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    Hard Drive question - 5400rpm vs 7200rpm

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by mlief, Apr 11, 2006.

  1. mlief

    mlief Notebook Enthusiast

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    I've considered whether upgrading to a 7200rpm drive is worth it.I'm curious - does the average user not need to upgrade to a faster HD?

    Not a gamer. Use the computer for internet/personal music/word processing/excel/powerpoint/access/statistical software/personal finance
     
    mlief, Apr 11, 2006
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  2. Silent

    Silent Notebook Consultant

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    In your case, it's definitely not worth the upgrade. A 5400rpm will more than satisfy your needs.
     
    Silent, Apr 11, 2006
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  3. jagged

    jagged Notebook Consultant

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    Will 7200RPM HDs improve startup times?

    How about performance of running big spreadsheets and accounting programs? How about games?

    I like to upgrade to a 7200RPM but problem is, my computer (Thinkpad T60) needs a SATA HD and sales people I talked to says that SATA with 7200RPM is not yet available...
     
    jagged, Apr 12, 2006
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  4. Dustin Sklavos

    Dustin Sklavos Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    The sales people you talked to have been sniffing glue. 7200rpm SATA drives are available on NewEgg.

    Startup improvement is minimal. You'll see marginally improved performance opening the spreadsheets, but the spreadsheets will be loading into RAM unless they're 1GB+. Likewise, accouting programs should see minimal improvements.

    Gaming improves a little more. Since many games stream data off the drive, you'll see a little less stuttering since the data will stream faster. Likewise, loading times for levels improve. I know World of Warcraft and Doom 3 saw real improvements for me when I went from 4200rpm to 7200rpm.
     
    Dustin Sklavos, Apr 12, 2006
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  5. Shampoo

    Shampoo Notebook Deity

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    If you can afford it, hell go for it, but remember there is a cost to everything, meaning a possibility of increased heat, power consumption and noise.

    If you're just an average joe, then don't get it and spend the money on an external drive for storage.

    Cheers,
    Mike
     
    Shampoo, Apr 13, 2006
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