is 5400rpm HD is OK for giga samples?

[Thierry R]

Hi,
i\'m still trying to find the money to buy a GS product that suits my needs. But, as far as I know, I also need some samples and 1 or 2 HD to store them. Due to the fact I can afford only cheap HDs, i was wandering if there is a BIG difference between 5400 and 7200rpm HDs? I plan to use them for storage, and a little for recordings. I will not run a big conficuration, so I\'m sure 5400rpm HDs are good enough.
What you think?
Thank you for your replies,
Thierry

[Doug Marshall]

It\'s all a polyphony issue. Each compromise will carry a performance penalty. With a certain amount of luck you may get performance that is adequate for you. However, don\'t expect perfection. My first Giga system was a PII-450 with a 5400 RPM D drive. I could sustain about 60-70 notes with it. If your CPU and MOBO are adequate you can upgrade drives/memory to improve performance later but the cheapest solution is almost always to get the right components in the first place.

[pantonality]

The difference between 5400 and 7200 RPM drives is simple, the platter(s) rotate faster. This data is accessed faster and comes off the drive faster, i.e. your access time is less and the quantity of data is greater. That\'s why we have ATA 66 and ATA 100 now.

Frankly I don\'t see a big price difference. At www.gogocity.com (\"http://www.gogocity.com\") I see a 40 GB 7200 RPM Quantum drive for $96, on the same page there\'s a 60 GB 5400 RPM Maxtor for $105. I\'d choose the faster drive, since with your budget there\'s no way you\'re going to fill 40 GB any day soon.

That\'s my $.02.

Steve www.mp3.com/stevechandler (\"http://www.mp3.com/stevechandler\")

[Thierry R]

Thank you to both of you for your responses.
I hope now I can wait for until Santa Claus arrives at home to buy GigaStudio http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif
Regards,
Thierry