Possible to have SSD+HDD on Dell E5550?

I am currently looking into the Latitude E5550 and I would like to be able to later on have 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD . But I can't figure out if it is possible, since it doesn't come with an optical drive.
Does anyone have any insights? And if it is not possible, are there any similar models that do support this?

 

The system comes with 2 M.2 slots, so if you don't have or need a cellular network access card, then you can most likely put a 128GB SSD in the M.2 slot designed for such networks. Be careful, though, as there is only a very small space, so only the shortest (42mm) M.2 SSDs will fit.

 

I don't believe the E5550 M.2 slots support SSDs, which is kind of a bonehead decision on Dells part in my opinion. Older models offered mSATA SSDs, but Dell got rid of those too. You can take solace in the fact the 1080p matte IPS screen you can get on the E5550 is much better than anything you'll find on previous Latitudes.

 

That's what I thought...
Well, I think for now 7200 may be fast enough for me...
Do you think that Intel Core i5-4210U 1.7Ghz will be enough for Office/Eclipse/Visual Studio?
Or am I much better off with i5-5300U? (those seem to be my options right now for the E5550).
I don't care much about resolution, since I like everything large anyway, so I will probably go with the budget 1366x768 (is that terrible?).

 

From some quick math, it looks like the base speed of the i5-5300u is 35% faster than the i5-4210u, and that's a noticeable difference in most cases. So I'd go with the i5-5300u.

For the screen, unfortunately screen manufacturers tend to only manufacture good screens (wide viewing angles, high brighness & contrast, and better color accuracy) that have high resolutions. So most lower-resolution screens will also be of lower quality in general.

 

Okay, thanks.
Just to add to the question:
The i5-5300U E5550 is Manufacturer Refurbished from Ebay - one year Dell Warranty
The i5-4210U is New from my country - three year Dell Warranty.
Same price for both (around 770$).

I don't care for extreme performance as long as it can multitask very well and doesn't lags when using Firefox/Office/Eclipse.

About the screen, I think that's a compromise I'll have to take at this time.. I mostly care about reading/writing...

 

You could also go with the Intel® Core™ i7-5600U Processor Version and a 1TB 2,5" SSD upgrade afterwards. Then you would have the best of both. And i7 should serve you better in Multitasking. IMO 4GB RAM is unsufficient for your Tasks. So an upgrade to at least 8Gigs should be done as well.



This is for sure not the cheapest solution, but a very reliable one and is more future-proof than your config specs.

 

No. The only drive connector on this laptop is a single the SATA port. That SATA port can be used to either connect a 2.5" SATA drive, or a card-based SSD (mSATA or M.2 SSD) with an adapter. You cannot connect two drives to this laptop.

It has two M.2 slots. But those are for wireless cards, and not storage devices. Those slots do not connect to a storage controller. So though they are physically compatible with M.2 SSDs, the SSD itself will not be recognized or usable with that laptop.

If you're looking for comparable laptops with two storage devices, look into a Dell XPS 15.

Absolutely do not get a 1366x768 display, or settle for a mechanical HDD. It's almost 2016. And I can promise you that if you buy a laptop with a 1366x768 display and mechanical HDD, then you'll have a laptop that will behave and perform equivalently to a laptop made in 2007. Manufacturers used to use 15" 1366x768 TN-panel displays because they were cheap. But image quality is absolute garbage on those. Get at least a 15" 1080p display, and use DPI scaling to make text & icons look as large/small as you want.

And stay away from mechanical HDDs. If you ask any professional tech reviewer (and many non-professional tech hobbyist enthusiasts), they will tell you that the most important upgrade you can buy for a computer these days is an SSD. It's more important than going from 8GB --> 16GB of RAM. It's more important than a CPU upgrade. Settling for a mechanical HDD as your primary storage device in 2016, is like settling for a 56K dial-up modem in a world with broadband.

 

Thanks Kent,
How is the 5010U? If I get 8GB Would it be ok for multitasking (many tabs open, eclipse, word etc..)
I feel like I could easily upgrade HDD to SSD when I feel the need to do so.. Resolution I can't change..
I thought that since 15~ is not very big I wasn't that sure I would need the extra resolution.
However, I am worried that I'll have too few lines and not enough vertical space in Eclipse with 1366*768
(for example in Debugging mode). Is that true?

