SSD and thinkpad?

Is there any known issue with ssd on thinkpads?

I am buying a 120gb or 128gb ssd for the x201 that i ordered.

any brands/chips to avoid?

thanks.

 

I just installed an intel ssd on a Thinkpad x61s.
It works great. I went with intel because on the PCPer.com podcast (a computer hardware podcast) they said intel has the best record for reliability. If you look at other SSDs, like OCZ Vertex2 on amazon or newegg they do seem to have more complaints that the drive died. The intel drives weren't that much more than say the OCZ Vertex2 drives, so I went with intel.

Intel SSDs on newegg

Are you running windows7. Do you plan to install windows on the SSD and use the serial # from the windows sticker on the bottom of your x201? That is something I've never been 100% sure on. In my case I was upgrading from vista.

After Here's the order I installed Thinkpad drivers software
- installed windows, ran udpate
- power manager driver
- hotkey software
- power manager
- Trackpoint software (called Ultranav on models with touchpad)

afterwards I also installed Access Connections. I like some of its features.

I found this guide helpful. It lists a system interface driver. I've never figured out what that refers to.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/428510-windows-7-clean-install-micro-guide.html

 

thanks!

Intel is slower than the new OCZ Vertex 2 or the Crucial C300. But I agree, it's more reliable. I probably won't be able to notice the difference in performance anyway. When will intel bring the new ones out?

I did that on my Y550. Just call Microsoft to activate your OS and give them the SN on the sticker. Takes like 5 minutes.

 

Last I heard Intel 3rd gen ssd are supposed to be available Q1 2011, but who knows.
Intel's 3rd Generation X25-M SSD Specs Revealed - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

On another note, here's a cool vid, behind the scenes promo vid of Micron. Micron and intel formed a thirdcompany to make their flash memory, so maybe you'll see one of your flash waffers in this vid.
YouTube - A Behind the Scenes Look: How We Make Our Products

also, the PCPer.com ssd decoder is a very helpful if you want to know what controller or speed a ssd has.
PC Perspective - SSD Decoder Ring - an SSD comparison guide (Rev 3.0)

 

I have a Vertex2 in my X200, and it's snappy and fast. Benchmark on CrystalMark is not impressing, but other benchmark software shows the promised speed of about 275mb/s.

I can't say anything about the reliability, since my Vertex2 is indeed working. I believe that Intel is more stable though, since it is a bigger company with a brand to protect.

 

greatly appreciate.

intel looks nice.

 

There have been some reports of SSD running slow in Power Savings mode on X20x Thinkpads, but I never had such issue.

For the current SSDs, unless you are working on something very particular, I doubt you will (or anyone for that matter) be able to tell the performance difference between different drives. Yes, Intel seem to be a little more reliable. Keep in mind, that with most of these, you get 3 year warranty anyway.

I had Mushkin (Sandforce SF1200 controller) failing once and it took forever (I think 15 days total) to get the replacement. So if I could buy again, I'd go with either Intel or OCZ. Or with whatever looks good price-wise if it's a bit below these 2.

Speaking of future drivers, here's the prototype from OCZ (new Sandforce):

 

To piggy-back on this discussion, I want to get a x120e (when they're released) and put a separate SDD in it (probably a Vertex2, I've had a good experience with them in my desktop).

I've never bought from Lenovo, so do you get some kind of image disk with their laptops? If so, is it better to install their Win7 image, or would I be better off with an actual install using one of the licenses from my Win7 Home Premium Family Pack (I'm only using one out of the three at the moment). I'm assuming all of the Lenovo utilities and drivers are available for download at their site in this case.

I'm mainly concerned whether an imaging disc provided by them would align correctly on an SSD drive.

 

Try the OEM Win 7 installation method:

Windows 7 / Vista OEM Method