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m i k e · Jul 6, 2007, 10:04 PM

I'm contemplating over whether or not spend the extra $135 (student rate) for the 7200 rpm HD.

Have people noticed a significant difference between the two?

Have there been any issues reported with the faster drive?

From your experience, is it worth it and do you recommend the upgrade?

Thanks.

mduell · Jul 6, 2007, 11:36 PM

There's a big difference in seek time, but a smaller difference in max transfer rate. So if you're moving big (GB+) files around, take the 5400, but if you're working with lots of little files (<10MB), go for it.

I don't think Apple's upgrade price is worth it; for what they want for the upgrade you could buy the 160GB 7200RPM drive.

MacHeadChef · Jul 7, 2007, 12:12 AM

Apple price for the 160GB 7200rpm is $150 more. I'm thinking about buying the 17" macbook pro and upgrading the HD 160GB 7200rpm and upgrading the HD display 1920X1200. But I'm not sure if I should wait until Leopard is released.

PhotoBug · Jul 7, 2007, 12:25 AM

what is the speed difference with the 120GB 5400rpm and the 160GB 5400rpm? its a $135 to up it(student rate again) and im not sure its worth it. where can i get a 160GB 7200rpm? and if i did I'm not that tech savvy, is it easy to install?

VValdo · Jul 7, 2007, 01:06 AM

This has been asked a couple times. I sprung for the 7200. I figure who knows what I'll be using this computer for, might as well pay $150 and get the boost. Power consumption is supposedly negligible.

HD replacement instructions are here:

MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo Disassembly: MacBook Parts

However hard it is, it can't be any harder than those g4 ibooks, and I made it through a couple of those... the real question is, will it void my warranty? The answer is, apparently so.

W

PhotoBug · Jul 7, 2007, 02:03 AM

hmm i always thought they where cheaper.

m i k e · Jul 7, 2007, 02:44 AM

Does the 7200 rpm hard drive produce more heat inside the computer than the standard one?

VValdo · Jul 7, 2007, 03:16 AM

I can't see why they would. The difference is rpm-- rotations per minute, right? So I mean, maybe there's more friction (?) but then again, it's accessing the info in less time, so who knows. I can't imagine it would be significantly more heat. I could even see an argument for less heat (less access time, less hard drive activity, etc.)

But who knows...?

W

PhotoBug · Jul 7, 2007, 10:57 AM

i guess i was off its only 67$ to up it in my case.

Wiskedjak · Jul 7, 2007, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by VValdo

I can't see why they would. The difference is rpm-- rotations per minute, right? So I mean, maybe there's more friction (?) but then again, it's accessing the info in less time, so who knows. I can't imagine it would be significantly more heat. I could even see an argument for less heat (less access time, less hard drive activity, etc.)

But who knows...?

W

Higher RPM = higher power consumption = higher heat = fans on more frequently = higher power consumption.

mduell · Jul 7, 2007, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak

Higher RPM = higher power consumption = higher heat = fans on more frequently = higher power consumption.

Yes, it's higher, but how much higher is it? Between a tenth and a quarter of a watt! You're not going to notice the change in power/heat.

m i k e · Jul 7, 2007, 02:05 PM

What if you're doing things like playing games or video editing that already put a lot of strain on the machine. Will you notice a change in power consumption/heat with the faster HD?

Skip_Intro · Jul 7, 2007, 04:03 PM

I replaced my 160GB 5400 drive with a 200GB 7200 one.

It seems faster to me, and I can't say that I've noticed any more heat or that the fans come on more often than with the old drive.

Of course, as somebody else said here, I've probably voided my warranty by making the switch.

If I were to do it all over, I'd just order the MBP with the faster drive and be done with it. The price for the faster drive isn't that outrageous, certainly not Apple's like price for 4GB of ram is.

mduell · Jul 7, 2007, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by m i k e

What if you're doing things like playing games or video editing that already put a lot of strain on the machine. Will you notice a change in power consumption/heat with the faster HD?

Idling, seeking, reading, or writing, the difference is only 0.1-0.25W... compared to an overall machine draw of ~15W at idle and ~40W full tilt. So maybe a 1% reduction in battery life... which is less than 2 minutes for a 3 hour battery.

PhotoBug · Jul 7, 2007, 05:26 PM

oh so it does void your warranty even if you don't break it?

mduell · Jul 7, 2007, 07:24 PM

If you do it, it voids your warranty.

If you pay an Apple Authorized Service Provider (like CompUSA for $30) to do it, your warranty is fine.

ghporter · Jul 7, 2007, 07:29 PM

I think that just getting to the drive is a huge enough hassle that $30 for CompUSA to take the risks and do all the work sounds like a DEAL.

