List of drives that are compatible with the x220

Thanks for the precisions Spam123! Since this "issue" of SSD wear is known, I guess we get some kind of warning before the SSD fails.....like "Caution you approach the maximum life cycle of the cells".... Would be nice!

EDIT: Reading the link you provided brought me to the best thing about SSD: even when the SSD "fails" (not possible to write anymore), you can still read the data on it, unlike with a failed HDD! That's great! Basically we still need to backup the data in case the laptop goes on fire or so....but not anymore because the storage may fail!!

 

Thanks Kilou,

If you haven't read these
Coding Horror: The Hot/Crazy Solid State Drive Scale

SSD failure rates compared to hard drives - Storage Forums

In the first article they mentioned total bricks; it might be the controllers that failed but the NAND still has the data - same for HDDs that might have broken heads/arms but the platters are intact.
Paranoia... hehe

In the 2nd article,
I don't think the comparison of HDD to SSDs return failure rate is fair and complete; ie, without variance/std deviation.

I don't know for a fact whether SSDs carry a higher margin (ie better profits), but I would guess that from the perspective of the manufacturer, they would obviously want to sell something that is priced 6 to 7 times more than the HDD.

Again - to each his own; if you have disposable income and want to take the risks and enjoy the blazing speed... lol

 

Does anyone know what drive this is?

ThinkPad 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive II

It looks like it has better specs than the Intel X-25M (aside from the lower capacity) but I cannot seem to find a drive with the same 250MB/s read and 180MB/s write speeds that matches.

For comparison:

ThinkPad 160GB 2.5" Intel X25-M Solid State Drive II

 

It says it's a 7mm drive. It should fit.

 

I was wondering if anyone that has gotten the OCZ Vertex 3, if they had an update? I'm anticipating my T420s in a couple weeks, and am going to go the Intel 320 route (is 160 GB, the highest we can go?). I just wanted to know how their systems are holding up now. You know, after successfully installing it and getting it all working flawlessly. You guys still going strong?

I ask because as an enthusiast, I can see myself in the future, trying to tinker with my system.

 

Thanks for these infos and links span 123. It's an interesting topic but I'm rather surprised with the first link where the guy say most of his SSD failed pretty quickly. His average time to failure is about 220 days.....while SSD manufacturers have at least 3 years warranty! I think Intel even offers 5 years warranty on some models.... Sounds weird!

 

Lol yes - he must have received a lot of the "statistically significant" shipments.
It's also possible that since they are programmers, they run a lot of repetitive unit testing that constantly read/writes (just guessing).
just wondering if that was the case, why they didn't host the DBs on mechanical HDDs on the network... anyways...

 

Is the Vertex 3 a 7mm drive?

 

my bad! i thought they were the same!

 

got the x220 and the vertex 240gb and YES IT FITS

 

Nope. It's 9.3mm. It has no removable spacer, so it can't be modded to 7mm slots.

 

Seems like SuperMiguel beat me to receiving the OEM Vertex earlier...

I'll measure the bay height and the vertex casing with the micrometer once I have them.
Cheers~

 

the Vertex 3 does fit, you just can't use the spacers lenovo gives you. if you follow the link to the original post quoted you can see some photos of someones X220 with the SSD in it. hope this helps

 

Am I missing something or if you guys can fit a 9.5mm SSD such as Vertex 3, it means that ANY 9.5mm drive will fit (providing that the rails are removed)?? I mean could you fit an Intel 510 in the X220 and if not why since it's also a 9.5mm like the Vertex 3??

Thanks

 

Is it just me or does the SSD on the right pic look like it's cover is off?

 

Just received the OEM Vertex 3;
at the lip where the connectors here, the height is 9.34mm;
length is 100mm, and width is 70mm.

the drive does have a small warranty sticker and would break if the unit is opened.
Dont have my X220 yet to test fitness.

 

So Vertex 3 is 9.34mm (and fits) while Intel 510 is 9.5mm and hence would not fit? I'm a bit lost LOL

 

Lol Kilou; don't know what to tell you since I haven't received my replacement.

Supermiguel - have you tried to download and update the firmware to 2.36?
I plugged it into my desktop and the toolbox says can't find any OCZ drives, and yet the support forum says it's supported.
General Discussion Details about the V3LT-25SAT3-240G.oem?

searching for clues now...

 

You need to use the Linux-based firmware update tools. Windows toolbox can't update firmware on primary system drive.

Dig around on the OCZ forums, you'll find the necessary info.

Edit: If however you added the OCZ as a second drive on a desktop PC... sorry I have no ideas. I was talking about updating firmware on the Vertex3 already inserted as primary drive in a X220 Thinkpad.

 

Z5K500 320gb is now available on Amazon. Still no 500gb in stores yet.

 

Thanks Nick - I asked and dug around @ the OCZ forum;
Ryder posted a linux based bootup iso which i downloaded, but I figured out that I could have just plugged it into another desktop;
the current desktop runs RAID and is a major pain to change to AHCI to flash.

