06-15-2009, 09:29 AM

Hey all,

So since my last post I'm still debating between 13 and 15 inch Macbook Pros. One question that's come to mind is RPM speed. I've been advised not to get a large hard drive with a fast RPM speed because it might heat up too much and damage the computer in the long run.

Is that true? Am I better off getting the slower RPM hard drive? Will I notice a difference in performance (again, I plan on using Logic, Ableton, etc)?

Thanks,

Eddie

06-15-2009, 09:44 AM

The differences between heat production on a 7200rpm drive versus a 5400rpm drive are negligible in my experience. I wouldn't sweat it.

Yes, there are performance differences with greater spindle speed.

06-15-2009, 09:46 AM

You will notice a big difference in read/write speeds with a 7200 RPM drive. Also a big difference in boot time and speed in launching apps.
My boot time went from over 45 seconds to 28 seconds - and this with a cloning of the drive, not a fresh install. So, both started with identical processes loading.

There are quite a few of us here that have switched out our drives to 7200's. Most of us notice very little in the way of increased heat or reduced battery life.

Get the cheapest drive from Apple you can get and upgrade it yourself.