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7200 rpm or 5400 rpm for hi intensity programs

BENI

BENI

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 27, 2009
102
1
i'm thinking of getting a macbook pro 15" 2.66ghz for use with logic pro mainly.

my question is really about heat.
if a 7200 rpm drive is going to heat up so much (especially when using intensive programs like logic) that it is bad for the disk would a 5400 be better all round?

obviously it would be slower but would it also last longer/ be more reliable?

...or would the difference in heat be negligible compared to the improved speed?

thanks
 
I put a 7200 RPM drive in my machine, and it actually runs a couple degrees cooler than the 5400 RPM drive that came with it. The speed bump isn't huge for everyday use, but it is appreciable. Personally, I would go with the 7200 RPM, and keep a backup (which you should always do anyhow). That way, even if the drive fails (which either speed easily could), you don't need to worry about it.
 
is the momentus more reliable then?
also how would i get that into a macbook? and the link is only for a 320gb hd


btw thanks for all replys - at the moment i'm looking towards the 7200 apple
 
BENI said:
is the momentus more reliable then?
also how would i get that into a macbook? and the link is only for a 320gb hd


btw thanks for all replys - at the moment i'm looking towards the 7200 apple
Click to expand...

No the Momentus XT is not a reliable hard drive and has bugs under OS X. I'm using a stock Hitachi after going through 2 Momentus XT's and besides the extra storage there is no noticeable speed difference. It actually performs about 25% slower than my Hitachi in Xbench.
 
oplix said:
No the Momentus XT is not a reliable hard drive and has bugs under OS X. I'm using a stock Hitachi after going through 2 Momentus XT's and besides the extra storage there is no noticeable speed difference. It actually performs about 25% slower than my Hitachi in Xbench.
Click to expand...

explain the 'bugs' under OS X?

I've read 20 page threads with nothing but people posting good, if not great reviews, about this drive..
 
i ordered my 15" mbp with the 7200 rpm hdd, i am saving up for / waiting for SSD to drop significantly. Imagine it like a car a v6 gets better fuel efficiency then the average 4 cylinder engine because the motor is not working nearly as hard to move the same amount of weight, but when you need the power its there.
 
oplix said:
Why don't you read some more. Like Seagate's own support forum.
Click to expand...

1. I don't see a reason for an attitude.

2. When you say 'bugs', why not explain to the users of this thread, instead of assuming that everyone has your previously acquired knowledge of all that goes on in "Seagate's own support forums".

3. I've also read that "XBench" isn't nearly the most reliable benchmark tool - so, I wouldn't go by that.

4. And, since you've already had TWO (why you would've gotten a second if you KNOW that they have bugs and are bad drives is beyond me) Seagate Momentus XT drives - you should know that they dont't perform well on benchmark tests. The benefits of having the drive are in the 4GB of NAND memory (which is the cache - and pretty much why the drive doesn't run benchmarks well) which learns over time and speeds up according to each users most often accessed data - otherwise, the drive performs pretty much as any standard 7200rpm drive would.

I hope that clears up a few things for you.
 
RWil85 said:
1. I don't see a reason for an attitude.

2. When you say 'bugs', why not explain to the users of this thread, instead of assuming that everyone has your previously acquired knowledge of all that goes on in "Seagate's own support forums".

3. I've also read that "XBench" isn't nearly the most reliable benchmark tool - so, I wouldn't go by that.

4. And, since you've already had TWO (why you would've gotten a second if you KNOW that they have bugs and are bad drives is beyond me) Seagate Momentus XT drives - you should know that they dont't perform well on benchmark tests. The benefits of having the drive are in the 4GB of NAND memory (which is the cache - and pretty much why the drive doesn't run benchmarks well) which learns over time and speeds up according to each users most often accessed data - otherwise, the drive performs pretty much as any standard 7200rpm drive would.

I hope that clears up a few things for you.
Click to expand...


i have 3 of these disks in pc and mac laptops, they all have issues, once the ssd goes the drive is useless.

most of the issues relate to the drive locking up.

Momentus XT is far from reliable.

i would get a 500GB 7200 RPM or SSD , depening on your budget.

or consider a dual disk setup, i have a 80gb ssd and 1tb hdd, i did both for $300
 
I have a Seagate Momentus XT, 500gb 7200rpm. Love it. Less vibration than my Hitachi 320gb 7200rpm that my uMBP came with.

No issues here! Happy as a clam.

EDIT- OP, I bought my computer specifically for Logic Pro. I LOVE this program. I can't say anything about experience with a 5400rpm drive. Ever since I was a teen building PC's, I've only used 7200rpm, cause I learned they were "better" =) YMMV, but hey, for the $50 upgrade from apple, why not? That's what I did. I only upgraded to the Seagate because I was running out of room. I have 3 external HDD's, but if I'm running to a site to work on a show, I don't like having to bring the externals just to get some SFX, so I needed to beef up my internal HDD.
 
BENI said:
is the momentus more reliable then?
also how would i get that into a macbook? and the link is only for a 320gb hd


btw thanks for all replys - at the moment i'm looking towards the 7200 apple
Click to expand...

Ahhh, no! Don't get the apple upgrade, it's a ripoff and a crap drive. I would go with a WD scorpio black 500GB. The install is a pretty easy and quick deal, just make sure you have the right tools. You can find several guides to do it online.
 
hahaha

well thankyou everybody for your thoughts on the matter they have been very helpful (if maddeningly contradictory and conflicting).

i will leave this question now, probably more confused, though certainly better informed, than when i posted it:rolleyes:

ah well - thats people being human i suppose.

thanks again and i'm sure i will be back for more confusulation! :)
 
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