M14X BNIB need SSD install info

Hey guys I just bought the M14X laptop from dell.
I ordered it with the HDD cos +700 wasn't practicle for me.
But after watching a few load time vids on YouTube I'm spewing I didn't get the
SSD straight up.

So my laptop doesn't come for at least a week and a half and
I want to put a new Samsung 128gb sata3 SSD in it. I need to know if I open the box and before turning it on for the first time change out the old one and put in a new SSD.

Then turn laptop on and run the install cd. I just think I would lose my windows office 2010 and what ever settings come with alienwares pre install.

Shed some light what would you guys do in my situation?

 

I installed exactly the same SSD in my laptop. I have a SSD install video on my channel. However it is solely the hardware part.

Alienware M14x SSD Install Tutorial - YouTube

Your going to want to save whatever you want from your old hard drive onto a portable one. Maybe a friend has one. I was cheap and uploaded everything to my email.

Then your going to want to uninstall your old hard drive. Like the video demonstrates and place the new one in. When you insert the new hard drive and you've closed the case. Turn it on and it will say no boot device. Now that will not be the only thing written there so don't panic if you don't find it right away. There is a lot of other information on that screen.

Regardless insert the CD they sent to you with your laptop. (Or in your case sending) and it will begin loading Windows. You don't actually do anything. Just hit a few enter keys. Once you've configured Windows your going to want need to install your drivers.

Now I had no drivers on the disk, save maybe one or two. So your going to need to enter the code you find underneath your laptop at the Dell support page (on another computer) when you get it on the Dell Support page when you hit the "drivers and software" or something like that option. It should present you with all the drivers you need. Now get a USB and download the ethernet adapter and the wi-fi link ones you find under the tab "Network".

Once you put the USB in the laptop move the driver into another folder and run it. It will install itself. (nothing required on your part)

Once you have the wireless drivers you can update your drivers. Its easy to do that just type "drivers" into the search bar on the start menu and you'll get a "Update device drivers" option.

Get all your drivers updated that way. Some you can't update or they won't be found

You'll have to go to the page you got your other drivers from (Dell's support) and find them there. There arn't many.

And since your laptop is new odds are it will have BIOS A08. Flash back to A05. (Also available for download on the Dell support page for your laptop) This will allow you to get SATA 3. And DO NOT download Intel RST.

I did exactly this and I get the SATA 3 speeds no issue up to date. Ask if you have more questions!

 

Yeah bro your vid was the one I watched to get this idea of mine. Im not really full on tech sorta guy I wouldn't have a clue how to revert my bios to make it easier for sata 3. Thanks heaps for your efforts in such short time I might add. Any ideas on where I can purchase one of those ssd from post to Australia.

I dunno if it's better to order a hdd cloner along with my Samsun ssd it just seems easier that way. Someone said that the destination drive has to be bigger than the original. Being the stock standard hdd is 750 and the ssd being 128gb. I wouldn't think a brand new laptop from Alienware would have much gbs used on it from day dot. I'm gonna say approx 24gbs incl OS not sure

 

You must NOT clone the hard drives. You'd be cloning a standard mechanical hard drive to a SSD, which uses a far different technology. It would mess up your SSD. And the chances of encountering issues would be very high.

To revert your BIOS, download the file from Dell.com's support page and simply run it. It will restart your computer once, maybe twice and then your done. I'm not sure about Australian retailers but you could always order it from Amazon.com couldn't you?

I found this, a webstore based in Australia if you want to use it

Samsung 128GB 2.5-inch SSD 830 Series (Desktop) MZ-7PC128D - Price Comparison - Buy Cheap in Australia

So like I said, do the clean re-install. It sounds hard and I was nervous as well but it wasn't much of a problem. Just ask for more info if you need it.

Some extra tips: Turn OFF disk defragmenter when you get your SSD. Just look up how to do that on Windows. Disk defragmenter will mess up the SSD. Because it is meant to defrag mechanical drives.

If you play games and your games freeze and crash out of nowhere. Download these drivers for the GPU.
Graphics Driver - Verde 285.62 Driver - GeForce

They will stop the problem. (Took me a month to discover them)

Keep asking if you need too.

