Laptop drive speeds

Guitarman · Post by **Guitarman** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 2:54 pm

Hello,

I read a very good review of the new ASUS W1000N laptop. In fact it is said to be the "best" laptop the reviewer has ever come across. There is one "problem" though, the drive is 4800rpm. I know that 7200rpm is ideal, so my quetion is can a 4800 cut it? Will it be up to the job of handling audio and music apps?
If not can anyone suggest a good laptop? I hear that NUSystems make a good one and Carillon. But, they are both UK companies and I live in Holland. And I don't intend to come over to the UK to buy.

Regards

suburbanbather · Post by **suburbanbather** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 3:38 pm

I would pass, and look at other laptops. I've read in various articles and forums, such as this one that 5400 is lowest anyone should even consider when it comes to audio. I just got a Dell inspiron 8600 and it has 2.0ghz intel mobile, 60gb 7200rpm hdd, 128mb ati radeon video card, dvdrw, 512 mb of ram(upgrading to 1gb next month) and I also got a 160gb 7200rpm external hdd. I'm just waiting for my copy of live3 and my echo indigo dj soundcard to arrive and then I'll be in Techno producing heaven.

If you do get a laptop with 4800 rpm hdd then deffiniately get an external hdd 7200rpm for you audiofiles. Happy laptop shopping

didg19 · Post by **didg19** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 4:00 pm

The answer, yes...

and no...

You can do a lot with a laptop with a slow drive speed... it's just that in questions of recording or layering multiple tracks you'll only be able to go so far.

For 90% of my recording needs my slow hard drive has done fine (I only record guitars, bass, and vocals... all seperately)... but I do reach the point where I have to stop layering tracks... and my hard drive speed is the first bottleneck.

Lucid · Post by **Lucid** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 6:00 pm

I just bought an HP with a 4800 rpm drive, I'm hoping that it will work out for my needs. We'll see.

robbmasters · Post by **robbmasters** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 6:09 pm

My laptop's hard drive is only 4,200 rpm or something. Seems fine so far.

The way I see it, is that a single speed CD-ROM drive can deliver one real time audio stream, so *any* hard drive should be able to deliver a few more than that...

suburbanbather · Post by **suburbanbather** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 6:18 pm

But wut about when your harddrives start to fill up with the files you created to be used in live or whatever other app you are using to rock your tunes. Your going to need that harddrive speed to handle going around to different areas for files. Or am I just being a Spec Whore!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 6:20 pm

4800 gives you a max of 8 audio tracks simultaneous

robbmasters · Post by **robbmasters** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 6:33 pm

How do you work that out?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 8:45 pm

You could buy this notebook, and change the HDD with a faster one, and sell the one that was built in.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 8:48 pm

suburbanbather wrote:I just got a Dell inspiron 8600 and it has 2.0ghz intel mobile, 60gb 7200rpm hdd, 128mb ati radeon video card, dvdrw, 512 mb of ram(upgrading to 1gb next month) and I also got a 160gb 7200rpm external hdd. I'm just waiting for my copy of live3 and my echo indigo dj soundcard to arrive

Can you let us know, when you receive your Echo Indigo card, if this setup works fine. Because I've heard alot about Dell laptops having problems when using PCMCIA sound card and firewire HDD together.

Lucid · Post by **Lucid** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 9:09 pm

sucky

suburbanbather · Post by **suburbanbather** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 11:50 pm

Yeah, I let you know. If it does give me problems with the 1394 port then I will just use one of the usb2.0 ports. It has two usb2.0 ports so one for controller and the other for external hdd(if the 1394 gives me trouble). I should have my indigo and copy of live3 sometime this week. Will ship on Monday from Florida and I live in Maryland. Not too far away.