Which SSD for my new ENVY 17

Hi guys.

Next tuesday im getting my brand new HP envy 17-2090eo 3D.
Im really looking forward to getting it..

My new HP has 2 640 GB (7200RPM) HDD's, which is really nice, but im thinking about buying a 120 GB SSD and change the primary HDD drive, to run OS and other large programs from the SSD, which I am told is much faster.

Which SSD model should I be looking for? What would u recommend.

And if you know some tips about tweaks and first things to do when setting up my new machine, please tell me... (thinking drivers, apps and such)

Thanks in advance
-Trools

 

Since the Envy 17 supports SATA III (I think?) you should go for OCZ's 3rd generation SSD lineup, specifically the Agility 3 and Vertex 3.

There are several tweaks and tips that can improve Windows 7's performance with SSD such as disabling indexing, superfetching, and page filing. You can find a guide here: The SSD Optimization Guide - The SSD Review

 

Sounds nice...

Ill try to check out the 3rd generation

Anyone with other HP Envy tweaks, please tell me

 

I overpaid for a 120GB Intel 510 SSD, and while it isn't as fast as the 3rd gen OCZ, it's been rock stable and plenty fast for my taste. It's paired with a 640GB HD and I couldn't be happier.

I think I read somewhere in this forum that, while both the OCZ 3rd gen and the 510 support SATA III, the OCZ takes far better advantage of the throughput. I could be wrong on that, so please don't quote me.

My wife's laptop has an original OCZ Vertex in it, and it's been solid. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either.

 

The new Kingston HyperX series drives are quite impressive, and they seem to be very reliable as well.

AnandTech - The SandForce Roundup: Corsair, Kingston, Patriot, OCZ, OWC & MemoRight SSDs Compared

However, consensus is that Intel 510 series is very solid with fewest issues. It is all in the firmware

 

How much do you want to spend.

 

I wouldn't touch a Sandforce-based drive with a 10' pole. I'd stick with an Intel 510 or the cheaper Crucial M4.

 

also the c300 is a good choice, still one of the best in terms of random read/write performance

 

I bought the OCZ Agility 3 SSD 120GB after reading some nice reviews about it... Really hope that it fits the machine. Anyone knows if I should buy a special Drive Caddy, or if the caddy holding my 640 GB will be able to hold the SSD?

Thanks guys

 

That wouldn't be my choice, but it isn't my money either. As stated above, the current Sandforce drives have buggy firmware, at the moment.

The Intel 320 series has a "8mb error" that causes you to loose nearly all of your data (potentially) [google "Intel 320 8mb error" if your unaware]. Intel said they are aware, and are fixing the problem.


Fail safe drives, that "I" would spend my money on, are the Intel 510, Samsung 470 and Crucial C300/Crucial M4.

For me, it's about reliability. I'd be more than willing to sacrifice a few "mb/s" in terms for better reliability. For the "average" user, it's not even noticeable.

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And yes, the "cage" or "caddy" holding your current 640GB drive will hold just about any SSD (as long as it's the 2.5" variety).

 

This is the exact thing I was thinking. I've been reading up on solid state and some of the reviews are a bit unnerving... BSOD and random reboots and data loss. I at first thought I was going to go with a hybrid drive, but instead today I ordered an Intel 510 120GB from Buy.com for $230 after $40 MIR.

I didn't buy from Newegg, but their reviews are very positive. There were cheaper options but I'll spend the extra money on some reliability and better firmware.