Question on upgrading to an SSD and ram

So I just got my M17x R4 last week and I just got the 7970m and 1080p display for their upgrades and i'm doing the ram and SSD myself to save money, now my question is with installing the SSD. Now normally when replacing an OS drive I would just clone the drive and pop the new one in unless the system really needed a clean install, my question is is that method advisable going from a normal HDD to a SSD? since I know SSD's store things in certain ways to minimize excessive writing to the same spot I wasn't sure if cloning would cause an issue there or not.

And for the ram question, I know the M17x has 2 slots accessable from the bottom and 2 from the top acording to the Alienware manual, are they setup so each side has 1 slot for each channel so for dual channel i'd just fill the 2 slots, or is it like a desktop where the 2 adjacent slots were the same channel and thus i'd need one in a bottom slot and one in a top slot? the manual wasn't clear on that.

 

Clean install is usually the recommendation when going to SSD. The discs supplied by Dell make it relatively painless.

The slots are paired off, so no weird desktop-like setup. Just put matching sticks in each pair of slots.

 

Ok, great, that makes it easy, since it seems like getting at the top ram slots is a pain.

Ok, also on the recovery disks Dell supplied, my system has also been asking me to make recovery disks too, is that just making the same disks Dell supplies with the laptop, or are the different and I should create those too, usually it's one or the other, never seen a laptop both come with disks and ask to make recovery disks.

 

It sounds like AlienRespawn is asking you to make backups? I recommend backing up your system to a USB drive and storing it some place safe.

Though, about the SSD you should always clean install rather than clone from a HDD. Windows will optimize itself for the SSD and will align itself properly.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

For your SSD, you should do a clean install. If you clone you need to align the disk partition (or partitions) on your old HDD, set Windows to use the new drive as an SSD since it was originally set to an HDD (thru registry settings), etc. Plus with cloning, there's always the chance something important gets corrupted when copying (which I don't understand how its worse than if Windows files get corrupted from unpacking off the install DVD...but that's me). So the choice there is yours. You definitely can clone it as most SSD manufacturers sent their own "special" cloning software with the drive to accomplish this. You can just use Acronis though. So, your choice.

As far as the RAM channels go...I have no idea. The owners manual states "If you need to install memory modules in two connectors, install a memory
module in the lower connector before you install a memory module in the upper
connector", pg 24. I would think its like a desktop where adjacent connectors are on the same channel. Again, just a suggestion, but install one on the top slot, and one on the bottom slot. Just make sure to use the bottom connector of each slot like the manual states.

Good Luck.

 

Yup, exactly, it's the AlienRespawn asking for me to make backup disks.

Ok, I thought that might be the case, and I know you don't want Windows treating an SSD like a regular HDD or it will wear the drive out much faster, just wasn't sure if it was during the install of windows that it set that up or if it's something that could be re-configured after the fact.

 

Yeah, AlienRespawn tries to get you to make backups and such. I think you can set it to quit bugging you. I always do 2 OS backups. 1 fresh out of the box and 2 when I have the OS setup like I want and the majority of system updated complete.

Make sure Windows doesn't schedule any disk defrags, that's something that will help wear it down.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

You can check this out: I followed it after I installed my SSD: SSD Tweaks

 

Here are a few more SSD optimization pages as well The SSD Optimization Guide Redesigned - The SSD Review
Windows 7 - SSD Tweaks and Optimizations in Windows 7

 

OK, I am confused now. In order to get dual channel memory (using 2x4GB 1600MHz RAM), can I just use the two slots on the back panel? Or do I really need to have a 1x4GB stick on one of the back panel slots and then another on the corresponding slot under the keyboard? Common sense tells me the former is the way to go, but the two answers given seem to say two different things.

 

They mean, they're paired vertically.

E.G., the two easily accessible RAM slots are paired so that B will be vertically above A.... the two under the keyboard, D will be above C.
----case opening
--B
----A
----bottom of compartment


You need to install A before B, or C before D. This is common sense when you're looking at it, but it's one of those "coffee may be hot" type warnings. Some people would put the top one in first (because, if you're looking down at the machine, that's the one closest to you), but that would block access to the bottom slot.

 

Wow. AW paired the dual channels vertically. I wish desktop mfgrs would do the same.

 

Yes, you can put both 4GB sticks in the two slots accessible through the back panel and enjoy full dual channel function. There is no need to deal with the slots under the keyboard.

 

@ xXxPykexXx & Revelator - Thank you very much!