Laptop hard drive question.
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MindoverMaster
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I don't think you will really notice much of a gain. Maybe Windows will load a twinge faster. But the main thing is, 7200rpm will use more battery power than 5400rpm. Cut it in about 1/3.
Peter.Cort
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You'll definitely see an improvement in speed. I upgraded to a 7200 RPM drive from a 5400 RPM one and it's definitely a worth while upgrade.
As far as battery life goes, I haven't really done any testing on this, but from a pure speculation standpoint with a 5400 RPM drive it would take longer for the drive to speed up and position the heads, and then read the data than a 7200 RPM drive would.
It depends on what you're doing with the laptop to determine it's effect on battery life. If I'm just browsing the web, doing forum posting and stuff, then then I get fine battery life, comparable to what I was getting with the 5400 RPM drive. If it's something like watching a video or continually accessing the drive then I get worse battery life. But when it's plugged in it's definitely a solid decision to upgrade.
As far as battery life goes, I haven't really done any testing on this, but from a pure speculation standpoint with a 5400 RPM drive it would take longer for the drive to speed up and position the heads, and then read the data than a 7200 RPM drive would.
It depends on what you're doing with the laptop to determine it's effect on battery life. If I'm just browsing the web, doing forum posting and stuff, then then I get fine battery life, comparable to what I was getting with the 5400 RPM drive. If it's something like watching a video or continually accessing the drive then I get worse battery life. But when it's plugged in it's definitely a solid decision to upgrade.
crashdavis
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You'll definitely notice a gain in performance going to that 7200rpm drive. but the key is making sure you get one that performs as expected.
That is, ABC 7200 rpm drive may perform 20% slower than XYZ 7200% drive and ABC may not show you all that much of a difference compared to your 5400rpm.
Just because it says "7200rpm" doesn't actually mean its going to be fast. Do some searching for drive comparisons and then go buy the best 7200 you can afford. Well worth it..
The only downside I have had so far, is that I can feel the heat..I'm running two 320gb 7200rpm drives and my baby gets friggin warm...My battery life is not effected much at all. I get only 2 hours out of a full charge, but its always been like that from day one since I bought it..the 1-2% loss I've had is probably from age, being 2 years old now.
That is, ABC 7200 rpm drive may perform 20% slower than XYZ 7200% drive and ABC may not show you all that much of a difference compared to your 5400rpm.
Just because it says "7200rpm" doesn't actually mean its going to be fast. Do some searching for drive comparisons and then go buy the best 7200 you can afford. Well worth it..
The only downside I have had so far, is that I can feel the heat..I'm running two 320gb 7200rpm drives and my baby gets friggin warm...My battery life is not effected much at all. I get only 2 hours out of a full charge, but its always been like that from day one since I bought it..the 1-2% loss I've had is probably from age, being 2 years old now.
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