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    160Gb 7200 rpm vs 160Gb 5400 rpm drives for X61s

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by rjamesbrown, Jan 22, 2008.

  1. rjamesbrown

    rjamesbrown Notebook Enthusiast

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    About to pick up an X61s and am deliberating between the 160Gb 7200 rpm and the 160Gb 5400 rpm options for the hard drive. I realize there has been many posts about 7200 rpm vs 5400 rpm in general, but as I have been reading the 160Gb 5400 rpm model uses perpendicular recording technology which is supposed to make it about as fast as the 100Gb 7200 rpm model. Is the same true when the 160Gb/5400rpm model is compared to the 160Gb/7200rpm model? Or does the latter also use perpendicular recording technology? Any first hand evidence would be also appreciated. Thanks.
     
  2. meekus

    meekus Notebook Consultant

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    When comparing a pair of 160GB HDDs, one 5400 RPM and the other 7200 RPM, the 7200 RPM HDD will have sport higher read/write performance. When compared to a higher capacity 5400 RPM HDD, a 7200 RPM drive will also have a clear edge when it comes to random access seek operations vs. a sequential read/write operations.

    7200 RPM HDDs also tend to draw a bit more current than their slower spinning brethren so battery life on the go may be compromised slightly.