4200 60GB vs. 5200 80 GB

trueblue01verttrueblue01vert
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Howdy all, I'm about to buy a 12" powerbook and I am trying to decide between the 4200 rpm 60GB drive and the 5200 rpm 80 GB drive. I have read several threads regarding speed and battery life - it seems there is negligable battery life difference and a bit of a performance boost at 5400 (and go w/ a 7200 aftermarket if you want real speed). The size difference doesn't matter to me much, I have ample network storage.



My question is, Is there a noticible difference in noise level or heat? Is the 4200 quieter than the 5400? The main reason I care is my previous laptop, a Dell Latitude, had a drive that sounded like a table saw and would burn my leg (yes, the drive, not the processor - yes, I returned it for a new one, same deal).



Thanks for your input,

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 2
    costiquecostique Posts: 1,084member
    The difference in their speed is too great to deny. Power consumption should be nearly identical. As for noise, if you can learn exact model numbers of the drives, I suggest going to the manufacturers' web sites and looking for specs. These days slow drives (4200 and 5400 rpm) are not so hot or noisy, in general, unless made by idiots.



    When you find the specs, mind the number of plates (physical disks inside the drives): each of them tends to contribute to noise noticeably.
  • Reply 2 of 2
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    I have a 4200rpm drive in my TiBook, and it works fine. If you decide to get serious with multimedia, you can always pick up a much beefier Firewire external drive.
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