 

I haven't bought a lenovo x220t tablet yet but I am going to buy one. I want to order the 320gb hard drive and swap it with an intel 320 series ssd, but I want to be able to use the 320gb in another laptop. So I was wondering if you can take the screws out of the hdd and put it on the ssd (probably not) and then put the spacer on the hdd into another laptop. Otherwise is there a way to put the hdd into another laptop and reuse it? I don't want to waste it.

 

The stock drive is a pretty standard 2.5" drive, just thinner. It should go in most laptops without any modifications. Another laptop would have to use an unusual mounting method for it to actually rattle around since the screw points are the same on the sides and bottom as all 2.5" drives.

Mine was relocated to a SAS drive cage, my 7mm, 9mm and 12.5mm "collection" all fit in there with the same screws and holes.

The 320 ssd mounts in the tablet with the lenovo spacers just like the original drive, after you remove the intel spacer

 

Sorry am busy but here's a quick one;
the height of the drive bay should be much taller than 7mm;
ie the side rubber rails with the cage means that there's at least another 1mm at the top and bottom of the expected 7mm unit.

Using a taller drive -
1. the "nubs" at the lip of the bay prevents a straight slide-in, whereas the lower 7mm can;

2. Since I don't have a lot of time now, I angled the Vertex, front facing 20 degrees down, with the rear up, into the bay;
very tight fit,
but I didn't push it all the way in because I think it needs a tape of sorts for it to be pulled out later (ie like the original);

3. Since many people have reported that they have done it, I'd guess it's very possible - I can't guarantee the even taller ones can, but I'd imagine they have taken the top covers off and taped the nand chips.

 

OK I see much better now, thanks! My only issues now are first to check whether removing the top cover on a 510 would void the warranty (I'd prefer the intel for reliability and warranty).....and second actually get a X220 (still not on order, I may wait until the excessive fan noise, throttling issues and IPS bleed are solved).

 

As I suspected, it is absolutely possible to fit any 9,5mm drive if you remove the keyboard and keyboard brezel. Check this out: X2xx HOWTO: Einbau von Festplatten mit 9,5mm Bauhöhe (z.B. Crucial C300) ins X220. It is in German but the pictures are self-explanatory.

 

Did not remove the OCZ cover.

 

Thank you so so much for posting this. Pretty much the only thing I've truly been unsatisfied about with my machine has been the unavailability of the Z5K500. Considering there's only a .05lb between 9.5mm and 7mm drives, I think I'll just order something like a 7K500 or 5K500- of course I expect the 500gb Z5K500 to start shipping right after I install the 9.5mm one.

 

When the 500GB single platter becomes available, the 1TB 9.5mm drives will follow closely.

Anyway, maybe the Link I posted is something the Thread-Starter could put in his first post?

Edit: @vinuneuro: why don't you buy a 750GB drive? WD Caviar black (7200rpm) or blue (5400rpm)?

 

Hmm. I'm not quite sure I understood parts of the link you posted.:
http://imageshack.us/m/802/5158/dscf0373.jpg
Does that mean we're using that foam or whatever instead or in addition to the regular HDD cover?

 

What do you mean with regular HDD cover? The foam should just be there that the HDD does not slide out/move accidentally. So it goes between the HDD and the cover that you screw back on.

 

hmm, tha'ts what I thought. In any case vinunero has what appears to be a better method, though you'd have to file down some metal to do it

 

A little song-and-dance Hitachi has been giving me through email about the availability (or even production) of the 500GB Z5K500. I'm putting zero faith in this one, or Hitachi at all, for that matter. Should provide for a moment of entertainment... (read from bottom to top. my messages in italic, and theirs in bold) I've cut out all the pleasantries.

 

I'm in the middle of my 2nd refinement base install on the Vertex,
and Avast just threw me an exception for CrystalDiskmark;
Encyclopedia entry: Adware:Win32/OpenCandy - Learn more about malware - Microsoft Malware Protection Center

 

Maybe Samsung will beat Hitachi to actually having a 500GB 7mm drive on the market... They've got the platters already:

Samsung Spinpoint M8 puts 1TB drives on a diet, just in time for bathing suit season -- Engadget

 

If anyone beats Hitachi to actually releasing a 500gb 7mm hdd, it'll be Seagate (who owns Samsung). They're the only ones producing 7mm drives.

These 7mm drives, 5K750 and 7K750 will likely be the last Travelstar's Hitachi produce now that Western Digital bought them mainly for their enterprise class business. I'm sure the 7mm drives will live on though since there's no WD redundancy.

 

Fair enough... Hopefully they realize that potential. But even the existing Seagate Thin drives are far more expensive than Hitachi was/is offering.

