SSD for Alienware m17x r3

Narrowed it down to a few choices. New to SSD's and switching storage devices. Reliability and easy of use are top priorities.

Samsung 470 (128GB)

Crucial M4 (128GB)

Intel 510 (128GB)

Any other suggestions? I will have a second HDD installed for storage. Will be ordering in the next few days. Trying to keep price down with reliability up.

Thanks in advance.

 

If reliability and easy of use are truly top priorities, you'll end up with the Intel.

Reliability matters. Intel has their SSD Toolbox, which makes everything easy.

 

m4 or 510 both legit.

 

If money is not a factor go Intel 510. If you want just as good or better reliabilty but less cost, get a C300 or M4. Word is the C300 is faster than the M4 for random reads, so that makes the C300 more attractive to me.

Good reading here...
AnandTech - The 2011 Mid-Range SSD Roundup: 120GB Agility 3, Intel 510 and More Compared

I voted intel but if it was my $$ I'd save a few $ and get a C300, but that's only BC I can't afford an Intel 510.

 

Focusing on price when reliability is an important consideration is a false economy in the long run. Intel 510. 250GB.

Partition it to use less than the full capacity (even 30-40GB less... makes a huge difference).

Along with moving the user folders like the following link shows:

See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...gramdata-folder-separate-drive-partition.html

 

Crucial M4: cheaper, better random performance and lower power consumption than Intel 510.

Yet the M4 beats the C300 in real world scenarios. There are several pages that compare the real world performance here:
Crucial m4 256GB SSD (C400) Review - Install Times

The M4 also has lower power consumption than the C300.

What is attractive about the C300 though is that it uses 34nm NAND.

 

I'd say the M4 - not quite sure how anybody can say the 510 specifically will be more reliable than the M4, as there's no evidence (except intel's reputation), but you'll certainly pay for for the 'intel' brand and it's performance against the M4 is not quite as good, as you can see below.
(I've seen better results for higher capacity 510 drives, but this is specifically a 120GB 510)...

HEXUS.net - Crucial 128GB M4 SSD Review

As for 'issues' that's another story, and I think the Samsung 470 may have done the best there, so it depends whether you consider that fact in 'reliability'.

 

given that there will be another HDD for storage, I would say SATA2 last generation model i.e. x25m G2 or Samsung 470 or even Kingston(I assume they are used a lot in OEM).

 

M4.

 

Thanks everyone for the help. Any idea how SSD and HDD combo affects battery life (In real world test).

 

Real world, negligible. I have both in my laptop...no noticeable changes in battery life.

Thats partially why all these "this vs that" debates regarding SSD are silly...we are talking about measurable differences, not noticeable differences....which is why I always vote/buy for the most reliable.

 

Thanks for the help everyone. Ended up with the Intel 510 SSD + Western Digital WD Scorpio Black 500 GB HDD.

 

Sounds familiar

 

sorry to intrude on but im about to get a ssd for my m17 too and im leaning towards the m4 but when i checked newegg they had 2 kinds one has cca added to the end of the model # and costs more whats the difference between the 2?

 

One has a transfer kit of sorts. The physical drive is the same. Check the pics, you'll see

 

Anyone own a OCZ Max Iops? Those are damn expensive but they are the undisputed SSD kings.

 

I saw SR's review.



I'd say the Maxiops isn't worth the premium for single users.