HDD vs SSD vs Cache Drive: Dumb It Down for Me Please!

Sorry if this sounds like a very elementary question, but I am having trouble figuring out my options with these three types of drives.

Specifically, I am looking at buying a ThinkPad T430 that comes with a 500GB HDD, and am interested in adding a solid state cache drive ( not replace the HDD with a SSD).

My question is: is this possible? I know it's an option through the Lenovo website to order one with a cache drive, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to just take the computer to a local shop and have them add a cache drive for me. Since it would not be replacing my storage HDD, would I still have to back everything up (such as the OS) and have it re-loaded into the computer? Or since it is just a cache drive, would it be a "plug-and-play" type deal like adding a new stick of RAM?

 

Cache drives only speed up *some* of your programs/files, mainly Windows and very commonly-used stuff like maybe your favorite internet browser and office suite, and not much else. Personally, I'd just skip a SSD cache and add a regular mSATA SSD to install the OS/programs on, and leave the 500GB HDD for bulk data. Best of both worlds.

 

You want Dumb here is Dumb buy a 64GB or 128GB mSATA cache drive it will cache everything you use you will never hear your HDD spin up you will save battery life create virtually no heat and it will be just as fast as running off SSD and best of all it can all be done in a couple of minutes with a screw driver and the left click button.

 

The SSD is much faster than the other two. Most people that have them wish they had upgraded earlier, and wouldn't go back to a regular drive. So yes, get the mSATA SSD, with a large regular HDD for data.

 

SSD drives have come down in price quite a bit in the last year. Dell charges almost triple for SSD drives, but you can buy far better SSD and cheaper on newegg.

So get the lenovo with cheapest HDD, then replace it with a Samsung 840 SSD 256GB. Then get your self a USB3.0 external drive case and install the 500GB HDD in to it.

 

You can buy a 128GB mSATA or SATA SSD for ~ $100. IMHO it's best to load up your OS and frequently used apps and use an HDD for storage any games and such that benefit little from an SSD. Caching is useful if you get a cheap 32GB or 64GB SSD and it will accelerate your most commonly accessed files, and if there's any decent algorithm then things that need speeding up the most.

The Super Cache 2 SSD's MyDigitalSSD is mentioning is out for pre-order: mSATA Solid State Drives | MyDigitalSSD | My Digital Discount

It looks like a good option, but personally I would run with a separate SSD+HDD and manage it yourself.