Big HDD test for the Apple MacBook Pro (MBP)

Hi there,
the time has come. My MBP 13 inch with it´s 250 Hitachi HDD became to small. So I looked for an alternative. I have read a lot about noisy HDDs. It´s a huge problem because the 2010th MBP makes close to no noise at all.

For that reason the good and cheap 500GB WD HDD was out of the race.

So, my first contestent was the new 640GB WD HDD. With 2 320GB platter there is space enough. But it has a really high fan like noise. The rest was ok. No vibrations, no clicks, no parking problems.

Number two was the Seagate Momentus. Also at 5400 rotations, but just with 500GB. The first thing I noticed, less „normal“ noise. It still sounds like a running fan, but less than the WD. Also, no vibrations, no parking probs. But noticeable sound while writing. And I got the feeling, that the battery would not last as long as usual.

Coming to the last candidate. The original MBP HDD was a 250GB Hitachi. So let´s test the big brother. The 500GB, it´s the same 5k500 build. And, what did I get? Exactly, again, fan like noises. But minimal less than the Seagate. Also, no vibration, no clicking, no parking, but some kind of a high „working“ noise every few seconds.

My conclusion: When upgrading to a 2 platter HDD there will be much more normal noise, that with the original HDD. But, you will only notice it, when it´s really quite. On a normal working day, you won´t hear a difference. Just when it´s get quite, eg. lying in bed at night, or sitting at you desk working a nightshift. Than the difference will make you go crazy. But, after my 3 whole testing days I got used to it, and it´s not that different from other notebooks. But it´s not, what we want from our Mac.

I guess, I will have to source out some of my data to an external HDD, or test a one platter 320GB HDD and wait for big and cheap SSDs.