Setting up my new Computer

Well my new M17x has now been shipped from the factory and should be with me after a week or so and I thought now would be a good time to prepare to set it up the way I want it and I have a couple of questions I need an answer to.

1. The computer will come with 2 x 500GB HD's set up in RAID 1 and I intend to replace the C Drive for a SSD. How do I break up the RAID array? Is it as simple as getting into BIOS and selecting ACHI instead of RAID and then installing the SSD? I intend to use Ghost to install the disk image onto the SSD.

2. I also want to do a little heat stress testing of the CPU and GPU's to find out if I need to do the cooling mods. I have no desire to leave a scorch mark on my desk or to turn my new laptop into a smoking pile of molten aluminium so how do I go about it? I gather that Furmark will test the GPU's but what program should I use to stress the CPU and secondly what programs should I run to monitor the temps? Lastly how hot is too hot?

 

........... bump ..........

 

prime95 to stress the cpu's and coretemp to monitor the temps and my opinion of too hot would be anything over 90 celsius.

 

Oles chiefs.

Yups to break up the RAID array you just need to put in our SSD and change the system bios settings to disable RAID 0 and 1 and change it to use ACHI.

You should run 3d mark 06 and Vantage to see how your scores stack up right out of the box if you have access to those 2 programs. While running them have GPU-z and HWiNFO32 running on the sensors tab. You can use that to check temps and fan RPM speeds.

Post up a pic of the sensors tab later if you like and we can take a look at it for you.

If you want to do any cooling mods you can start off by replacing the thermal pads and thermal paste. Those 2 bits are the easiest and also will give you very good results.

Cheers.

 

Thanks Guys.
Much appreciated.
Dell say the computer should be delivered on or before the 29th October and as I get back to Oz on the 29th that suits me just fine.