100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm versus 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm

I am customizing a thinkpad. I read some discussion about 5400 rpm
vs 7200rpm and cannot make a deciison.

If I am getting a laptop that is Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz 800MHz
4MBL2) with 2GB RAM, and (also gettign Intel Turbo Memory 1GB - this
is hrad druve cache), what should I choose between the two below for
hard drive that are the same price?

100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm [$60.00] [Popular upgrade]
38% of customers who purchased a T Series upgraded to this hard drive

versus

160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm [$60.00]

In news:1188770331.049935.254200@57g2000hsv.googlegro ups.com,
amandaf37@gmail.com typed:
> I am customizing a thinkpad. I read some discussion about 5400 rpm
> vs 7200rpm and cannot make a deciison.
>
> If I am getting a laptop that is Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz 800MHz
> 4MBL2) with 2GB RAM, and (also gettign Intel Turbo Memory 1GB - this
> is hrad druve cache), what should I choose between the two below for
> hard drive that are the same price?
>
> 100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm [$60.00] [Popular upgrade]
> 38% of customers who purchased a T Series upgraded to this hard drive
>
> versus
>
> 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm [$60.00]

Well the 7200rpm 100GB drive will be faster. Since the hard drive is the
bottleneck of virtually all computers, this is important for those that
really need the speed.

--
Bill

On Sep 2, 3:24 pm, "BillW50" <Bill...@aol.kom> wrote:
> Innews:1188770331.049935.254200@57g2000hsv.googleg roups.com,
> amanda...@gmail.com typed:
>
> > I am customizing a thinkpad. I read some discussion about 5400 rpm
> > vs 7200rpm and cannot make a deciison.
>
> > If I am getting a laptop that is Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz 800MHz
> > 4MBL2) with 2GB RAM, and (also gettign Intel Turbo Memory 1GB - this
> > is hrad druve cache), what should I choose between the two below for
> > hard drive that are the same price?
>
> > 100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm [$60.00] [Popular upgrade]
> > 38% of customers who purchased a T Series upgraded to this hard drive
>
> > versus
>
> > 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm [$60.00]
>
> Well the 7200rpm 100GB drive will be faster. Since the hard drive is the
> bottleneck of virtually all computers, this is important for those that
> really need the speed.
>

Okay. I wish they have 160GB option in 7200 rpm.

How do I find out the size of the biggest HD I can replace in case of
the original the HD crash?

> --
> Bill

It's just a trade off between capacity and speed (and, if are willing to
spend more $$$, you can have both).

Personally, I was faced with the same choice and went for capacity
(160GB/5,400 rpm). But that is based on my needs and how I used the
laptop .... and may not apply to you.

However, consider that with 160GB/5,400, you will be able to do
everything that you could do with the 100GB 7200rpm drive, it will just
be slower. The reverse is not true, if you go with the faster/smaller
drive, and you NEED the extra space, you will be stuck.


amandaf37@gmail.com wrote:
> I am customizing a thinkpad. I read some discussion about 5400 rpm
> vs 7200rpm and cannot make a deciison.
>
> If I am getting a laptop that is Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz 800MHz
> 4MBL2) with 2GB RAM, and (also gettign Intel Turbo Memory 1GB - this
> is hrad druve cache), what should I choose between the two below for
> hard drive that are the same price?
>
> 100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm [$60.00] [Popular upgrade]
> 38% of customers who purchased a T Series upgraded to this hard drive
>
> versus
>
> 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm [$60.00]
>

In news:1188774729.696291.248530@19g2000hsx.googlegro ups.com,
amandaf37@gmail.com typed:
> On Sep 2, 3:24 pm, "BillW50" <Bill...@aol.kom> wrote:
>> Innews:1188770331.049935.254200@57g2000hsv.googleg roups.com,
>> amanda...@gmail.com typed:
>>
>>> I am customizing a thinkpad. I read some discussion about 5400 rpm
>>> vs 7200rpm and cannot make a deciison.
>>
>>> If I am getting a laptop that is Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz
>>> 800MHz 4MBL2) with 2GB RAM, and (also gettign Intel Turbo Memory
>>> 1GB - this is hrad druve cache), what should I choose between the
>>> two below for hard drive that are the same price?
>>
>>> 100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm [$60.00] [Popular upgrade]
>>> 38% of customers who purchased a T Series upgraded to this hard
>>> drive
>>
>>> versus
>>
>>> 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm [$60.00]
>>
>> Well the 7200rpm 100GB drive will be faster. Since the hard drive is
>> the bottleneck of virtually all computers, this is important for
>> those that really need the speed.
>>
>
> Okay. I wish they have 160GB option in 7200 rpm.

Well 160GB @ 7200rpm do exists out there. But they are not cheap. You
can buy 320GB @ 7200rpm too. There might be larger ones as well.

> How do I find out the size of the biggest HD I can replace in case of
> the original the HD crash?

You mean for a given laptop? If so, this seems to be a secret in most
cases. As 99% of the time or better, this information is never given.
Although there are usual limits. One of them is 120GB. The one you are
looking at also has a 160GB option. And you should be ok (no guarantee)
up to 320GB @ 7200 rpm anyway.

--
Bill

On Sep 2, 4:55 pm, Barry Watzman <WatzmanNOS...@neo.rr.com> wrote:
> It's just a trade off between capacity and speed (and, if are willing to
> spend more $$$, you can have both).
>
> Personally, I was faced with the same choice and went for capacity
> (160GB/5,400 rpm). But that is based on my needs and how I used the
> laptop .... and may not apply to you.
>
> However, consider that with 160GB/5,400, you will be able to do
> everything that you could do with the 100GB 7200rpm drive, it will just
> be slower. The reverse is not true, if you go with the faster/smaller
> drive, and you NEED the extra space, you will be stuck.

