RAM and mSATA/SSD upgrade on T430s?

Hey guys. So I ordered a T430s a few days ago and am waiting for it to deliver. Meanwhile, I have also been looking to upgrade it. It came with 4 GB of ram, but I want to upgrade that to 8GB ram with dual channel mode for increased performance. I was wondering if this would be compatible with the T430s:

G.SKILL Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSQ Laptop Memory - Newegg.com

If not, would someone link me to one that would be compatible?

My laptop also comes with a 320GB HDD that I plan to use for storage. I guess I have two options and that is to purchase a 128GB mSATA (by crucial) to run my OS/other programs or get a 128 GB SSD to replace the primary hard drive and place the hard drive in a caddy that would be placed in the DVD bay. I also heard that the primary hard drive slot runs on SATA III, but if i use the mSATA, it will run on SATA II. Is there a big difference between the two? Which setup do you think would be better in the long run? I am mostly going to be using my laptop for college work/general use (I am a chemical engineering major btw, so i probably will be using programs like MATLAB).

 

You have a few concepts mixed up there.

1) Dual channel does not give noticeable increased performance.

2) That memory you are purchasing comes as two 4GB SODIMMs. So to actually have dual channel, you would need to remove the 4GB module your T430 will come with. Or you have 4+8=12GB not running in dual channel. I doubt you need that much but with RAM being so cheap, no harm in having 12GB of RAM. Or save a few bucks, get one 4GB SODIMM and use it dual channel as you want. Again, you will not feel any performance increase. In this, I have assumed that your laptop will come with 1x4GB SODIMM. If it comes with 2x2GB sticks, well, no dual channel there again.

3) Where did you read that mSATA is SATA II? There is a lot of difference between SATA II and SATAIII. However, any modern mSATAs are SATA III.

4) MATLAB can be heavy on memory but if you are using up your system RAM, you probably could optimize your code a bit

 

So in order to run in dual channel, the memory sticks must be identical, correct? My intention was to remove the 4GB module that it will come with and install the identical 4GB sticks for a total of 8GB of memory. Alternatively, I could get a 8GB single stick and install that when my laptop comes for a total of 12GB of memory right? Would there be any noticeable difference between these two setups? What I meant earlier is that I heard the mSATA port in the laptop runs on SATA II speeds even though the mSATA itself is SATA III (I am new to this hardware talk). Thanks for your reply by the way!

 

Yes they must. However, like I said, if you don't have anywhere to put that extra 4GB in, you'd be wasting that module simply to get a dual channel setup which won't really benefit you at all.

That is not true. mSATA runs at full SATA speed because while it does connect to the PCIe bus, it simply uses to bus to send data. It talks to the SATA controller which is what would decide the speed. If you have a SATA 3 controller, you have SATA 3 speeds. You could have read an older thread where may be PCIe 2.0 was used where that could have been the bottleneck. I don't know for sure. However, in a more recent laptop, you shouldn't have that problem.

No problem

 

1) You really want 8GB+ RAM (whether dual channel or not). Just changed to this (from 2x 2GB) on a 4 yr old Phenom III HP notebook and the client was shocked how much faster the system was. Even with a very slow, mechanical (320GB 5400 RPM HDD).

2) Hope you ordered the system with a 2x2 wireless option - and even better; an a/b/g/n 2x2 wireless card. This makes a HUGE difference in day to day (wireless) operation.

3) Afaik, all shipping ThinkPad's with mSATA connections are SATA2, not SATA3. I would suggest (after this is verified for your specific model or not...) to replace the main HDD with a 240/256GB or better, 480+/960GB SSD (Samsung 840 Pro, Crucial M500, Seagate 600 Series or SanDisk Extreme II's). The difference in performance (especially vs. a SATA2 small/toy-like mSATA SATA2 SSD setup) will be night and day. And, you'll have a fully solid state device with no potential mechanical drive issues in the future (for the life of the system).


Hope this helps.


Good luck.

 

The T430s do indeed ship with the mSATA only supporting SATA II. I was wrong about that - didn't think there'd still be laptops that would support SATA II for a slot dedicated for a SSD.

All Intel 62xx cards are 2x2 AGN. The T430s do not have options that do NOT allow the N standard.

There is no reason to get a 480+/960 GB SSD. He is a college student. The upgrades you suggest cost more than the laptop itself. Not everyone can afford "at least 16GB w/ Win64xPro and a 960GB SSD". A 480 GB SSD is about $300 if you get the cheapest one. That Lenovo costs $700 stock. The 960 GB SSD costs 700 bucks. 16GB RAM in 2 8GB SODIMMs costs another $150 ish. If he had $700 (laptop) + $700 (SSD) + $150 = >$1500 to spend on a laptop and upgrades, he could get a much much better laptop instead. May be it is easy to suggest a $700 one time upgrade if you are at a full time job. For college students like us, some times we need to purchase the 128GB SSD and use that frugally whilst getting rid of the ODD and storing lesser used data on the drive installed there. Waving off solid state space is not a luxury everyone can afford.

