Difference between 5400 HD & 7200 HD on R61

I need a new hard drive but need some expert opinions on which to choose. Is there a trade-off of heat vs speed between these HD speeds? I’d rather have a slow, cool and quiet laptop than a fast, hot and noisy laptop. Is the difference between these two speeds very noticeable?

My lappy isn’t really a powerhouse:
T5470 @ 1.60GHz
2 GB RAM
140M NVIDIA graphics

Which HD would be best for my set-up?

icky

 

7200rpm drive

-slightly more heat​

-slightly more noise (although they are far from loud, the fans usually overpower the hard drive noise)​

-faster access time (which will mostly affect video editing or transfering of large files, also boot up time will improve slightly)​

-slightly more expensive​

5400rpm drive

-Less heat​

-less noise​

-slower access time​

IMO, there is not much of a noticable difference between the 2. It all comes down to what your primary use is (which mine is gaming).

 

also to note: the capacity of your hard drive can affect your overall speed. a large capacity hard drive @ 5400 rpm can be just as fast as a 7200 rpm hard drive with a lesser capacity. it has to do with the orientation of the disks and platters and data densities. its more complicated than i am willing to research more, but suffice it to say that its probably not helpful to give up hard drive capacity for 7200 rpm's to stay within budget. plus, 5400 rpm has some practical benefits as well which a certain new home owner has already detailed out for you.

 

Thanks for weighing in with your thoughts. Seems like the compromise is what it is. I think I'll just go with a 5400rpm drive since I don't game or do anything intensive. Searching around didn't turn up anything conclusive except what has been stated here....thanks again.

 

Since it didn't get mentioned above, the 7200RPM drives consume more power (by nature of having a faster spinning disk actuator) than 5400RPM drives.

 

toms hardware has mixed results. this site is quite reliable for their reviews.

 

If you like waiting in line or on the road then the 5400 rpm drive will suit you fine.
I cannot tolerate waiting for my laptop so the 7200 rpm drive is better for me.
Enjoy your wait, why not get a 4200 rpm and get 5 more minutes on the battery....only problem is you will wait ten minutes longer to get what you need.

 

nice. i dig it. nothing more needs to be said.