SSD or Processor Upgrade.

I am planning to throw a solid state drive into my Probook and wanted some opinions.

I have decided to go with an Intel 320.

If I get the 160gb, would that be enough to replace the 7200rpm drive overall or should I stick to the usual HDD/SDD combo.

Also, what should I put on the SSD? If you could create a list of the best thing to run off of the SSD in order.


I'm kind of on a budget and would like to know if upgrading my i3 processor to an i7-2630qm/2670qm would be better for $200 than the SSD upgrade.

 

Without saying what you're currently using your system for, it is hard to recommend either for you.

That list you ask for is non-existent too.

What you will notice with an SSD is faster startup, faster shutdown, faster program installs and faster Windows Updates.

Hmmm... same thing with the cpu... btw, how much RAM do you have? Cause the RAM could give you some of those benefits also.

Also, if your Probook is SATA3 capable, you are losing a lot of performance by putting in a SATA2 SSD.

More info, please!

 

Go for the SSD hands down. Upgrading the CPU will void your warranty, will most likely require a different heatsink and generally, won't make your system noticeably faster. You will only notice the difference in rendering/transcoding and of course benching. For general computing as well as gaming, the i3 is enough.

 

Sorry about that.
I'm a moderate user. I like running multiple programs at the same time. Don't do editing or gaming. Just school work and surfing. I just like the feeling of knowing my notebook will dust the guy's notebook next to me in class. Hahaha. Which is why I want an i7 cpu. Aikimox, so upgrading to an i7 would be wasted? Could you elaborate on what an i7 would be good for or give me some programs that would perform at their peek if used with an i7.
And the startup/shutdown, program launch boost is what I'm looking for.

I'm running on 8gb of ram by the way.

 

Aikimox, I got the standard wifi card in my 4430s so the signal is kind of weak. Is the wireless card replaceable? If so, what do you recommend as a good budget wifi card?

 

You might want to look at the Seagate Momentus XT if 160GB is limiting. It's a platter drive with a 4GB or 8GB flash drive attached. Once it figures your your usage patterns, it gives near SSD performance and you'd have a lot of space left over for other things.

 

hi Saucey, I have notebook with i3 350m for work. I work as java developer, and cpu itself is slow when pushed hard, however, it is way beyond hdd and memory in upgrade priority list. Cpu is a bit slow, but in my rebuild project/run server time it would probably shed maximum 60-90s from 12 minutes time, where ssd would shed half that overall time, and memory another 60-90s.

Because all these factors are limiting me right now, everything would help, and ssd most of all because of it's speed working with small files.

Perfect example of why ssd is better upgrade for most people is when you try to open pdf file using acrobat reader, installed on fast hdd it takes good 3-4s, and if you have ssd, it opens instantly as you click on it. There is no cpu that can speed that up. Everything will be much snappier with ssd.

But, like ZaZ recommended, hybrid disk might be better overall solution, you get speed and capacity in the same package. It's not as fast as an full blown ssd, of course.

 

Heard about the Momentus, but never actually looked into it. Finally did because of the recommendation here, and I'm being swayed already!

I wish the 2nd-Gen XT came in different capacities.
My Probook 4430s currently has the factory Sata II 7200 drive in it. Would this be an indication that it does NOT support Sata III?

 

SSD is the way to go. It makes your computer feel like it's blazing fast. When it comes to accessing files (boot, starting programs, opening documents) SSD is your best choice.

I bet you wouldn't even notice the difference between an i3 and an i7 processor if I would swap it.

Check YouTube for some SSD vs. HDD comparison.

 

Its has a HM65 chipset so it will support SATA III

 

SSD upgrade will be much more noticeable than the CPU upgrade. I did both in my laptop and whenever I moved from a 7200 rpm hdd to Intel 320 SSD I felt like I have completely replaced my laptop with a blazing fast one.


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Saucy - as I mentioned in the other thread, be careful about putting the HDD in an OBHD caddy if it's the Momentus Thin. The Momentus Thin will flop around a bit in the OBHD. Use a standard thickness drive if you're going that route.

 

Thanks Shemmy for the advice.

I think I've decided to just replace the hard drive with a 120+ gb SSD instead of the HDD/SSD combo.

 

Would have to agree with everyone else and reiterate how much more oh an improvement the SSD would provide. Not to mention the considerable easier install process.