03-03-2010, 05:41 PM
So pay the extra and get the cache, even if you end up with a 5400 but 16 or 32mb of cache.
I haven't had a 5400 or 7200 with a 16MB or bigger cache, but I've had 5400s and 7200s with 8MB caches, and I can't tell any difference in performance without a stop watch. I haven't bothered with a stopwatch because if the difference is that slight, there may as well be no difference at all.
With an 8MB cache constraint I would go with a bigger 5400 rather than a smaller 7200.
I haven't had a 5400 or 7200 with a 16MB or bigger cache, but I've had 5400s and 7200s with 8MB caches, and I can't tell any difference in performance without a stop watch. I haven't bothered with a stopwatch because if the difference is that slight, there may as well be no difference at all.
With an 8MB cache constraint I would go with a bigger 5400 rather than a smaller 7200.