Advise needed on laptop parts

Hi there, everyone.

I'm a new fellow here, and I've just bought a Clevo p150SM-A
Apparently due to some issues with the paint (peeling / discoloration after 30 days) so I'm sending it back. I've used the laptop long enough to know what I want and need, and what I don't, but i'm still dumbfounded by certain things and I hope everyone can help me.

Situation 1)
I am in already in that that I need a new HDD, on top of my 256GB SSD + 1TB HGST 7k1000 (Hitachi Travelstar HGST HTS721010a9e630, i'm not even sure if this is one of the better Hitachi Travelstar models, since this was from the Clevo reseller) , so i'm going to yank out the DVD-ROM and buy a caddy + 1TB HDD. Right now i'm not sure to stick with another Hitachi Travelstar, or a Seagate SSHD 1TB. However I suspect the Seagate will be the 5400RPM variant with 8MB (or was it 8GB) cache, first generation stuff, not the latest stuff. I will need a new HDD, but i'm just not sure between the two, and I'm willing to buy an external DVD ROM. Some people will ask why not just buy an external HDD? The answer is that I tend to lose them a lot, or it gets broken. Or something in between.



Situation 2)
I'm thinking of whether to go from 16GB to 32GB of RAM, or replace the RAM entirely (add a 16GB RAM)
The reason? I used CPU-ID, (or CPU-Z), and this came out:




Its a Team Elite , and it is 16GB, but I'm a little upset when a good friend to me that the timing for the RAM isn't what a gaming RAM should have, and it wasn't a 1600MHz RAM, but running (and hardlocked) at 800MHz.

So I'm thinking since i'm already sending it back to the reseller while they reconfirm the paint job anomaly, should I buy a new set of RAM (like a very spesific brand, and model) or just slap in another Team Elite RAM making the total to 32GB? Please advice.



Sorry to take up your time, but any advise is welcomed. I'm kind of distraught at the moment.

 

1) A vote for another Travelstar. No contest.

2) DDR(2/3) is dual data rate... which means that your 800MHz RAM is running at specs (1600MHz). Whether you need an additional 16GB of RAM, I can't say without knowing your workloads. But I would rather max out a system at or very near the beginning of it's service life, rather than at the end. Especially (as it seems in your case) money is no object.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the reply. So its a go for the Hitachi Travelstar.

For the RAM, i'll consider it. The more is better. And I plan to max it out, although my workload isn't high, but I'll need it come the video processing part.

Thanks.

 

Just want to point out that it's "double data rate" not "dual data rate".

 

Plur, you're correct, of course.

It is also known as:

Which may partially explain my lapse in my 20 second post.


Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_data_rate


Thanks for keeping it factual.

 

1. Get another 7K 1000 1TB 7200rpm drive for sure
2, Get 32GB RAM if you need... Honestly isn't 16GB enough?

 

I would say that you CAN buy better timed RAM; CL9 RAM exists for 1600MHz. Also, you could buy 2133MHz CL11 RAM instead of CL9 1600MHz. Up to you really. I would quicker fix your timings than just add more to it. But yes, 800MHz is indeed running at 1600MHz.

Next, HGST Travelstar is the best hard drive I have ever seen on any PC ever. I will be using and recommending these as much as I can, for dead certain.

Also, if you are within your "return" period, I must point out that the P157SM-A WILL have two HDD slots, if you wish to simply "return" and "rebuy", since they're changing your chassis anyway, this might be a way to go for you. You'd get to keep your CD drive in return for a flashier machine in this case. Just letting you know it's an options.

 

Hi and thanks for the replies, everyone.

In my case, the reseller made it very clear that what I'm returning is only for paintjob, nothing else (unless there's a problem elsewhere)

As for the HDD, I was initially informed that it only has 2 MSATA (for SSD) and 1 single HDD tray for one primary HDD, that's the P150SM-A

I won't be getting the P157SM-A, because first that means a complete change of the shell/barebones (which is actually expensive, with the paintjob, around USD300++ just for paint job alone!) and for whatever reasons, the reseller doesn't sell the P157SM-A anymore due to unpopular demand (not sure how it is unpopular)

But yes, the 157SM-A is a lot flashier.

Now i'm really having a buyer's remorse. Should have gone for the P177SM-A instead. Or the SLI Model (although i've been advised to not go with these two models due to the fact that upgradibility for these two were poor, PRIOR to stumbling to NBR forums and website, which seems to indicate the opposite with PREMA BIOS.

Le sigh..


As for the RAM, I have not much clue, about timing.

All I understand is that the timing seems to be "bad", and replacing it with a 16GB with "lower timing" (not sure how much lower) is a better option.

The question is... what to choose from?

There's crucial and kingston, from the reseller but I have NO idea what kingston and what crucial they were selling (they have samsung rams too)

any advice? because I don't really understand the RAM part.

 

Forget the RAM - what you have is sufficient unless you're going for bm 'scores'.

If you can find a buyer for this model, it sounds like you'd be happiest selling it. Even at a loss; that's the cost of educating yourself.

Good luck.

 

I suggest 1.5TB Hitachi or 2TB Seagate bought independently, and cheapest ODD-HDD caddy from eBay. Once you run out of space with 1TB drives, you'll have to replace them anyway. Memory - simply add 2 more 8GB modules, buy the cheapest from independent seller - you won't notice the difference anyway. There is a point in going with SLI model (which also has Thunderbolt) even if you don't need SLI - given it meets your budget. If you decide to buy another laptop, specify no SSD and cheapest/no HDD, since resellers usually have ridiculous prices on storage.