True. I am also thinking to have a second hard drive via ThinkPad
Serial ATA Hard Drive Bay Adapter or a docking station.

BTW, If I put a 3.5" HD in an enclosure and turned it into an
external drive. I will then be able to use it with the laptop too,
right?
>
>
>
> amanda...@gmail.com wrote:
> > I am customizing a thinkpad. I read some discussion about 5400 rpm
> > vs 7200rpm and cannot make a deciison.
>
> > If I am getting a laptop that is Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz 800MHz
> > 4MBL2) with 2GB RAM, and (also gettign Intel Turbo Memory 1GB - this
> > is hrad druve cache), what should I choose between the two below for
> > hard drive that are the same price?
>
> > 100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm [$60.00] [Popular upgrade]
> > 38% of customers who purchased a T Series upgraded to this hard drive
>
> > versus
>
> > 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm

> [$60.00]- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

In news:1188778112.632289.180610@d55g2000hsg.googlegr oups.com,
amandaf37@gmail.com typed:
> BTW, If I put a 3.5" HD in an enclosure and turned it into an
> external drive. I will then be able to use it with the laptop too,
> right?

Yes! As long as the external hooks up by USB, Firewire, or some other
method that is compatible with the laptop.

--
Bill

In news:1188774729.696291.248530@19g2000hsx.googlegro ups.com
amandaf37@gmail.com wrote:

> Okay. I wish they have 160GB option in 7200 rpm.

Not just 160GB, but 200GB.

Hitachi 160GB 7K200 HTS722016K9SA00 $190
Hitachi 200GB 7K200 HTS722020K9SA00 $215

at newegg.com.

--
Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN bert@iphouse.com

There ARE 160GB (and I think even 200GB) drives in 7200 rpm, but they
are expensive (more than twice, and possibly 3x more than a 160GB 5,400
rpm drive).

Another option is to get the cheapest, smallest, slowest drive you can,
then replace the drive more or less immediately on receipt of the
laptop. However, it means either moving or reinstalling everything,
sometimes a non-trivial task if there are hidden "maintenance"
partitions on the drive.

amandaf37@gmail.com wrote:
> On Sep 2, 3:24 pm, "BillW50" <Bill...@aol.kom> wrote:
>> Innews:1188770331.049935.254200@57g2000hsv.googleg roups.com,
>> amanda...@gmail.com typed:
>>
>>> I am customizing a thinkpad. I read some discussion about 5400 rpm
>>> vs 7200rpm and cannot make a deciison.
>>> If I am getting a laptop that is Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz 800MHz
>>> 4MBL2) with 2GB RAM, and (also gettign Intel Turbo Memory 1GB - this
>>> is hrad druve cache), what should I choose between the two below for
>>> hard drive that are the same price?
>>> 100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm [$60.00] [Popular upgrade]
>>> 38% of customers who purchased a T Series upgraded to this hard drive
>>> versus
>>> 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm [$60.00]
>> Well the 7200rpm 100GB drive will be faster. Since the hard drive is the
>> bottleneck of virtually all computers, this is important for those that
>> really need the speed.
>>
>
> Okay. I wish they have 160GB option in 7200 rpm.
>
> How do I find out the size of the biggest HD I can replace in case of
> the original the HD crash?
>
>> --
>> Bill
>
>

Re: "You can buy 320GB @ 7200rpm too"

Not for a laptop, with a 2.5" drive. Not yet.

BillW50 wrote:
> In news:1188774729.696291.248530@19g2000hsx.googlegro ups.com,
> amandaf37@gmail.com typed:
>> On Sep 2, 3:24 pm, "BillW50" <Bill...@aol.kom> wrote:
>>> Innews:1188770331.049935.254200@57g2000hsv.googleg roups.com,
>>> amanda...@gmail.com typed:
>>>
>>>> I am customizing a thinkpad. I read some discussion about 5400 rpm
>>>> vs 7200rpm and cannot make a deciison.
>>>
>>>> If I am getting a laptop that is Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz
>>>> 800MHz 4MBL2) with 2GB RAM, and (also gettign Intel Turbo Memory
>>>> 1GB - this is hrad druve cache), what should I choose between the
>>>> two below for hard drive that are the same price?
>>>
>>>> 100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm [$60.00] [Popular upgrade]
>>>> 38% of customers who purchased a T Series upgraded to this hard
>>>> drive
>>>
>>>> versus
>>>
>>>> 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm [$60.00]
>>>
>>> Well the 7200rpm 100GB drive will be faster. Since the hard drive is
>>> the bottleneck of virtually all computers, this is important for
>>> those that really need the speed.
>>>
>>
>> Okay. I wish they have 160GB option in 7200 rpm.
>
> Well 160GB @ 7200rpm do exists out there. But they are not cheap. You
> can buy 320GB @ 7200rpm too. There might be larger ones as well.
>
>> How do I find out the size of the biggest HD I can replace in case of
>> the original the HD crash?
>
> You mean for a given laptop? If so, this seems to be a secret in most
> cases. As 99% of the time or better, this information is never given.
> Although there are usual limits. One of them is 120GB. The one you are
> looking at also has a 160GB option. And you should be ok (no guarantee)
> up to 320GB @ 7200 rpm anyway.
>