Hard drives: 8mb vs 16 mb cache. Big difference?

I am planning to replace the HDD in my MBP, but I'm a little confused about HDD specs. It seems like virtually all drives have SATA connections and 3GB/s, so I'm not so concerned there. But a sticking point on price seems to be the cache. Does this make a substantial difference to the average user? Seems like the price difference is about $20. What do I really get for that $20?

Also, is there anything else I need to make sure I have as far as specs on an HDD? Obviously has to be 2.5', but are there any exterior dimensions I have to be careful of? How about placement of the holes for attaching the brackets? Anything else?

Thanks!

You will not be able to notice the difference for the money. Have a read of this link:-

Conclusion - Review Tom's Hardware : Understanding Hard Drive Performance

Thanks!

As far as hole for mounting etc go, all that has been pretty standard for a while now. If Apple has done anything weird, the old drive will have a bracket that will attach to the new drive.

fleurya said:

What do I really get for that $20?
Thanks!

Click to expand...

About 2 milliseconds worth of bragging rights on a test chart ?

Doug

Getting a 7200 RPM over a 5400 RPM hdd is worth it however ...