4200rpm HD on brand new Vaio?

Hey kids,

So I'm looking at getting a new Vaio, either the FZ31Z or the FZ31S. The S has (according to the Vaio website) a 250GB hard drive @ 5400rpm and the Z has a 300GB HD @ 4200rpm(!). The Z is supposed to be a high spec (has T8300 and 4GB RAM etc) so why would it have a slower HD? Can you not get 300GB drives at 5400 or above?

Would it be worth getting a 7200 drive to replace the one that comes in the Z and selling the 300GB one that comes with the Vaio? I don't need anywhere near 300GB of space!

Hope that makes sense

 

Most definitely worth upgrading to the 7200.

I don't know why they still make 4200rpm drives, they're ridiculously slow.

 

For sure, I would change the hard drive if it was 4200rpm. I wouldn't even hesitate.

 

thanks guys, would it seem right that it's that slow given that it's the top of the FZ range? Or is that down to the size?

If I were to upgrade to a faster drive would the backup discs I get with the laptop install onto a new hard drive given that it's different hardware?

 

I tend to find that the larger the hard drive, the slower it is. For example, most of the time all the 250GB hard drives out there (the ones that HP offers, Dell, etc., that comes stock with the laptop) run at 5400RPM's. All the 160GB hard drives, usually you get a choice of eather 5400RPM's, or 7200RPM's. 100Gb, same thing, you have those two choices. The larger the drive, the RPM's are generally at 5400 for 150 and above). Why, honestly I don't know. All I know is the larger and faster the hard drive, the price rises considerably. I also know, that the Thinkpad has an option of a 200GB hard drive @ 7200RPM's, which would probably be the equivalent speed of a 250GB drive @ 5400RPM's.
Again, this is all from what I have experienced in building and pricing computers.

 

At the same spin speed, larger HDs tend to be faster than smaller HDs as the data on each platter is denser, so there is less need to switch between discs, and therefore less time wasted on the mechanical movement of switching.

Currently, the largest 2.5" HD one can get at 5400RPM would be 300GB. The Vaio probably doesn't come with this option as default as it would be quite expensive.

Provided that there is no recovery partition or something on the HD which shipped with your Vaio, installing a new HD will not prevent your recovery discs from working.