 

Wow thanks for the quality replies Im just thinking if I'm only going to have swtor and like office 2010 running on the computer and maybe a few gaming programs etc. I would only need a 128gb SSD or do u guys reckon I should
Lash out that bit extra and get the intel 520 series 256gb SSD only 150 more dollars and apparently the intel ones are the fastest on the market.

I will turn off disk defragmenter and just go with a fresh windows 7 boot I will do as you guys said and downgrade the bios to the other one hopefully it's easy to handle even for me. I try and keep the drivers updated for the gpu.

I won't clone it. I just don't think Alienware woul provide me with the cd for the office 2010 that I checked when purchasing the laptop. But oh we'll I just want my baby to be fast enough to handle swtor whilst away for work and when I'm in Thailand or Philippines yay for LBFM'S

 

No problem. I have BF3, word, Skyrim, a bunch of fraps videos. Sony Vegas. Steam, Origin. And a lot of other stuff on mine with a good 55Gb to spare for other games. Which is a LOT for me.

From my research it seems that the Samsung drives handle best on the M14x for SATA 3. I do not know about Intel's SSDs. I did not buy one because of the poor reviews I was seeing.

Amazon.com: Intel 320 Series 120 GB SATA 3.0 Gb-s 2.5-Inch Solid-State Drive: Electronics

(Look and you'll see a decent amount of 1 star reviews because of drive failure)

Remember SSD's is a luck sort of thing with the M14x's. If you get SATA 3 your lucky. If you can't well, time to download bios A08 and accept SATA 2 speeds. I've heard Samsung being the most reliable. I do not know about Intel at all. I assume they would be, since Intel is such a reliable corporation. But you never know.

As for office 2010. Maybe you get a promotional code or something for it in case you lose it. Perhaps there is a license for it on your hard drive (One you recieve with the laptop) and you can get it and use it to re-download the software. I don't know. You'd have to google it.

enjoy.

 

So here is a rough idea of the steps im going to take correct me if im wrong please.

1. Unpack brand new laptop from box ( not even going to turn it on )
2. Remove back cover ( remove battery )
3. Remove Optical Drive Carefully
4. Remove old HDD from Casing and install the Samsung 128gb SSD.
5. Put back components close the back.
6. Plug in AC Power Cord
7. Turn on M14X for the first time
8. Boot up prompts me to install disk into CD drive
9. follow prompts to install windows 7 64bit
10. go to dell/support and download the ethernet adapter and the wi-fi link ones I would find under the tab "Network"
11. Install them onto laptop from USB from my main PC.
12. go to search type in "drivers" update drivers all
13. go to dell support and download the BIOS A05 install
14. Turn OFF disk defragmenter
15. Install nvidia drivers
16. Download my Office 2010 pack and use the CD key given to me by Alienware (hopefully they give me a cd and cd key)
17. Install my game SWTOR from my external HDD.
18. Happy Days

Or it all goes completely wrong and i voided my warranty have no laptop.
Please let me know if im on the right track as i dont wanna anything up you know and its always nice to know there people out there trying to help people like me out Thanks alot

Owatch15

 

No thats all correct.

You may want to check on the old hard drive first for a Office key. But you don't have to.

And when updating drivers all you have to do is right click on a driver and choose Update driver. Then select via internet. (Providing you already installed the Wifi or ethernet driver from the USB first)

What your doing sounds correct.

Note: Be CAREFUL with the ribbon from the optical caddy to the the motherboard. I had to go back in my laptop and push in in properly again because the optical drive had a loose connection when loading windows. (just shut down and try again if it happens)

Your list sounds fine. And it should be no problem. If there is a problem. And the laptop does not work. It will most certainly be your SSD. In which case just replace your old hard drive. Nothing should go wrong here which would destroy your laptop. Worst that happens is that you completely smash up your optical drive and hard drive. Although I have NO idea how that could happen. (Assuming this as its the only components you remove so the only that can take damage)

 

That optical drive connector is actually a zero force connector you just have to lift up the small white tabs.

Just watch this video, they explain everything its what I used to upgrade mine:

Alienware m14x SSD install guide - YouTube