Does the RPM rating have anything to do with system performance or how long the drive will last?

the rpm should in theory affect loading times but i've only got a 7200 80gb seagate barracuda in mine and none of my mates have theirs chipped yet so i cant compare it to anything.
but i can tell you it loads games of my HD a helluva lot faster then off the original disks.
rpm shouldn't make a difference on how long the drive lasts but feel free to correct me someone

The difference is really negligable. I mean honestly do you notice 1 extra second of load time. Probably not. I would shy away from 7200 rpm drives for the xbox, just because of extra heat, even though many people have used them without problems.

Its more than 1 sec difference. The faster is spins, the faster the file is transfered to the system.

i dont think my hd will be running hot anytime soon.
(i have my xbox hd sitting in a cooler master - cool drive_hard drive cooling unit)

Jaice whats the longest load time you've encountered. 5 seconds, definitly no more than 10. On ten seconds a 7200 rpm drive takes off 2-3 seconds, not that noticable. On five seconds it takes off about 1. Really no big deal.

Its really not worth it to upgrade from a 5400 RPM to a 7200 RPM unless your getting a bigger drive. (If you have a 120 5400, don't get a 120 7200)

The drives speeds are more noticable in a PC