Using mostly for Logic Pro - 5400RPM or 7200RPM?

[gakuran hitori]

Hello everyone,

I'm going to buy a 15" MBP primarily as a work computer for composing in Logic Pro, and I also plan to use it for live shows. I'll probably pick 2.8GHz i7 instead of 2.66GHz since I'll be needing a lot of power, and eventually I may upgrade the RAM to 8GB if it seems like I need it. My question is, considering what I'll be using it for would you recommend I go for the 7200RPM hard drive rather than the 5400RPM one?

I'm mostly concerned about the heat with a 7200RPM hard drive as it spins faster and gets hotter than a 5400RPM one. I've never used a 5400RPM hard drive with Logic so I don't know how much the slowdown would be. SSD is too much right now, but maybe I'll upgrade in a few years if it becomes cheaper.

If anyone can give me their opinions on which I should get I'd be very grateful.

Thank you!

 

[SatyMahajan]

Hello everyone,

I'm going to buy a 15" MBP primarily as a work computer for composing in Logic Pro, and I also plan to use it for live shows. I'll probably pick 2.8GHz i7 instead of 2.66GHz since I'll be needing a lot of power, and eventually I may upgrade the RAM to 8GB if it seems like I need it. My question is, considering what I'll be using it for would you recommend I go for the 7200RPM hard drive rather than the 5400RPM one?

I'm mostly concerned about the heat with a 7200RPM hard drive as it spins faster and gets hotter than a 5400RPM one. I've never used a 5400RPM hard drive with Logic so I don't know how much the slowdown would be. SSD is too much right now, but maybe I'll upgrade in a few years if it becomes cheaper.

If anyone can give me their opinions on which I should get I'd be very grateful.

Thank you!

Depends on what you're going to be doing most of the time. You said performance and composition. Here's my understanding:

For multitrack recording you'll need a fast hard drive (for writing to disk, preferably a fast 2nd drive, eSata).
For performance (MainStage) you'll need a lot of RAM (for samples)
For mixing / mastering / composition / track-by-track recording you'll need a lot of CPU (for effects/instruments) and to some extent a fast drive based on how many tracks of audio.

That being said, I'm a programmer as well as musician and I use a base 2009 MacBook Pro 13" with 4GB RAM and a WD Black 7200RPM drive for my sketches and portable audio work. Does it's job admirably. I barely push it. In fact, I barely notice the difference between it and my Mac Pro beast most of the time (with the exception of the 2 30" monitors...).

 

[gakuran hitori]

Depends on what you're going to be doing most of the time. You said performance and composition. Here's my understanding:

For multitrack recording you'll need a fast hard drive (for writing to disk, preferably a fast 2nd drive, eSata).
For performance (MainStage) you'll need a lot of RAM (for samples)
For mixing / mastering / composition / track-by-track recording you'll need a lot of CPU (for effects/instruments) and to some extent a fast drive based on how many tracks of audio.

That being said, I'm a programmer as well as musician and I use a base 2009 MacBook Pro 13" with 4GB RAM and a WD Black 7200RPM drive for my sketches and portable audio work. Does it's job admirably. I barely push it. In fact, I barely notice the difference between it and my Mac Pro beast most of the time (with the exception of the 2 30" monitors...).

Yes, you have a pretty good idea of what I'll be doing. So you think I should get the faster drive and stop worrying about the heat?

 

[SatyMahajan]

Yes, you have a pretty good idea of what I'll be doing. So you think I should get the faster drive and stop worrying about the heat?

The Western Digital Black 320 GB I have is like $70 on newegg.com. Even when I'm pushing it during a after effects or cinema 4d render (not often, but when I'm away sometimes it's the only option), it doesn't get terribly hot.

You'll be fine with the 7200RPM, aluminum dissipates heat very well. WD makes great drives.

 

[gldubzakjr]

I originally had the 5400rpm and upgraded the drive myself to the Hitachi 7200rpm and the heat difference is minimal under heavy load; however, the hard drives performance is much better overall. My wife has an identical MacBook Pro with the standard 5400rpm drive and hers feels slower in most tests.

Get the 7200rpm, you'll prefer the performance; however, you should note that the battery life will be decreased ever-so-slightly but not enough to really care.

Good luck with whatever choice you make...