 

Exactly, for example you can always buy P370SM-A with 1x GTX 980M or SLi

CEG-hardcorecustom -
your UPGRADE base for Clevo & Alienware notebooks - for NBR & Techinferno users always something special

 

Hi there, thanks again.

I like where the discussion is heading, but I assure you, its not worth for me changing the entire darn thing (hahaha) just because of a 1 month purchase and some 'regret' over a physical hard disk space. I intend to go down the road with this laptop for 5 - 7 years, changing the components (or switching to other Clevo barebones if its cheap enough). There were things that I underestimated, but especially above anything I underestimated the need for storage. This is literally my desktop replacement, where I need to carry it to my workplace, so between the size, weight and power tradeoff, the P150SM-A (not the p157SM-A, since that was not sold) was the best bang for buck in terms of modularity (I really need to avoid the problem of having soldered component hardware failure and not getting an RMA, that was with a Compaq!) that hopefully I can get some things updated


In the middle of the 5 years I'll upgrade the components as I need to, and see how it goes. At the very least some parts should, if I do it right, be up to date enough to be transffered over (except for the SSD, which only has 3 years warranty and expected life expectancy of probably 5 years if I'm lucky) on a 18 month basis.

But thanks again, everyone! I have taken your opinions to heart, and will act accordingly

 

Your SSD will likely last as long as the notebook.

 

Agree. Your SSD will likely last as long as your notebook.

If you do replace the SSD in the next 5-7 years, it will most likely be an elective upgrade that you choose to perform due to speed or capacity reasons. After all, how many traditional mechanical hard drives do you own and still use that are 5-7 years old?

 

Hi there. I actually kind of broke my traditional HDDs, somehow managed to burn them, that was those desktop days, maybe it got too much knocking around (yes, I transported them on a once per 2-3 day basis, sometimes daily if there's a LANPARTY.

But yes, thanks again. I'll take the advice to heart

 

As long as you don't move them around when they are running and don't drop them from high, they should be fine.

A SDD will take any kind of knocking without problem.

 

Any kind of knocking? Nah...

Let's not make them out to be superman or something...

I've seen many phones die from a fall... and flash memory is all they ever had. And I've seen a HDD fly across a room. And continue to work as a BU drive for a decade.

 

Phones don't use SSDs. They use eMMC which is nothing more than a glorified SD card soldered to the mainboard.

 

They are not superman-like, but they are no weaker than other major components in the system, which is good enough. If the impact is strong enough to break a SSD, something else would probably be broken anyway.

Mechanically HDDs are not that weak when not running. How exactly did the HDD "fly across a room"?

They are solid-state-drives technically. And not necessarily weaker in terms of structural integrity.

 

Client walks into office, I reach for the brand new external HDD and in one graceful movement do a football style touch down slam across the room. Ooops!

So graceful, so poetic, everyone in the room froze for a minute while I gathered myself and stood up again...

Offered client to replace drive for another, they refused politely... and I couldn't believe it still worked so many years later without a hiccup.

I would not trust an SSD thrown like that.

 

If in an external enclosure, a SSD would do just fine. Those 1000G+ impact resistance ratings are no joke.

If in a laptop or so it's more complicated. The chassis might flex badly and something near the drive might touch the PCB directly.

 

BTW, just to update:

1) had another Hitachi Travelstar HDD, 1TB by removing the DVD-ROM (inserted via a caddy)
2) Ram maxed out and i'm glad I did. Usage is above 16GB at the moment (probably too many tabs and processess running)
3) Thinking of changing the LCD panel from 72% TN panel to 95% gamut TN panel or an IPS ( I heard it exists, but, not sure about colour accuracy and stuffs). Touchscreen panels don't exist, or maybe it does, who knows?
4) Trying to figure out some ventilation / heatsink mods to cool down the laptop better.
5) Thinking of purchasing a powerbrick from Dell ( The recommendation was above 200watts) to replace the 180w power supply that I have right now.
6) monitor prices for msata SSDs (maxing out at 1TB per msata) or normal SSDs with bigger storage or equal space to 4TB per physical drive (price per gb).
7) thinking of replacing the default keyboard with a MSI steelseries keyboard, heard it's been done before but its not 100% compliant / compatible or something like that. Probably won't do this.


extreme / probably idiotic mods
a) 3D print the bottom plate of the panel (the part which covers the fans and heatsinks for better ventilation), or replace it entirely with a non-electricity-conductive heat dispersing metal / aluminium plate?
b) paint the copper tubes (except for the fins) with black ceramic coat (normally used on exhaust pipes in cars, motorcycles, etc) to ensure heat doesn't escape to surrounding but flows to fins as intended (just like the newer P7xxZM series, or Acer Nitro V)
c) add one more copper tube per heatsink on CPU and GPU, totalling of 3 heat tubes per sink.
d) other crazy mods just for the lulz, if it actually benefits the usage.

With the advices given, I have learnt a lot. Thanks again everyone.

 

If you want a Dell 240W PSU, PM me.. have one for sale!!

 

I will consider it, thanks. Though I will have to factor in international shipping into the equation.

 

Where are you located BTW? international shipping from the UK is around £12.50...

 

I'm located in Malaysia. Currently the price of the item and the exchange rates are very unfavourable. In the past 8 weeks the currency has slumped so badly that its now around 30-40% increase alone in prices for things that I buy overseas (not to mention the rate was already very abysmal to begin with)

 

Blame Razak... Well the sitatuion your country is in is hardly surprising.. UMNO is quite well known for this crap... Even the previous guy Mahathair was a bit dodgy.. Falling oil prices don't help Petronas either and that hit's the economy too..