7200rpm drive in a 5400rpm device

monkeyboy_tx

Junior Member
Dec 10, 2010
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What problems should one expect if he/she put a 7200 rpm drive in a storage device rated for 5400rpm? My initial thought would be that the hd would spin at 5400rpm due to the limits of device as opposed to hd limit? By doing so am I potentially shortening the life expectancy of hd?
 

dac7nco

Senior member
Jun 7, 2009
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There is no such thing as a "5400RPM device". The rotational speed of a platter is irrelevant to the interface (SATA/SCSI...etc). A 7200RPM device will be slightly warmer and noisier - that's all - It will also be a bit faster, and draw a bit more power. Also, an external enclosure can't make a 7200RPM drive spin at 5400RPM.

Welcome to the forum, monkeyboy_tx.

Daimon
 

Ken90630

Golden Member
Mar 6, 2004
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What problems should one expect if he/she put a 7200 rpm drive in a storage device rated for 5400rpm? My initial thought would be that the hd would spin at 5400rpm due to the limits of device as opposed to hd limit? By doing so am I potentially shortening the life expectancy of hd?

I don't know what you mean by "storage device," but I've put 7200rpm HDs in laptops (as upgrades) before with no problems. I've also done it once on an older PC, also with no probs. And yes, they spin at 7200rpm. As dac7nco said, "The rotational speed of a platter is irrelevant to the interface (SATA/SCSI...etc)." That is correct.
 
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nardz84

Member
Jul 11, 2008
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Taking a guess at what you meant, the only other issue I can think of when replacing a 5400rpm drive with a 7200 rpm drive might be heat output. I'd imagine some laptops that already run hot with a 5400 drive could have more problems if a 7200 was dropped in it.
 

Lorne

Senior member
Feb 5, 2001
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Or if its an external enclosure and the Power supply is lowballed power to just run a 5400rpm drive, Though newer 7200rpm drives use less power might not matter.

Speed wise there will be no imprivement unless its an internal
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
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Insufficient cooling would be the main concern. Of course any modern single platter 7.2k drive is going to run cool to the touch unless you keep the enclosure on top of a rocker arm cover. :D
 

Emulex

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2001
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7200rpm drives eat up more power and give off more heat and more vibrations. most of why there are very very few macbooks with 7200rpm drives. i think my 17" was one of the few factory 7200rpm of the time. thankfully we have ssd now.
 

Ken90630

Golden Member
Mar 6, 2004
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Insufficient cooling would be the main concern. Of course any modern single platter 7.2k drive is going to run cool to the touch unless you keep the enclosure on top of a rocker arm cover. :D

That's where I always install my HDs. Either there or on the exhaust manifold. Are you implying that's unwise? :confused:

I also use radiator fluid to watercool my CPU (only when the engine is running of course). I swear, sometimes the best ideas are the ones most people don't think of. Only thing I can't figure out is why my HDs & CPUs keep going bad all the time. Just bad luck, I guess. :\