 

Does the E220s use a 7mm drive? You might want to see the thread below (although that kind of modification, as minor as it is, isn't for everyone). I'm saying goodbye to the 7mm drives, ordered a 750gb 9.5mm Toshiba today. Only $5 more than the Hitachi 500gb Z5K500 that no distributor seems to be able to get.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/583998-9-5mm-hdd-t420s-x1-x220.html

I lol'd reading the user comments in the 1TB Samsung engadget page like "no thanks, ill still take my ssd." We have it so good with these msata ssd's.

 

It does use a 7mm, but the drive bay style is a bit different. I took a few pics and posted them in the thread below.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thinkpad-edge-x1-x100e-x120e-sl-l/583455-e220s-9-5mm-ssd.html

 

I have a report for a successful usage of a 9 mm drive : OCZ Agility 3 - 240 GB.

OCZ Agility 3 is indeed NOT intended to run on X220. However, if you insert the drive bare (without the rails and the rubber bumpers), you can
"wiggle" the drive in there. It actually even makes the proper connection. The chassis is not bent or bulging... just a VERY tight fit.

I just completed installing Windows 7 Home Premium x64 on this drive and all appears to works just fine.

Thus, there is hope in the end if you are willing to put the drive bare in your laptop. So, after seeing red in front of my eyes, I am now the happy owner of a x220 with a OCZ Agility 3 drive (240 Gb).

Best of luck to anybody else doing this !!!

 

Guys, I gave up on my M4, these few days I have strange phenomenon which is my USB 3.0 driver went suddenly missing, but when I restart my x220 it went back. The same thing happen also with my bluetooth mouse. Out of the blue it just cannot be used anymore, tried it on my other laptop and it works. Then I decided to remove the driver from the mouse, restart, and detect it again. It works.

Finally today after running windows update. It went BSOD when it started, I suspect it was the LPM thing, so I do the registry and still BSOD. Then I install the Intel RST driver again. It went completely dead. Windows try to recover and it didn't work.

So I am now using the original factory HDD with the 250GB 5400rpm. I opted that since I was planning to buy the SSD that time. Now I regret choosing the 250GB. The question is, when I buy a new HDD from the Lenovo Shop has it already preconfigured? Does it have windows already inside the HDD? Or it is just an empty drive? I am also interested to buy the metal casing alone. where to buy this? Advises would be great.

Thanks

PS. I guess SSD is not for someone who really need reliability all the times. I had enough problem with the SSD and just don't have time to do research to correct this, reformat etc.

 

Sorry to hear that - have you tried hooking the M4 to a desktop and checking whether it works there? perhaps it's a short-circuit of sorts...

The factory image should be on the 3rd partition, configured as Q: drive.
If you run the exe there, it'll let you create 1 copy of the factory image (there's a hack elsewhere in the threads).
*I just copied the entire drive's contents to my desktop RAID and will run a copy of it later*

I initially partitioned the vertex 3 separately in a desktop, and then subsequently did 2 Win installs because I wanted to get the optimum size for each partition.
The LPM is definitely a bother - but this sequence worked for me
1. partition the ssd
2. install win7, press F6 to install the intel rst driver
3. run the LPM registry hack - leaving only the port 0 (remove 1 to 5)

*At device manager, IDE ATA/ATAPI contollers show only Intel(R) Mobile Express Chipset SATA AHCI Controller;
but at the registry, the ports never showed prior to the registry edit - and still there were freezes - ie the registry edit is necessary*

 

5K750 is readily available here. Is this the one you were wanting to get, or a different model?

Hitachi Travelstar 5K750 500 GB Internal hard drive - 300 MBps - 5400 rpm

 

The 5K750 is available here too. I ended up ordering the Toshiba though since out of the small portion of users of the Hitachi, a lot reported higher vibration and noise. Toshiba seems to be the best performing 5400rpm 750gb and has been out for a year so I'm hoping any issues will have been worked out by now.

MK7559GSXP

 

Thanks. I might buy the 500GB version, assuming its no worse performing.

 

I know this sounds kinda stupid, but there was some posts a number of pages back where a poster, after removing his M4 spacer, screwed back the chassis together too tight and experienced very strange behavior. Apparently it was indeed caused by some short circuits. If I remember correctly, it worked after he eased the screws. No harm trying!

 

I was pretty set on purchasing an Intel 320 from this thread and decided to email Intel... This is what I asked customer support:

This is what I got back:

Ignoring the odd english and lacking punctuation, this puts Intel in the same boat as Crucial when it comes to a spacer mod.

 

Should my Intel 320 SSD decide to die (and I hope it won't) then I'll put back the spacer and original screws before I send it in.

John

 

I think I'm going to end up getting the 320 anyway .. with the same intentions. Doesn't look like there are any new generation 7mm spacerless drives on the market.

 

I just don't get it.
- There is a demand for 7mm 2,5" SSD's.
- Both Crucial and Intel produce a 7mm 2,5" SSD but decide to make them 9,5mm by using a spacer

How hard can it be to skip the 'adding a spacer' step in the production process? (and use different screws)