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    mSATA on Alienware 18 as normal drive?

    Discussion in 'Alienware 18 and M18x' started by tepp, Feb 8, 2015.

  1. tepp

    tepp Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi everyone.

    First, may I kindly ask, where is the mSATA port on Alienware 18? Is it easy to get to? Near the memory or HDD ports?

    I like to install my own clean operating systems, so ignoring any factory installed scenario, if I put a mSATA drive in, can I use it just like a third drive in the machine? Do anything I want, like create partitions, dual boot with Linux or whatever? Or does it get handled differently by BIOS or anything else?

    Personally, my ideal scenario is to use it as a boot drive and use 2 spinning platter HDDs in RAID as my storage only.

    Thanks!!!!
     
    tepp, Feb 8, 2015
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  2. scracy

    scracy Notebook Consultant

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    The mSATA drive is easily accessible from underneath the laptop,just remove the 2 piece bottom cover and you will see where it goes. You can use the mSATA as a boot drive no problem and raid the two remaining 2.5" drives.
     
    scracy, Feb 8, 2015
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  3. Orlbuckeye

    Orlbuckeye Notebook Evangelist

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    My Alienware 18 came with a 256 GB SSD with the OS. I purchased a Samsung 840 1 TB MSATA drive. I cloned the drive it had around 100 GB using Acronis True Image to the new SSD. I purchased a MSATA external case which is about a big as a credit card. I just popped the back off and the MSATA drive was under the screen part of the back. It was connected with 1 screw and I loosened the screw and the drive popped out. I put the new TB cloned drive and rebooted and it came up as normal.
     
    Orlbuckeye, Feb 9, 2015
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  4. lichensoul

    lichensoul Notebook Evangelist

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    I have the Aliemware 18. Use a 1TB Samsung msata for my os and for some bigger games. Then I have a 512gb OCZ vector ssd for my other games and files. Then use my 7200 rpm mechanical drive for music and for movies. It works well and I have no issue with the msata being a boot drive and the os drive.
     
    lichensoul, Feb 11, 2015
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  5. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    Once plugged in an msata drive behaves like any regular 2.5" drive.
     
    Meaker@Sager, Feb 11, 2015
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