Quote:
Originally Posted by KILLER_CLOWN
There IS a huge difference between a 7200rpm and 5400 rpm drive speed wise, however the 5400 drives tend to last longer.
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Not necessarily... there are several factors in play that could easily invalidate that argument. 7200 is not always faster than 5400.
The specification you should be looking for is IOPS(Input Output per Second). It's much much better for determining the actual performance of a HD. For example, you could have a 7200rpm 3 platter HD and compare that to a 5400rpm 4 platter HD, and find that despite the additional rpm, the platter size is large enough that you end up with a slower data transfer than with the 5400rpm drive with smaller platters. Smaller platters can easily make up for the rpm difference in cases like that, and you'd end up with a more expensive 7200rpm drive that's actually slower than its 5400rpm counterpart.
You are correct about the lifespan though. 5400rpm drives do last longer.
Basically... If HD performance is that important to you, splurge for the SSD. Otherwise, look at the IOPS and ignore the rpm when comparing HDs. Don't buy a 7200rpm drive just because 7200 is a bigger number than 5400.
Additional info if you're curious:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/ou/how-hig...ip-you-off/322