7200 rpm so much faster than 5400 rpm pro?

[Rockabizzydilly]

Is a 7200 rpm HD in the macbook pro so much faster than the 5400 rpm?
And is it a lot nosier and more consuming? And what about the heating? Runs hotter or stays the same?

 

[thegoldenmackid]

It's much faster. I've had no problems with my 7200 BTO Drive.

 

[Rockabizzydilly]

It's much faster. I've had no problems with my 7200 BTO Drive.

Some time ago I read something about the bits being closer together when the amount of GB's is higher, so closer bits on 5400 is the same as an 7200. Anyway ofcourse when the bits are even close in the 5400 as in the 7200 (which is logic because of same size of 500GB's) it is indeed faster I guess. But is it noisier? Faster draining batterylife?

 

[thegoldenmackid]

When I said it was fine. I mean that I haven't noticed its noise at all. As for energy consumption I haven't done any comparison testing, I imagine from simple math it uses more power, but turning the screen down one notch probably makes this fact irrelevant.

 

[Heavenly]

I barely hear the hard drive spinning at all or feel it humming, even when I'm installing something or playing a game

P.S. You don't have to make 3 threads asking the same question.

 

[Patrick J]

When using a 5400rpm drive the Macbook doesn't make any discernible vibration while, for example, on a table.
When I swapped this out for a 7200rpm WD drive, I could hear a hum and some slight vibration.

 

[Rockabizzydilly]

When I said it was fine. I mean that I haven't noticed its noise at all. As for energy consumption I haven't done any comparison testing, I imagine from simple math it uses more power, but turning the screen down one notch probably makes this fact irrelevant.

Yes indeed, pure logic also says that when the harddrive is faster, it will not be needed as long as with a 5400 for reading something so might use the same energy in that perspective, also, when it is faster, things get loaded faster so heating might be less high and gone faster, the heat might drop faster I mean ...

 

[kolax]

Using a 7,200RPM drive does have a noticeable effect on the battery.

Also, you are right density - a 500GB 5400RPM drive may be quicker than a 320GB 7200RPM drive because of density in some scenarios. The head has less distance to move etc. There was an article on this somewhere - was posted here. Was a good read.

 

[jav6454]

Is a 7200 rpm HD in the macbook pro so much faster than the 5400 rpm?
And is it a lot nosier and more consuming? And what about the heating? Runs hotter or stays the same?

Not much faster, but it is noticeable. Nosier, yes, it might due to the higher speed. Heat, yes because more power to spin faster. Because there is more heat, yes it will run hotter. How much, don't know, but it is noticeable.

 

[antskip]

Also, you are right density - a 500GB 5400RPM drive may be quicker than a 320GB 7200RPM drive because of density in some scenarios. The head has less distance to move etc. There was an article on this somewhere - was posted here. Was a good read.

The crucial number re density is the size of each platter, not the total size of the HDD. A 2-platter 320GB HDD has the density of a single-platter 160GB HDD. A 500GB HDD using 2 platters has the density of one 250GB HDD. The recent 640GB WD Scorpio Blue has 2 X 320GB platters, and so will have the same density as a single 320GB HDD; etc etc.

 

[Akira1980]

It's faster, but it also gets hotter. Personally I think it is worth it.