5400rpm 250GB or 320GB Hard drive questions

Apart from capacity and price, is there any difference between the 5400rpm 250GB and 320GB hard drive options one would receive with a new T500 or W500?
I would think the 320GB would be faster, everything else being equal..but significantly faster? And do Lenovo choose different manufacturers for the different drive sizes?

 

I think the 320gb might be slightly faster, because IIRC, the smaller your used-to-total ratio is, the faster it will be.

Don't know about the manufacturer thing.

 

The biggest question would be platter size.

The 320GB drive is almost certainly a two platter design with 160GB platters.

The 250GB drive can be one of three options (most likel the 1st or 2nd):
1) 250GB with two 125GB platters
2) 250GB with two 160GB platters, short stroked to 125GB
3) 250GB with one 250GB platter

If it's option 1, then the 250GB drive will be slower in every way (albeit not by a lot) than the 320GB drive.

If it's option 2, the 250GB drive will be roughly comparable to the 320GB drive, but will have a slightly higher average speed because the slower portions of the platters are not used.

If it's option 3 (not likely), the 250GB drive will be a fair bit faster, lighter, and more efficient than the 320GB drive. This is due both to an increased areal density and reduced platter count.

There is no way to guarantee which drive (manufacturer or model) that Lenovo will provide. In actuallity, all of these drives will perform fine and within the same relative range. However, if you are really concerned about performance, the best option is to get the cheapest drive from Lenovo and upgrade it to the drive of your choice aftermarket.

 

a fascinating post, thank you! but from it i can only think from those many variables and uncertainties that it is only worth buying the amount I really "need"...and 250GB is way more than I should need...

 

I think the practical difference is little to none. If you want a speed bump, get a 7200RPM drive, which will only cost a few more bucks.

 

Thanks! I am not looking at a 7200rpm on the grounds of higher power/noise/vibration level of a faster-spinning drive. I am configuring the quietest T/W500Thinkpad I can. Of course, therefore, ideally I should get a SSD, but Lenovo charge far too much for them to come with the system - I will await developments there...