C2D MBP 7200 RPM vs 5400 RPM hard drive?

[kalayci]

I am about to get a C2D MBP 17" and I was wondering if 7200 RPM is worth getting it. If I order custom order from apple.com I will end up paying tax on a $3K machine. If 7200RPM drive not worth getting it, I will get it from online for $2649 with 150 rebate free shipping and no tax.

Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[ForeverUnknown]

Here's a comparison done between 4200, 5400, and 7200RPM drives

http://barefeats.com/mbcd7.html

 

[lu0s3r322]

remember that faster hard drives use up more battery power than slower ones.

 

[Silentwave]

Don't forget to consider that the 5400RPM 160GB drive is a PMR drive, which IIRC has some pretty good speeds that are higher than most 5400s.

 

[kalayci]

Excellent... Thank you very much for the valuable feedback. I shall get one right after this January 7th event.

 

[BigPrince]

Excellent... Thank you very much for the valuable feedback. I shall get one right after this January 7th event.

Have you chosen 7200 or 5400?

 

[djinn]

Wouldn't the 7200 RPM cause some increase in heat as well on the left palm rest?

 

[kalayci]

Yes... I made up my mind... now remember I am coming from the dark side.. I am an IT consultant stuck with windows. I am about to switch so I have been reading your valuable comments and feedbacks

The following is what I am planning right now.
After Mac World event
C2D MBP 17"
2.33 with 2GB with 5400 RPM drive at Compusa for $2649 + apple care believe it or not without any sales tax
Wireless Mouse
Misc software

First Q07 (have not made up my mind yet)
30 inch apple display or whatever is announced at the MacWorld next week
Wireless keyboard
Wireless NAS

 

[djinn]

Why you waiting til after Jan 7th? Just curious.. iLife 07?

 

[kalayci]

From what I hear on these forums they will be announcing new products and rumor says some new displays are coming out. I was wondering if by any chance if MBP 17" might get a resolution upgrade to 1920x1200 like the M170 you are currently using.

Since I am new to this environment, I think I would feel more comfortable purchasing after a big event.

 

[djinn]

Oh Ok.. I don't think those rumors would be towards new displays with the Macbooks but I could be wrong. I don't think any updates are coming to the macbooks. But then again, its Apple.

I love having that res on my M1710, but for gaming it sucks. For gaming and high FPS, you want a mid native resolution like my 15" MBP. Putting a game at that res, 1920x1200 is beautiful, but does stress the card out. Lowering the res you sacrifice beauty for performance.

I just bought this Macbook Pro a couple days ago and love it. Thanks to the help from the people on this forum. And I did ask the question about any new updates coming out. Alot of people doubted anything would be released. And I don't really mind if a new version of iLife comes out since I don't use it.

 

[uNext]

Excellent choice in waiting for the event to swing by.
You dont want to purchase something now and then 1 week later
something worth your while and your money comes along.

I like yourself, i am waiting for new displays to come out before i make my purchase.

You will not regret your purchase i have a 2.33ghz macbook pro and it is amazing. I do my design work using photoshop c s3 and my writing using word (under rosetta i hardly see any hick-ups).

I cant wait for a new 30" monster to gracefully add texture to my wall

 

[djinn]

OH yeah.. the new MBP C2D is so freaking awesome. I actually sold my Dell M170 for the MBP CD 2.16 and it wasn't as snappy as this one. Plus it got really really hot. Maybe I had something wrong with mine but anyhow I returned it. I bought the M1710 and used that until now, I got the MBP C2D. M1710 is for gaming and my MBP is for programming and photo/web dev. Plus I got a decent discount so I was happy.

It doesn't hurt to wait since its not to far off. I would've waited but since I didn't read anything about updates I figured, what the heck.

 

[erockerboy]

Deciphering Barefeats specs?

Can anyone help me parse the Barefeats numbers cited above? It looked to me as though the 7200rpm drive would be faster most of the time, going by the graphs.... BUT, as the accompanying text seemed to indicate, most tests were performed on an empty drive - while the performance at the 74GB mark looked like a lot more of a mixed bag.

So where would this leave me assuming I wanted to run Logic Pro and ProTools, and not much else? (Probably using external FW drives for recording audio, btw.) If I don't plan on loading anything other than OS and apps on the internal HD, should I save $100 and go with the 7200rpm drive?

(On a separate note - what is the current thinking re: partitioning of drives? Will I squeeze out any extra performance if I create a relatively small partition for apps and OS and use that as my startup volume? Or is it not with the effort?)

Thanks for any tips!

 

[djinn]

Personally, I would go with the Hitachi 5400RPM (PRM) drive and save cash from buying an external drive. Plus, you would save the room by not having to carry around an external drive.

HITACHI Travelstar 5K160 HTS541616J9SA00 (0A28844) 160GB 5400 RPM Serial ATA150 Notebook Hard Drive - OEM - $139.99

 

[phungy]

Personally, I would go with the Hitachi 5400RPM (PRM) drive and save cash from buying an external drive. Plus, you would save the room by not having to carry around an external drive.

HITACHI Travelstar 5K160 HTS541616J9SA00 (0A28844) 160GB 5400 RPM Serial ATA150 Notebook Hard Drive - OEM - $139.99

Highly considering that right now. Only question I have is will swapping out RAM/HD void/prevent Apple from working on my laptop if it needs repairs. I know there are threads out there that cover this but some say yes it will void, some say no it won't void.

 

[djinn]

I don't know the right answer to that. Your best bet is to call Apple and ask them. I would also get that persons name just in case someone says otherwise if you were to have any problems.

 

[ForeverUnknown]

Quote taken from Apple Support regarding DIY service: http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro/diy/diy_faq.html

Will my part be covered if my MacBook Pro is in warranty?
Your DIY part order will be at no charge if the repair is covered under the terms of the Apple One-Year Limited Warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan. An Apple authorized representative can determine if a DIY part is right for you—see the "Ordering DIY Parts" page to find out how to order parts.

Note: Certain repairs, such as those due to accidental damage, will not be covered. You may need to provide credit card authorization to secure the return of the defective part; if you don't return it back to Apple as instructed, your credit card will be charged.

and another quote regarding DIY parts: http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro/diy/order.html

We have the following DIY parts available for all MacBook Pro computers:

* Battery
* Memory
* Mighty Mouse
* Modem (USB, optional accessory)
* Power Cord

So RAM is under warranty unless you screw something up.

Finally there's the instructions page http://www.apple.com/support/manuals/macbookpro/ and it doesn't look like hard drive replacement is listed so maybe it wouldn't be under warranty. You can always email Apple to ask

 

[djinn]

Is there a real noticeable difference in speed between the Hitachi 120gig vs the Hitachi 160gig? No benchmark numbers.

 

[phungy]

Cool. Now I can safely sell the 2x512 oem RAM without fearing that Apple won't repair my MB unless there's an "Apple" RAM in it.

I'll ask Apple about the HD once I'm done studying for today.

 

[djinn]

Once you find out about the HD replacement, let us know.

 

[phungy]

Once you find out about the HD replacement, let us know.

Dun, dun, dun.

Replacing the HD/RAM yourself will NOT void the warranty. Yay!!

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3581096&#3581096