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    5400RPM or 7200RPM with freefall sensor HDD?

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by lottdod_1999, May 26, 2009.

  1. lottdod_1999

    lottdod_1999 Notebook Evangelist

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    Which one should I get for my new studio 15.. I assumed 7200 would be better and faster but I'm seeing there may be some drawbacks?
     
    lottdod_1999, May 26, 2009
    #1
  2. Phil

    Phil Retired

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    Size: 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) [Included in Price]
    Size: 320GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) [add $25 or $1/month1]
    Size: 500GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) [add $100 or $3/month1]
    Speed: 250GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) with Free Fall Sensor [add $50 or $1/month1]
    Speed: 320GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) with Free Fall Sensor [add $75 or $2/month1]

    My advice: get the standard 250GB 5400rpm drive, if it turns out to be too slow for you, upgrade it yourself. For less than $75 you can buy 320GB/7200rpm yourself and keep the 250GB as external drive or sell it.
     
    Phil, May 26, 2009
    #2
  3. a55a55in

    a55a55in Notebook Enthusiast

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    Battery life ll be better with 5400rpm drive
     
    a55a55in, May 26, 2009
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  4. Commander Wolf

    Commander Wolf can i haz broadwell?

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    Would second that.

    If you're not comfortable upgrading the drive yourself; I'd still opt for one of the 5400RPM drives: 250GB if you don't need the space and 500GB if you do need the space. If you really wanted hard drive performance, get a good SSD. The performance boost going from 5400RPM to 7200RPM is relatively small.
     
    Commander Wolf, May 26, 2009
    #4
  5. lottdod_1999

    lottdod_1999 Notebook Evangelist

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    Ok glad to hear that. I'd rather save on battery
     
    lottdod_1999, May 26, 2009
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  6. Fragilexx

    Fragilexx Get'cha head in the game

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    Also, in reality some 5400RPM drives actually perform better than some 7200RPM drives in some areas. I guess the question is "What do you want from your laptop?".

    I would echo what everyone else has said though. Get the 5400RPM to start. If you find it doesn't meet your requirements, HDDs are cheap as chips at the moment and really easy to upgrade. If you do look to upgrade, you might find the following links useful:

    Cloning your HDD - credit: John Ratsey (omg I just noticed this person lives in my town!!!)
    Hard Drive Recommendations & Benchmarks - Credit: Phil (NBR Mod)
    Pros & Cons of 5400RPM vs 7200RPM

    Regards
     
    Fragilexx, May 28, 2009
    #6
  7. Mastershroom

    Mastershroom wat

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    I would get the upgrade just for the free-fall sensor. Without that, if you ever drop your laptop, the hard drive needle could permanently damage the drive on impact. With the sensor, it automatically locks itself before impact to minimize the risk of damage.

    But as everyone else has made clear, it's cheaper and more effective to just get whatever comes with the notebook, and upgrade the hard drive yourself later on.
     
    Mastershroom, May 28, 2009
    #7