T400s with x25-m using ultrabay adapter, possible?

Hi, all

Is it possible to use an intel x25-m in the ultrabay with t400s? My main concerns are:

1. Will my OS boot from the ultrabay SSD drive? I want to use it as my main drive.

2. Is the speed in ultrabay the same as primary sata port? Is there some kind of slowing down? I heard the old ultrabay did not support NCQ, what about the new one?

If someone has experience with this, please help me out, thanks!


Robin

 

Doesn't the T400s use a specially thin drive? I don't think you can do it. Your SSD options would be in the 1.8inch form factor as far as I know.

Someone please correct if I am wrong.

 

He means using the ultrabay adaptor III. I know it takes 2.5" sata drives. I ordered it a few days ago and am waiting for it to come in. I don't know if you can boot off that drive though...

 

It appears the optical drive is 9.5mm one. I must be thinking of the x30x.

 

Unless you ordered already, it would probably be better to get the X18-M and replace your current (I assume) 1.8" HDD. Then use the 2.5" for a 500GB HDD.

 

If you can get an X18-M G2 at all...

 

Do you know when it's supposed to be available?

 

Everyone has sort of been expecting it forever...but I don't know.

The x25-m G2 is still hard enough to get for a good price, so demand is still high and intel either can't or won't keep up supply.

 

all three-digit systems (Txxx, Wxxx, Rxxx, etc.) have 3Gb/sec SATA ultrabay interfaces.

 

1.) Will SSD work on the correct Ultrabay (part 43R1980) for the T400? Yes. (I have done this)

2.) Will it boot from the Ultrabay? According to some posts, the answer is yes, as long as the boot device is changed in the BIOS. You will need to test (I have not done this.) The interface is SATA, so the speed is fast.

 

So is that the X18-M is out, but out of stock everywhere, or is it that it hasn't even been released?

 

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the replies. Its all because I am waiting for the X18-m like forever! Does anyone have any idea about when it will come out?

 

Looks like there are some problems with the latest x25-m firmware update. It causes some systems to brick. Availability was low to non existent for the last couple months so I don't imagine it will improve at all until intel can fix this. There are certainly lots of people waiting on intel to get its SSD to market.

http://www.dailytech.com/Intel+X25M...uption+Problems+in+Windows+7/article16638.htm

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/27/intel-pulls-ssd-toolbox-for-killing-drives-under-windows-7/

 

I have not ever seen x18 G2...

And I have not seen any press releases on availability. But admittedly I haven't looked much. But if you can't find anything I would assume nothing is out :\.

Intel has a lot of issues right now. This is the 2nd firmware mishap. Luckily mine didn't brick!

 

So should I wait for the x18-m or just buy a ultrabay adapter and try to find a x25-m instead?

A quick question here: Performance wise, is x18-m identical to x25-m?

Thanks

Robin

 

x18 and x25 should be identical. Since we really have no precise idea when the x18 will be available it is hard to say. You could try to pick up a 1.8inch samsung SLC.

 

noooooooooo...no samsung ssd's, they're nearly the worst of them all (well...apart from jmicron)

i'm also waiting for a reasonably priced x18-m g[2+]. i don't want the g1, and the g2 is as easy to find as a unicorn

 

I'm not sure if you can boot off the ultrabay adapter, anyone care to comment on this?

As for whether you should be buying a x18-m G2 SSD, this article on anantech.com caught my eye. I'll quote from the last page.
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3667&p=9

So if you can find an x18-m ssd you might want to pick it up. I can't wait to see what performance the G3 offers though. It's too bad there isn't more companies offering ssd drives for the 1.8 inch size.

And yes, the x18-m G2 and x25-m G2 are the same except for the physical size difference. But the x18-m has always been harder to find in stock. I would expect this get better with time though, but what do I know...