Though to be honest I am not sure I would like even smaller text..

 

When you're dealing with low powered CPUs, clock speed matters. It would be a nice-to-have to get a Core i5 model, since it will have a much higher boost clock speed than a Core i3-5010u (2.2Ghz vs. 2.7Ghz). But a Core i3-5010U wouldn't be a dealbreaker.

Yes, 8GB should be enough. More RAM is always better, but the things you're doing won't need 16GB. And I STRONGLY suggest you stay away from mechanical HDDs. Seriously. In 2016, there isn't any reason at all to get a mechanical HDD for a primary drive. Even cheap budget laptops manage to squeeze in SSDs.

Check out some of the videos in my signature. And I'll say this.... An SSD is so important to the way that a computer performs in multitasking between productivity applications that I'd rather have the laptop in my videos (Dell XPS M1330 - Core 2 Duo CPU, SSD, made in 2007), than a laptop manufactured in 2015 with a mechanical HDD. And I can almost guarantee that my 2007 laptop w/SSD will outperform any laptop with a mechanical HDD.

As for resolution... trust me, you want a 1080p IPS technology display. Compared to 1366x768, the display will just look sharper and clearer, since you will have much higher pixel density. And you'll have 40% more vertical space with 1080p, with the option to use font scaling / resizing if you want things to look bigger. If you go with 1366x768, you're going to be permanently stuck with that.

And you want a display that uses an IPS technology panel, for its improved colors, contrast, and viewing angles. Most 1366x768 screens are cheap (in a bad way) TN technology panels that look horrible. Poor color reproduction, low constrast, and terrible viewing angles. Those sh*tty screens where everything looks dim, grey, and washed out.

Look, if you're trying to find the cheapest laptop possible that isn't garbage, look into an Asus UX305CA (latest Skylake CPUs) or UX305LA (previous generation Broadwell CPU). They have Core i3/i5 CPUs, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 13.3" 1080p IPS displays, thin aluminum construction, and absolutely ridiculous battery life (10 hours). And they only run for about $700, which is getting you a MUCH better laptop than anything else you could buy for $700.

Microsoft Store: Asus UX305CA $700 ( link)
Amazon: Asus UX305LA $750 ( link)



Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

Your excellent video "convinced" me SSD is much better (I knew that though . If I manage, I'll probably try to get i5, 500GB SSD, 8GB, 1080p.. but I might need to compromise somewhere...
The 500GB are really expensive IMO and less than that would be too little for me.
That said, I have used my Thinkpad for 6 years and saved A LOT because it works so well. So I hope I can find something as reliable and comfortable for the following years..

 

Read my previous post again. I just updated / edited it with a recommendation for $700 Asus UX305 laptops, with reasons why.

And $500GB SSDs are a lot cheaper than you'd expect these days. When you're dealing with 250GB / 500GB SSDs, you're looking at the same $0.30/GB price. So a 250GB SSD will cost you around $75, while a 500GB SSD will run you about $150.

 

Thanks a lot.
15 inch is important to me since my laptop act as my desktop often and I code.
I also tend to prefer business laptops, since I've had such a good experience with one and I feel there's a better chance it will last longer than a consumer model (though i may be wrong..)
Currently leaning towards the E5550, though I never tried its keyboard..
Very open to suggestions though..

 

Check out the XPS 15 if you want 15" laptops.

As for business grade laptops... They aren't inherently more reliable. The part that makes then "business" laptops is the pre-loaded software for easier remoye management, security features (smartcard readers, fingerprint scanners, and TPM support), and extended support / warranty contracts.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

For a future-proof investment get at least an i5 CPU and a good display (1920 x 1080 with IPS or similar technology) for the reasons already mentioned above. RAM is upgradable unless soldered and the storage drive is swappable. If you have to compromise at this stage in order to fit your budget then get a machine with good CPU and display, adequate RAM (preferably as one module so you can upgrade with a second module) and a HDD. You can then look forward to feeling like you have bought another new machine once you can afford an SSD (which will be less expensive next year than this).

John