Series 7 14" still available with 7200rpm HD?

I'm having trouble finding the 14" Chronos in stores, but especially confusing are the hard drive specs available. While I was beginning my laptop search, I feel I saw a variety of locations selling the 750 GB drive with 7200 rpm. Now the only version I'm seeing is offered with a 1 TB drive. Usually the speed is not stated (the salesman at my local store couldn't even find the speed listed on the box, though I doubt he tried too hard), but I've found a few sources mentioning that the 1TB version is only 5400 rpm.

I'm really interested in the machine, but as I can't see ever using more than a few hundred gigs I would rather grab the machine with a the faster rpm.

I guess when it comes down to it, I don't want to settle. Is there a performance difference worthwhile enough to hold out for the 7200 rpm drive?

 

If the model you are looking at includes ExpressCache then I think you would struggle to notice the performance difference between 5400 and 7200 rpm. 7200 rpm HDDs do have faster access times but they are still an eternity relative to the ExpressCache.

John

 

Here's the reason:

The original specs called for a 750gb 7200rpm Seagate drive; these are too constrained to be able to produce the 14" S7. They've switched it for a 1tb Samsung 5400rpm drive that they can control allocation for and keep production moving.

I was disappointed in not getting the 750gb 7200rpm drive, but as John Ratsey says, the Express Cache more than makes up for it.

If you are planning on buying one, I'd honestly wait. Had mine not been free, I would have returned it. It's got all the same issues as the larger models.

 

How did you get one for free? Did you stole it or something

 

Nope, no theft involved.

Won it in a contest:

Samsung Boosted Secret Sites

 

I was planning to get one real soon, but just read your comment, daedalusleto, about waiting.

I was going to get mine from tigerdirect. May I ask what are the problems that come with the models out right now? Specifically, NP700Z3A-S05US, from CompUSA.com | NP700Z3A-S05US | Samsung Series 7 14 Core i5 1TB HDD Laptop.

 

Is all the 1tb drive 5400rpm even if the shops list them as 1tb 7200rpm?

 

There's the Seagate Constellation but it's made for servers and is 15mm thick. I don't there are any others at the moment. Perhaps I'm wrong - I only discovered a few days back that there are 750GB 7200 rpm 2.5" HDDs.

John

 

In Sweden were I live their seems to be two different 14 inch models:

NP700Z3A-S03: i5-2430M, 1tb 7200rpm drive

700Z3A-S02: i5 2450M, 1tb 5400rpm

They cost about the same, the only difference between the two are the cpu and the rpm-speed of the drives.


I would buy the NP700Z3A-S03 with a slightly slower cpu but faster drive if the information that the stores provide is correct.