 

i have a slight suspicion that while the x25-m g2 is physically launched, the x18-m g2 is only a paper launch

 

What does tiest mean? Have you used a Samsung? Between Samsung, Indilinx, and Intel, the differences are miniscule in performance. They're all leaps and bounds above Jmicron (Gen 1, Gen 2 might be a different story) and all HDDs. Each of the 3 "good" SSDs have their own positive and negative points, so I wouldn't dismiss any of them depending on the needs to the user.

 

typo should be "worst"

http://anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=3667



They are leaps and bounds above Jmicron, but then Indilinx and Intel are also leaps and bounds above Samsung. Ignore the sequential read/write tests. they are damn near irrelavent. The SSD magic is in random read/write.

I'm not saying samsung is bad, just middle-of-range, at best.

i personally won't mind an indilinx-based ssd too much either, but afaik no one makes 1.8" versions of that.

 

I said Samsung _SLC_.
There are 1.8inch Samsung SLCs that lenovo use to use. They might be tricky to find but it is another good option.

I have a 64gig Samsung SLC and an Intel X25-m G2.

And regardless they are still leaps and bounds faster than a traditional drive.

 

Despite benchmarks, in real life use, you'd be hard pressed to notice a difference btw the Samsungs, Indilinx and Intels.

 

Random performance is the most important and is simply the difference between really fast and really really fast (vs a traditional HDD).

I was more concerned with degradation of performance though, but TRIM takes care of that.

 

Samsung's GC seems decent enough, hopefully they'll get TRIM shortly too. Are there even many degradation issues w/ SLC drives since it is an issue with the controller I believe?

 

I don't believe SLC type memory is as prone to degradation. But apparently degradation will be solved next with what intel has in the works .

 

It's the lack of availability and consequent higher pricing of the higher performance & capacity 1.8" SSDs that keeps me from jumping on a t400s. Using the ultrabay for a 2.5" SSD isn't such an attractive option: I want to reserve the ultrabay for the secondary battery.

Are there any higher capacity (i.e. > 150GB)/performance 1.8" SSDs using the new Indilinx controllers on the horizon?

 

I believe Runcore has Indilinx on a line of their 1.8" SSDs.

 

but runcore doesn't have trim yet...and judging from the firmware releases, it's stupid to buy indilinx-based ssd's not from ocz/super talent, because they're the tier 1 partners of indilinx. so far they're the only ones that have trim-enabled firmwares.

 

I don't think OCZ or ST have any 1.8" SSDs in their line up... Newegg had the 64GB SLC Samsung for $189 a little while back. That was a heck of a deal. Other than Samsung and Intel, I don't think any other good SSDs in 1.8" form factor that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

 

Well, this one looks pretty tempting:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820157021
or even cheaper:
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0318855

Unfortunately, I believe it's the G1, not the G2. Anand's point about drive size implying the brand is all well and good, except for the fact that there are so few 1.8" options available.

 

i would highly suggest NOT to get the g1 because of the lack of TRIM support on the g1...

 

Oh, absolutely not. However, the recent TRIM update hasn't been so happy, either. I wonder if this will further delay the X18-Ms?

 

it seems like not everyone's having the problem (specifically, none of the reviewers seem to have any problems )

there's one more reason i won't buy the x18-m now though, even if it's offered to me with the new firmware installed and works fine, is the lack of support from intel matrix storage drivers. currently you MUST used microsoft's built in drivers to get TRIM. intel's matrix storage drivers don't support TRIM yet. ridiculous, i know...

if intel doesn't release both the hardware and software soon, i might buy a palm pre instead.......

 

Found a little bit of news on intel's SSDs. Article title says it all really. No fix available yet but soon....maybe.

Intel replicates 'bricked SSD' bug, pledges fix
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/11/06/intel_34nm_ssd_glitch_fix_update/

 

But still no news on the x18-m. *sigh*.

 

That's probably a good thing. I'd rather have a product that doesn't get bricked with every firmware update... I personally would consider the Samsung 1.8" SSD instead.

 

I'm glad mine didn't brick, hah.