7200 RPM Laptop Drive; Good idea or bad idea?

[Betelgeuse]

So, now that I've decided to get the matte screen on my new 15" Macbook Pro, the only question left is about the hard drive. Should I get the 7200 RPM drive or stick with the 5400 RPM one? Assume for the purposes of discussion that the extra money is not relevant. What are the things I should be thinking about?

Is battery life significantly impacted by the 7200 RPM drive? Is the data transfer rate significantly better?

Thoughts?

 

[airplaneman]

If you want significantly better transfer rates & battery savings, go for an SSD. The difference between 5400 and 7200 RPM drives are negligible. Battery life is shortened a tiny bit with the 7200.

 

[fehhkk]

Going from, say, a 320GB 5400RPM to a 320GB 7200RPM is not that noticeable. Going from 320GB 5400RPM -> 500GB 7200RPM you will definitely see a slight speed increase. Higher drive density, speedier transfers.

What is really negligible, is the battery life decrease.

 

[Betelgeuse]

Thanks guys. That makes my decision easy. An SSD isn't really practical because of the decreased drive capacity and the (greatly) increased price. 5400 RPM it is!