And I have to answer the original question: 1800 RPM.

SEkker · 07:17 PM

the fast drives take less time using full power to transfer files, so some of the power difference is cancelled.

I think the high end drives with lower RPMs are still very fast

I experienced very little difference in realtime use between fast 5400 and 7200 laptop drives

Simon · Jul 10, 2007, 04:12 AM

Originally Posted by SEkker

I experienced very little difference in realtime use between fast 5400 and 7200 laptop drives

I experienced the same comparing a 7200rpm 100GB HD to a 160GB 5400rpm HD in an otherwise identical MBP.

I'm still waiting for some real world comparisons between the new MBP's stock 160GB drive and the 7200rpm 160GB BTO option though.

Stout · Jul 12, 2007, 07:22 PM

So I finally got the chance to visit an Apple store today, and let me tell you, I asked as many questions as I could possibly think of. One of which was, if I swap in my own hard drive, will it void the AppleCare? The very helpful sales assistant I was talking to said that no, it wouldn't, as long as you didn't break anything while you were doing it. He actually shared a personal experience of this happening with him: A few years ago he bought a g4 powerbook and then took it apart and put a larger hard drive in. He said a year or so after that his clicker below the trackpad stopped working. He sent it into Apple, and they replaced the entire top panel, no questions asked. The only thing I could think of would be if the problem was specifically with the area where the HD is, and then I'd swap in my Apple certified drive before I sent it in to Apple. Hope this post helps. Oh, by the way, I'm going to purchase a MBP off the internet tonight (the store was sold out) and I'm considering buying this hard drive: 200GB 2.5" Hitachi Travelstar 7K200 7200RPM SA... (0A50940) at OWC to swap in internally and buy an enclosure for the 160GB at 5400rpm one.

PhotoBug · Jul 13, 2007, 12:32 AM

how do you do that thing with CompUSA (Authorized Service Provider) . i went to their site but got lost.

mduell · Jul 13, 2007, 05:23 PM

CompUSA.com » Services » Technical Services for Home and in Store » In-Store Service Centers » Installations and Upgrades

PhotoBug · Jul 13, 2007, 07:33 PM

Oooo thanks

thats a very good deal!

PartialPants · Jul 19, 2007, 01:00 AM

I don't know if anyone has seen this blog post but I saved it a while back to refer to it for how well upgrading to a 7200 turned out for them:

Upgraded my MacBook Pro with a Seagate 160GB Momentus 7200.2 HDD � Ben Drawbaugh

bjdraw · Jul 19, 2007, 08:02 AM

I wouldn't say my MBP is much much faster, but it is very noticeable at times after upgrading to a 7200RPM drive.

As for power consumption, according to the specs from both drive manufacturers, my 7200RPM actually uses less power. But I have no way to verify this.

I have used my AppleCare warranty a few times since I replaced the drive myself. I was afraid they may say something, especially considering I managed to loose a screw in the process, but they didn't care at all. One of the times they replaced the Logic board which means it would be hard for them not to notice. I was however disappointed that they didn't replace the missing screw.

Ben

PhotoBug · Jul 20, 2007, 02:14 PM

they didn't put in the missing screw? thats odd

SierraDragon · Jul 25, 2007, 12:46 AM

Biggest throughput issue is how full a drive is. E.g. a half full 5400 rpm drive may well outperform a 75% full 7200 rpm drive (BareFeats.com has tests). So a smaller 7200 may not be a fast as a larger 5400. Each user needs to determine his/her own capacity/speed needs.

-Allen Wicks

hamertime · Jul 25, 2007, 12:04 PM

But is it WORTH it?
$150 for a 7200 rpm 160 gb hard drive (from what I found on Froogle)
+
$30 for installation (Sorry, but "Your warranty will be fine as long as you don't break anything" isn't enough assurance for me -- if I break something, that's REALLY when I'll need the warranty)
+
hassle of buying the hard drive and dealing with a slimy computer tech (they're just as bad as car mechanics sometimes...but I'm a girl, so maybe my experience is different)

I find the extra $150 (or so) to be well worth receiving a machine with everything I want already installed.

SEkker · Jul 25, 2007, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by hamertime

But is it WORTH it?
$150 for a 7200 rpm 160 gb hard drive (from what I found on Froogle)
+
$30 for installation (Sorry, but "Your warranty will be fine as long as you don't break anything" isn't enough assurance for me -- if I break something, that's REALLY when I'll need the warranty)
+
hassle of buying the hard drive and dealing with a slimy computer tech (they're just as bad as car mechanics sometimes...but I'm a girl, so maybe my experience is different)

I find the extra $150 (or so) to be well worth receiving a machine with everything I want already installed.

But you don't get the 'fun' of dismantling your new toy this way...