Which would you buy...

Speaking about laptops only...

1) i7 with 5400 rpm HD
2) i5 with 7200 rpm HD

I know i7 with 7200 is the bees knees, but that is about another 500.

JR

I have used a laptop with a 5400 rpm drive for routine business applications, and woud never own one again. You can go out for coffee while it is loading a simple program. I cannot imagine using it for a DAW. The I5 processor would probably be OK, but not the slow drive.

Thanks guys....some good thoughts and advice.

I think what I will do is go i7 / 5400 and if this is too slow or causing issues i will get a USB3 / 7200 external and throw all my samples on it.  USB3 is a must.

I am truly terrified thinking about converting to x64.  I have purchased so many samples and programs in the last three years.  

I believe I will install Sonar X1 Expanded x64 first and then migrate one vsti and sample library a week, play wiith it a bit and then move on.  I have started to investigate which of my vsti's have x64 versions and I am getting more and more confused.  I think until i jump into it I will remain terrified and confused on the sidelines.

JR

Jim Roseberry


Hey JR,
 
Look at the clock speed of the i7.
You'll likely find it's actually *slower* than the i5. 

Oh man, now I'm really confused...then why is the i7 more expensive?
Thanks Jim,
Randy

oh okay, well the i7 2600k I'm planning on is 3.4
Thanks Jim,
Randy

So much to think about.....arrgh.
I was about to go pick this up, and then I saw this.  This is a very nice ASUS machine with 7200 RPM, 8 GB for, and backlit keyboard for under 800 so I was stoked.
Should I even worry about this ??

Not every i7 is a quadcore with hyperthreading! The description mentions 8 way processing. But according to Intel the i7 2620M that this Asus has, has a DUAL core processor with hyperthreading. Meaning 4 way processing not 8 way. Granted it is a very fast and great processor I just think that any buyer should be aware up front. Again, it is a great processor still.


Kalle - do tell pro favor.


JR

Kalle Rantaaho

slartabartfast


I have used a laptop with a 5400 rpm drive for routine business applications, and woud never own one again. You can go out for coffee while it is loading a simple program. I cannot imagine using it for a DAW. The I5 processor would probably be OK, but not the slow drive.

It's not the 5400 rpm that is the bottleneck in loading programs. It's something else.

I had an older HP laptop with a 4200 rpm hard drive in it, and when I changed it out for a 7200 rpm drive the difference was noticeable and measurable.  You may not experience that much of speedup going from a 5400 to a 7200, but there will be a speed difference ... work with that 5400 rpm drive for a while, and then drop a 7200 in the same machine and I'll bet you will notice a faster system.
 
I recently purchased a laptop and went through some of the same stuff that you are going through.  I was looking at Dell, though, and they had an i5 machine that was close to what I wanted, but it was short a couple of Gigs of memory and only had a 5400 rpm drive in it.  To go to the next level was, like the OP said, about a $500 difference, and I didn't want to spring for that much extra cash.  I shopped around and found an HP laptop that had everything I was looking for for a little less than Dell's lower-level laptop, so I bought it and never looked back.  So, it pays to do the comparisons and get what you want without having to play manufacturer's games.

Again, 7200RPM drives are quite rare.

 
The problem is the trade off between speed and power consumption. Most people buying a laptop really do not need much computing power, but do want to be able run it continuously on a cross country flight. Battery time is going to be longer on a slower drive, and with typical power settings, the drive is going to be spinning down and back up again all the time, thus killing the advantage of a faster spin anyway. Solid state drives may well be the standard in laptops soon, with everyone carrying a big external to synchronize with once they get to the hotel. None of the big market off-the-shelf laptops are designed to be primarily used as a DAW.
 
 

Got my I7 laptop all set up and am very, very pleased.

If the 5400 rpm drive is holding me up, I do not notice it.

Anyone has any questions about my experience just ask.

JR