, but it would get the job quicker. On the other hand, the 4200 RPM drive uses less power but takes more time to do the operation. Either way, saying that a consumer laptop doesn't need a 5400 RPM HD is probably true. It would make a considerable speed boost, though.

 

[milozauckerman]

If the screen only went to 50% brightness that would save on battery usage, too. So?

The difference in 5400 and 4200 makes a big difference in real-world performance (probably moreso than the graphics card or processor bump) without a horrible cost to Apple. I'd have appreciated at least a BTO option - even a horribly overpriced one ala memory - for a 40-60GB 5400 drive.

I understand why they used 4200RPM drives (put a 5400 in there and there's truly no reason to get a PB aside from DVI support), but that doesn't make me like it. 5400RPM drives would have been a good way to separate iBooks from the low-end laptop pack.

 

[Heb1228]

The difference in 5400 and 4200 makes a big difference in real-world performance (probably moreso than the graphics card or processor bump) without a horrible cost to Apple.

Its true that 5400 RPM drives do not affect battery life in any noticable capacity. See tomshardware.com for detailed testing results. But your assertion that there is a "big difference" in real world performance, I think I would like to see some kind of testing to prove this point. I have no doubt there is an increase in performance, but I don't think it's nearly as dramatic as you make it sound.

As a point of reference, my internal 4200 RPM drive gets around 80Mbps transfer rates on average. From what I understand that's pretty good even for higher RPM notebook drives.

Just as a note, I'd like it too if Apple sped up their drives, but I don't think its going to give more than a 1 or 2% performance increase. Its not the big deal people try to make it sometimes.

 

[Capt Underpants]

Its true that 5400 RPM drives do not affect battery life in any noticable capacity. See tomshardware.com for detailed testing results. But your assertion that there is a "big difference" in real world performance, I think I would like to see some kind of testing to prove this point. I have no doubt there is an increase in performance, but I don't think it's nearly as dramatic as you make it sound

It's pretty freakin' dramatic. Look here

 

[Sweetfeld28]

i don't think that a 4200 vs. a 5400rpm drive will have the big of an energy crunch.

The only diffrence that i know of with those speeds of drives is that You can't get the best results from a 4200rpm drive for Pro Video, but you can use a 5400rpm drive and it will do an ok job speed wise.

 

[mad jew]

It's pretty freakin' dramatic. Look here

Thanks for the link. When I got my iBook's hard drive upgraded, the salesman actually talked me out of going for a faster-than-4200rpm drive simply because it wouldn't be worth the extra money. Weird.

 

[Mood]

if you go from 4200 to 5400, that's a 22 percent increase in energy usage from the hdd, which will definitely make a difference. a couple millisecons here and there saved with the faster hdd is nothing compared to the rpms.

expect the flash-based hdds that are coming out in a year or two (30 40 gig versions) to give you 20 hour battery lives.

 

[milozauckerman]

According to that barefeats link, the difference in power usage/battery life was negligible.

 

[amin]

I hear a lot of people complaining about the 4200 RPM harddrive in the iBook. I ask what do you expect? This is any entry level laptop and thus does not need a 5400+ harddrive. Plus it saves on energy and heat levels. If you look at other manufacturers, many are still using 4200 RPM harddrives. Look at all the Dells that still use 4200 RPM HDs in the attached pic.

Also the Sony T-, FS-, and B-Series all have 4200 RPM harddrives and some of those go up to $2500 .

That Dell table is not true. For some reason, Dell consistently ships laptops with faster-than-advertised HDs. For example, my wife bought a seriously-discounted 700m that was supposed to come with a 60GB 4200rpm HD w/2MB buffer, and instead it shipped with a 60GB 5400 rpm HD w/ 32MB buffer. A friend of mine recently had a similar experience with the 6000. Check a search at laptopforums.com, and you'll see that I'm telling the truth.

 

[bodeh6]

...60GB 5400 rpm HD w/ 32MB buffer...

32MB Buffer . Probably 8MB tops.