HDDs: Rotation Speed & When to Choose 5400 RPM Over 7200 RPM

by Daniel Devid Computer Acessories

Nowadays, you can find hard drives spinning up to 15000 RPM but still, the most popular choices for desktops and laptops are between 5400 and 7200 RPM. And yes, many would prefer SSDs, but HDDs still come with many benefits and today’s topic is their rotation speed.

Rotation Speed (RPM) Explained

A Hard drive is mainly composed of platters, read-write heads, and a motor spindle. All of the platters are mounted on the motor spindle in parallel and each storage surface of the platters is equipped with a magnetic head.

The magnetic heads move along the platters' radial direction, making several thousand revolutions per minute (RPM) so that the heads can be positioned at a specified position on the platter for reading and writing data. In other words, the RPM is the maximum number of revolutions that the platters can complete in one minute.

5400 RPM vs 7200 RPM

Typically, the higher the RPM, the faster the hard disk is, meaning that in terms of rotation speed, 7200 RPM should be at least 15% faster than 5400 HDDs. However, it’s important to acknowledge that these are just theoretical numbers and the actual hard drive speed is also affected by many other factors.

The Advantages of a 5400 RPM Hard Drive

It’s not all about speed; it’s about efficiency and productivity. For example, a higher RPM can shorten the average rotation latency time, resulting in higher reading and writing speeds. However, this comes with negatives such as higher temperatures, increased motor spindle wear, more working noise, and higher power consumption.

To wrap up, the advantages of a 5400 RPM Hard Drive Are:

● Low energy consumption

● Low heat production

● Low working noise

● Lower price

● Longer lifespan

This makes the 5400 hard drives the better option for notebooks and laptops. Also, if you need a spare HDD to back up data, 5400 RPM is a great choice.

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Let’s Wrap

Both, 7200 RPM and 5200 RPM HDDs come with advantages and disadvantages. While the 7200 RPM units tend to be more expensive and faster, the 5200 RPM hard drives may last longer and come at a more affordable price.

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