The usual argument against 7200rpm drives for laptops was built around increased vibration, heat and power consumption as compared to normal drives. The Hitachi TravelStar 7K500 500GB drive manages to strengthen its case by providing improved speed yet not exhibiting much of the potential negatives mentioned earlier.

The usual argument against 7200 RPM drives for laptops was built around increased vibration, heat and power consumption as compared to normal drives. The Hitachi TravelStar 7K500 500GB drive manages to strengthen its case by providing improved speed yet not exhibiting much of the potential negatives mentioned earlier.

Exchanging the original 5400rpm hard disk with the Hitachi 7200rpm drive introduced a clear and measurable increase in system performance. The trade-off is a slight increase in disk noise and vibration, but this should only be apparent in quiet conditions. If you have a MacBook Pro you can upgrade from a 320GB 5400 rpm drive to a 320GB 7200 rpm drive for just £40, but if you have a regular MacBook this drive is well worth looking at as an investment.