HDD 5400 rpm vs 7200 rp - Is it even a comparison anymore?

[Deleted]

So I'm trying to pick between two laptops, namely the Dell XPS L702x and the HP Pavilion DV6-6B19EV, but the Dell one has a 7200 RPM HDD and the HP a 5400 RPM. Now, I'll be using these mostly for gaming, and they seem to have hit a stale mate... At first I was leaning towards the HP, but now that I noticed the HDD RPM difference I'm starting to think the Dell is a better idea..

[Usako]

My understanding the faster the RPM the faster games loads as well as everything else. You'll probably want to stab your eyes out as you wait for things to load with the 5400 RPM.

[Raphtheone]

When I bought my gaming laptop I made it a priority to have a 7,2k RPM HDD on it, I suggest you do the same. 5,4k RPM is for when performance don't matter that much, such as media, backup HDD,surfing, working in Office, light gaming, dedicated fraps HDD, and stuff like that. For anything HDD intensive (where time matters, like loading screens), you should go for the faster HDD, which not necessarily means the higher RPM. Check benchmarks. My 5,9k RPM fraps drive beats my 7,2k RPM system drive by a lot (think single vs dual core CPU difference), but both have performance enough for their specific tasks.

[DiGG]

If performance is your absolute priority, a SSD drive is SO much faster than ANY mechanical drive! On average, everything loads 2 to 4 times faster. And prices have dropped considerably... you might want that instead. (you just need 60 to 120GB tops, your OS + the usual bunch of applications and games... it fits!)

[DeltrusDisc]

5,4k RPM is for dedicated fraps HDD,

Not if you want to record at a semi-decent resolution. Hell even 7200RPM can struggle with it, it is a LOT of data for the HDD to write every second, I would use no less than a 7200RPM for Fraps recording at 1680x1050 or bigger resolutions, and would definitely suggest someone use RAID0 7200RPM if they could.

[Deleted]

I guess 5400 rpm is not an option, I'll be going with 7200 rpm minimum.

Thanks for your replies everyone.

---------- Post added 2012-07-26 at 03:31 PM ----------

Just so I don't make another thread, can someone please clarify the native resolution of the Dell XPS L702x ?

Browsing on google presents me with some sources that claim 1600 x 900 is the native resolution, while others claim that its native resolution is 1980×1080. The screen size is 17.3" so I'm pretty confused here, as 1600x900 is more than enough for me and I don't want to sacrifice more performance to resolution.

Again, thanks for your time. I'm a first timer with laptops.

[jaymzkerten]

DisplayHelp Me Choose

17.3" HD+ (900p) LED Display with 2.0MP HD Webcam
17.3" HD+ (900p) LED Display with 2.0MP HD Webcam & Facial Recognition
17.3" FHD (1080p) with 2.0MP HD Webcam
17.3" FHD (1080p) with 2.0MP HD Webcam & Facial Recognition
17.3" FHD (1080p) 3D Display with 2.0MP HD Webcam
17.3" FHD (1080p) 3D Display with 2.0MP HD Webcam & Facial Recognition

Straight from the laptop's page on dell. It looks like it depends on what you get.

http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-l702x/pd

[Rad1um]

So I'm trying to pick between two laptops, namely the Dell XPS L702x and the HP Pavilion DV6-6B19EV, but the Dell one has a 7200 RPM HDD and the HP a 5400 RPM. Now, I'll be using these mostly for gaming, and they seem to have hit a stale mate... At first I was leaning towards the HP, but now that I noticed the HDD RPM difference I'm starting to think the Dell is a better idea..

Buy any laptop with whatever hard drive and get a SSD for it. Works WONDERS for performance.

[DeltrusDisc]

Just so I don't make another thread, can someone please clarify the native resolution of the Dell XPS L702x ?

Browsing on google presents me with some sources that claim 1600 x 900 is the native resolution, while others claim that its native resolution is 1980×1080. The screen size is 17.3" so I'm pretty confused here, as 1600x900 is more than enough for me and I don't want to sacrifice more performance to resolution.

Again, thanks for your time. I'm a first timer with laptops.

You don't need to ask the same thing in two threads. You've now had two people give you the exact same response from Dell's website - please don't ask a third time in yet another thread, that would be considered spamming. =S The mods don't like that, try to consolidate your questions and don't ask the same thing in more than one thread.

[Uncle Julian]

If you have a bit of spare cash, take out that HDD and just stick in your own SSD...easy to do and probably the most worth-while upgrade someone can do to their computer

[blackblade]

Buy any laptop with whatever hard drive and get a SSD for it. Works WONDERS for performance.

Do some research on getting a reputable SSD before doing this.

[Nab]

Massive difference, 7200 wins.

[Schmilblick]

5400 is for storage only.