Best cheap-ish SSD 120-256gb

Looking to pick up a cheap-ish SSD for my HP 8530w. Obviously no SSD is truly cheap but I don't want to spend a grand, either. I missed a 256gb on the FS forum earlier today for $300 that would have been epic.

Any recommendations on models and sources?

 

120GB OCZ Agility $340 after rebate

 

with ssds, at least for now, i'd pick quality over quantity... in other words, i'd pick an 80gb faster intel drive over any other brands which may have larger space.... afterall, you want all the bang for your buck and what good is 256mb when the performance difference is only 50% faster than ur current drive? i'd spend the dough on a 80gb intel that i know would be 150% or more quicker than my current 5400 rpm drive.

fwiw.

 

+1. Intel X25M G2 has the fastest AS-SSD 4kb-64thrd performance of any consumer SSDS when running in ACHI mode.

If need capacity, suggest a SSD+HDD setup using an optical bay caddy, converting optical drive to external usb or esata unit. See sig if interested.

 

I agree with your sentiment, but your % differences are identical.

I too would suggest a quality SSD over mere capacity.


jimmypop,

If you are using your computer 'normally' and you can get by with a %filled of 70% or less, (O/S, programs and data), then an SSD would be a great step up.

The ones to consider today is the Intel G2 models.

The 80GB model is sufficient for a basic, smallish install with a lot of responsiveness in the user experience.

The 160GB model is not only more roomy, but actually faster (with the latest firmware) than the 80GB G2 too.

You may end up spending more now, but you should be enjoying this SSD for a long time - even into your next notebook or desktop system, rather than upgrading a few times with less than stellar models that will cost you more in the long run (with less performance in the meantime too).

Cheers!

 

I have about 60gb on my current install, which includes Win7, XP mode, Office07, CS4 web suite, and a couple of other space hog apps. I must have all of the above for my work. I also have about 30gb of data which I need access to on a daily basis. So I figure 120gb is an absolute minimum.

I thought about getting a small boot drive (80gb-ish) and putting a 2nd HDD in the optical bay but once I priced out the cost for the bay and the SSD it doesn't seem to make all that much sense to go that route, especially since I use my DVD-RW pretty often. The 80gb is running $250ish, plus the $50 bay... so looking at $300 there already.

I have two 320gb 7200rpm drives right now and use one in the laptop and the other for backup. If I got a 120 or 160gb SSD I could sell both drives and get a cheapo external off of Craigslist for backup.

 

Okay, now you're not talking sense!

Don't sell your known good drive for an unknown Craigslist's 'cheapo' drive for backup! What are you thinking?

For your situation, an Intel G2 160GB SSD seems to be a perfect fit. I've seen deals for around $400 on them, bide your time and good things will come.

Cheers!

 

Okay that might have been a slight exaggeration. Something like the 1TB Dell/Hitachi external that was $66 today would be fine. I think I have a 500gb WD MyBook at the office, too. Not sure what all is on there though.

Sounds like the consensus is the 160gb G2 Intel drive. I'll keep my eyes open...

 

LOL, I went from dual 320gb drives in my laptop to dual 500gb drives and both are nearly full of crapola.... For me and only me, i cannot imagine going to an 80gb ssd drive and having one 500gb drive to store most of the things i like to have on there... LOL... i have tons and tons of media, media which i dont use all the time but it's nice having the option to watch whatever i want to watch from my hard drive l0l0l

 

If you don't use your optical drive, you might be able to fit an extra 1TB drive in place of it

 

160GB Intel G2 SSD.... I would get this one with windows 7 and if u really want more space ,u can replace the optical drive with a 500GB hitachi 7K500 Drive.. and use an external optical drive...

 

Now to find a X25-m G2 that doesn't cost an arm and a leg!

The cheapest I've seen is about $450, which seems nuts for a 160gb drive, super-fast SSD or not...

 

^ i agree 100% which is why im keeping an eye on the market but definitely not jumping in on it yet.

because i know at the end of the year, i'd kick myself in the a$$ for paying so much for such little space. the performance gain is defnitely worth it but only a select few are willing and able to pay a price that high.... and for me, personally, i need the space more than i need the performance.

 

You just need to look in the right places.

Also, in addition to auctions look for "best offer" auctions. A guy was offering a G2 160GB for $450, but an offer and driving about ten miles gave it to me for $400 flat, no shipping or tax.

 

Forgive me for what is probably a naive/dumb question, but I am buying a new laptop and I was looking into SSD and here is my question:

Does it make sense to buy a laptop with 80gb SSD (for speed) and a 500 gb or q TB External HDD (for storage). I was thinking of i5/i7 processor with the SSD would make it a very fast laptop. Is that line of thinking correct?

Thanks.

P.S: The reason I ask is I was reading about the optical drive in the posts above and it did not make sense to me. So this is my thought.

 

Definitely. That's actually the recommended setup: SSD for operating system and a few select programs, and a larger HDD for games, music, movies, etcetera.

 

I have an Agility 120GB and a 750GB WD 12.5mm HDD in the optical bay; it's a great combination.

 

Thank you very much for the quick reply. So i7 with SSD makes sense. In that situation having a HDD connected thru the USB, will that slow down the computer. What I mean to ask is the SSD will make the computer boot up faster and the like but if I was accessing the external HDD it would still be a bit slow right coz the HDD itself is slow and then the USB transfer rate will be slow, is that correct? So it will not be like the video where the video file instantly played and seeking was just so fast, right?

Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.

 

If we put the optical bay in, then what happens to the CD drive. There wont be a cd drive then?

 

If you can afford it, try to get an eSata enclosure. eSata is significantly faster than USB 2.0 if the HDDs are the same. I don't have benchmarks, but I'm willing to bet a 5400rpm eSata will perform better than a same-generation 7200rpm USB 2.0.

USB is good for convenience and compatibility, while eSata is best for speed.


As for replacing your ODD, yes, you lose your optical drive. However, you can get an external one.

 

I keep the CD drive separate, and hotswap it with the HDD when necessary.

 

if you want to go cheap, get a hdd. if you want to go the high end path, invest your money well, means pay a bit more to know that you really get high end. it's cheaper in the end, and much more fulfilling.

 

Still looking for a deal on a 160gb X25-m.

Has anyone here used an ExpressCard SSD? I've seen a few in the 64gb range but they get awful reviews. It would seem like that might be a way to get around the extra bay issue -- have a small boot SSD (say 80gb) and then store all your files on the ExpressCard SSD... a total of 144gb of space. It ends up a little cheaper than the 160gb Intel solution. And if you ever ran out of storage on the ExpressCard SSD you could always get a bigger one or add a second that you could hot-swap.

 

Keep looking for that G2 deal.

Your 'cheapest' solution is far worse than you can imagine, performance-wise.

And, if you do 'do it right' by getting the 80GB G2 and a fassst ExpressCard SSD, you'll have spent more money than the 160GB G2 is and still be slower and less reliable/dependable overall than the 160GB G2 in the first place.

The fast ExpressCard SSD's I have read about, although very fast - have a short lifespan and tend to die unexpectedly too. Not to mention they run very hot.

Cheers!

 

anyways , Expresscard SSD's are not fast... i would try to get a 160GB G2 or if u don't mind , get the older G1... but keep ur eyes open , i saw one of the notebookreview.com Marketplace for $440 boxed and new...