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    Upgrade the HD in the M15x?

    Discussion in 'Alienware' started by arcade16, Dec 17, 2009.

  1. arcade16

    arcade16 Notebook Consultant

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    After ordering my system with the 250gb drive, I am regretting not getting more storage. There are 2 things preventing me from just picking up another 500gb , 7200rpm drive:

    1) Does anyone know what size, brand, etc. will fit and work well inside the M15x?

    2) I really don't want to mess with drivers / apps / games again. What would you guys recommend I use to image my hard drive so I can just ghost the image onto a new one? I tried googling it to see what my options were but software like Symantec Ghost really isn't very convenient or intuitive.

    Thanks a ton!
     
    arcade16, Dec 17, 2009
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  2. QuadAllegory

    QuadAllegory Notebook Deity

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    If I were you I;d get a 640GB drive for around the same price AW charges for the 500GB.
     
    QuadAllegory, Dec 17, 2009
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  3. HisSvt2

    HisSvt2 Notebook Consultant

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    i would not put a 5400 rpm drive in this laptop 7200 or SSD and thats it. You can get a nice 320 western digital 320gb 7200rpm for 79.99 @ newegg
     
    HisSvt2, Dec 17, 2009
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  4. arcade16

    arcade16 Notebook Consultant

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    Yes, I am quite familiar with newegg's offerings. But will any laptop drive fit just fine? Also, the question of getting an image of my old drive remains...
     
    arcade16, Dec 17, 2009
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  5. TurbodTalon

    TurbodTalon Notebook Virtuoso

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    Doesn't the 640GB drive out-perform the 500GB drive because of the platter density, even though it is a slower RPM? Yes, any laptop drive will fit, but beware...I can't remember if it was the 640GB or the 750GB drive that was slightly too tall to fit in a standard slot.
     
    TurbodTalon, Dec 17, 2009
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  6. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    any 2.5" drive will fit in just fine. I have a 500GB and a 640GB in mine.
     
    DR650SE, Dec 17, 2009
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  7. TurbodTalon

    TurbodTalon Notebook Virtuoso

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    Damn...that's a ton of storage. I like it. Maybe I'm imagining this 'too tall' hard drive.
     
    TurbodTalon, Dec 17, 2009
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  8. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    Yea, I love my storage. Did the same to my Inspiron. 7200RPM for OS and programs, 5400 for storage. Went for the best combo I could find. I'm not sure on the 500GB 7K2 vs the 640GB 5K4. If thats the case, then I'm going twin 640's :D
     
    DR650SE, Dec 17, 2009
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  9. lgsshedden

    lgsshedden Notebook Consultant

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    why not just get a 500GB external HDD, like the Seagate Freeagent Go?
     
    lgsshedden, Dec 17, 2009
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  10. QuadAllegory

    QuadAllegory Notebook Deity

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    I'm installing the Intel X25-m 80GB for OS. But, I would like to know if anyone has info on installing a second HDD into the M15x?? I'd like to take out the DVD drive and install a 1TB HDD. That way I have killer SSD speed, plus tons of storage.
     
    QuadAllegory, Dec 18, 2009
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  11. airplaneman

    airplaneman Notebook Deity

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    You are not, I was reading somewhere about a notebook hard drive that was a few mm thicker than the standard ones, I believe that was the newer 1TB drives.
     
    airplaneman, Dec 18, 2009
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  12. CitizenPanda

    CitizenPanda Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    Here, let me dash some of your hopes:

    Not all 2.5" work. The WD 750gb & 1TB are listed as 2.5" but are 12.5mm, so may actually be physically larger and may not fit in your drivebay. I don't know if the M15x supports these drives, but my guess is no - or Dell would have listed 750gb and 1TB HDs as options when you configured your computer.
     
    CitizenPanda, Dec 18, 2009
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