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5400RPM vs 7200RPM

P

pilotkid

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Is there really a NOTICEABLE difference between the two different hard drive speeds? I currently have the stock 80gb 5400rpm hard drive and i'm thinking about going up to at least 100gb and am wondering if 7200 rpm really makes a difference? Also, how big of a deal is it to switch out that hard drive? When i put the new one in do i just put in the Mac restore cds or is there more? Also, i have apple care, in the event that i need to use it do i need to switch the hd's out and put the original one back in?
if it makes a difference i have also upgraded it to 2gb or ram.
Thanks in advance
 
It's fairly easy, I took mine out for fun when I did my ram upgrade. Just make sure you have the right tools(it says a size 1 philips when it's really a size 0 I'd suggest buying a whole kit[i got mine for $5]). and when you put the cover on make sure you have the foam in correctly or else the ram won't sit properly.

It's very very very easy.

As far as the 7200 RPM it's going to decrease batterylife and add some heat. Perhapse looking into an external would be a better option? depending on your needs you could just get a case and mount a drive in it with ethernet,usb,firewire 400.
 
I'd say go with a 160 gig if you want the speed. It is about the same price as a 100 gig 7200 rpm if I'm not mistaken, and is apparently pretty close in speed as well while offering much greater size. You'll also get more battery life because its only at 5400 rpm, and less heat too.
 
The switch from 5400 to 7200 was quite noticeable on my older PowerMac.
Aps load faster, everything seems snappier, etc.

Although I must admit the improvement could have more to do with replacing a 4 year old drive with a brand new one.
 
I would imagine going to the 200gb 4200 rpm would be noticeable though right? (Slower)
 
Cult Follower said:
I don't think the spped difference will be noticable in everyday tasks.
Click to expand...

Jumping to a faster hard drive will always give you a noticeable speed jump.

The easiest upgrade a you can make is RAM, and often times it doesn't even make that much of a difference.

Hard drive upgrades take time, but when you make the jump from 5400RPM to 7200 RPM, you will reap the benefits immediately. People who say hard drive speed won't make a difference, have never upgraded to a faster hard drive.
 
Here's a quick article that lays it out pretty simply.

A quote from the article that pretty much summarizes it:

So if it takes 3 seconds on an average 5400 rpm drive, it will take 3.5 seconds on an average 4200 rpm drive and 2.6 seconds on the 7200 rpm drive. Keep in mind this is a best case scenario, and the real application loading performance difference will be smaller.
Click to expand...
 
For audio for video editing/production, 7200RPM drives are standard really.

In a few months, we'll have 2.5" Serial ATA 7200RM 160GB Hard discs apparently. I can't wait that long unfortunately.
 
4600 HDs in MBP?

I was just on the Apple store web site and saw the biggest HDs were all 4600's. I thought they'd want to offer a top of the line upgrade- but I guess they are choosing battery life and heat over speed? I am really disappointed.
 
jmscalercio said:
I was just on the Apple store web site and saw the biggest HDs were all 4600's. I thought they'd want to offer a top of the line upgrade- but I guess they are choosing battery life and heat over speed? I am really disappointed.
Click to expand...
4600's? I assume you are referring to the 4200RPM 200GB model Apple offers. Apple only can offer what a) exists and what b) is available in sufficient quantities. Apple still offers a 100GB 7200RPM drive in some models. You must keep in mind that this new drive has only just become available, and availability is not yet widespread. I'd expect for Apple to offer it or a similar drive within the coming months.
 
i believe the 200GB 4200RPM HDD is similar in speed to a 160GB 5400RPM HDD, which is similar in speed to the 100GB 7200 RPM HDD. This is because the bits of data are closer together, so you don't have to rotate as fast to get the same amount of information. Obviously the faster the platters spin the faster information is read, but more heat is produced and more power is consumed.
 
I've heard the 200 gig is noticeable slower than the 5400, and the difference between the 5400 and 7200 is small.

But the 200 gig is still worth it if you need that extra 40 gigs.
 
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