The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    mSATA and HD upgrades

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by lingenfr, Dec 16, 2014.

  1. lingenfr

    lingenfr Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    85
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    16
    My AW17 currently has a 64GB mSATA and a 750GB HD. I've purchased a 256GB mSATA and (2) 1TB 7200rpm drives. My plan is to set the two HD's up as RAID 0. I plan to install OS X, Win 8.1 and Ubuntu 14+. I've tried to find and read all of the relevant posts, but I am not sure I have the right plan. Here is what I have in mind.

    1) Remove the 64GB mSATA and the 750GB HD
    2) Install the 256GB HD
    3) Install OS X in a 40GB partition
    4) Install the 64GB mSATA in the 2nd drive bay
    5) Clone the Win 8.1 partition from the 64GB to the 256GB mSATA (Use Clonzilla?)
    6) Expand the Win 8.1 partition to leave about 42GB free
    7) Install the (2) 1TB HD's
    8) Install Ubuntu
    9) Celebrate

    Please also resist the urge to post "why would you want to do that". I will probably take a shot at this project this weekend. Once complete, I will try and update this first post with a set of instructions as the existing posts are really not very helpful.
     
    lingenfr, Dec 16, 2014
    #1
  2. MogRules

    MogRules Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,228
    Messages:
    1,649
    Likes Received:
    973
    Trophy Points:
    131
    You are planning to install two mSATA drives? There is only one mSATA slot....so that won't work.
     
    MogRules, Dec 16, 2014
    #2
  3. lingenfr

    lingenfr Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    85
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Right, change 4) to say install 64GB mSATA in external USB enclosure
     
    lingenfr, Dec 17, 2014
    #3
  4. ejohnson

    ejohnson Is that lemon zest?

    Reputations:
    827
    Messages:
    2,278
    Likes Received:
    104
    Trophy Points:
    81
    I have been reading up on osx on the 17, while I have gotten it to work on some of my other computers, it seems that osx has some issues on the 17 in the fact that you have to plug in a external screen to the hdmi port, boot, then unplug the hdmi cable. Not sure if its related to the 120hz screen or if its just a alienware issue.
    I know you can get a imac with a 780m, so it shouldnt be a driver issue. I will watch this thread to see how it goes.
     
    ejohnson, Dec 18, 2014
    #4
  5. lingenfr

    lingenfr Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    85
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    16
    I have read some of the same. OS X is desirable, but not a requirement. I will share what I learn. Any thoughts on the rest of the ?
     
    lingenfr, Dec 18, 2014
    #5
  6. ejohnson

    ejohnson Is that lemon zest?

    Reputations:
    827
    Messages:
    2,278
    Likes Received:
    104
    Trophy Points:
    81
    everything else looks good, very much the same as what I have going in mine. 256gb crucial m4 msata and a pair of hgst 1tb 7200rpm hdds.
     
    ejohnson, Dec 18, 2014
    #6