 

Points taken, but just because you can do something (like a 128GB SSD...) doesn't mean you should...

Also:

See:
ThinkPad T430s 14" Laptop | Shop | Lenovo| US | Lenovo | (CA)


Just because all Intel 62xx cards are 2x2 AGN doesn't mean the 430s ships with them. Nor does it mean that the 'n' standard is an a/b/g/n solution either ('n' can be b/g/n 'only').

Either way; with the wireless network card at least an a/b/g/n solution is HIGHLY advised - and if an AC card is available (specifically from Lenovo - they have their dreaded whitelists...) I would jump on that no matter what the upgrade cost would be. Yes; it will make that much of a difference in the usability of the machine in the very near future and certainly in the expected lifecycle of the system.


Okay, so just because a student is trying to put together an optimal setup - I should point them down a wrong path?

Good is good and bad is bad - no matter what the other circumstances are... it is up to the individual's I reply to, to proceed with that knowledge to the best of their capabilities - and know full well that if there are any deviations because of budget or otherwise, the consequences will at least have been weighed beforehand.


Full/complete information is WAY BETTER than assuming anything - especially other's budgets (and/or their means to increase/supplement them).

 

You reply to posters with only one option. Or at the most, two of the most expensive ones without thinking that not everyone can afford what you are talking about. Suggesting a 256GB SSD in combination with a HDD in the ODD is NOT a bad path. Show me credible sources other than yourself or posters on forums that clearly state that regardless of budget considerations, a 480+GB SSD is the ONLY way to go. You are NOT providing full/complete information. You provide information like a sales rep. When have you EVER suggested a 128 GB SSD? And NO. It is NOT wrong to purchase a 128 GB SSD.

And again, the T430s ships with a 2x2 mimo 6205. The "a" in a/b/g/n is NOT AC. The A WIFI standard is a very old standard. So no, a/b/g/n is NOT better than b/g/n.

You do not actually ever say that while these are the pitfalls of a 256GB SSD, if you are on a tight budget, you could purchase one now and then use a HDD along with it. There is simply NO logic in purchasing a $700 laptop and then purchasing ANOTHER $700 worth of upgrades. I am not responding to your reply, if you do bother to post one. But please remember that several posters that come here look for genuine advice and some cannot afford 2x480GB/960GB SSDs. Do I want one? Heck, I want a 960GB mSATA and two 960GB M500s in my laptop. Isn't that optimal and good? Yes. 'Tis the best. Is it what I can afford? No. If I could afford $2100 worth of SSDs, I'd much rather purchase the Alienware 17. Is my current set up bad? No. I have a 480GB SSD in my work laptop and I see absolutely no difference in terms of speed. Am I inconvenienced by the fact that I can only have about 80GB of stuff in my 128GB SSD? No. I can remember only two occasions where I deleted old programs, those that I had not used for several months.

I am not asking you to not give your suggestions. But don't make it seem like that is good and everything else is bad. If a person can only afford $200 in upgrades, he's still going to get the 256GB SSD because your "2x480GB or better still 960GB" solution will simply not be something he can afford. So a poster will get the 256 because other would suggest it and he would buy it thinking he is getting something that is crappy because he cannot afford it - something that is far from the truth.

 

You are completely wrong in the wireless card info: the link I provided clearly states 1x1 ships as default and at ONLY b/g/n rates.

What that means is that it operates on ONLY 2.4GHz and not at the 5GHz that the new/modern AC standard DEMANDS from wireless cards going forward. The 'a' is Not outdated at all: your information is. I also never suggested that the 'a' is AC - read what I wrote again, please.


Yes, I do reply with usually one option when they have supplied enough information for the question they asked. Doing something 'right' in hardware is not a matter of too many choices usually...


Every single SSD installation I have done with less than 160GB (Intel 320 Series SSD... with fully populated channels and optimally interleaved nand...) has been replaced with at least a 240GB SanDisk Extreme with HUGE performance differences noted not just by me; but by the owners of the system(s) in question...

You don't have to believe what I say; neither does anyone else. Just trying to help with the information/experience I have on these subjects.


As for providing information like a sales rep? Lol... I wish sales reps would be so honest.

This isn't a case of suggesting spending top $$$ to get slightly better - this is spending the minimum that is required to get true/promised performance - not just for the near term; but for the lifecycle of the system (usually 5/6/7 yrs).


So while you think I am always suggesting to overspend - my recommendations are the most economical over the long term ownership of a system. While providing superior and sustained performance over that whole time too.