x201i: SSD and heat + creaky mouse button?

Can anyone say whether replacing the hard drive in the x201i with an SSD makes for an appreciable difference in heat output? The x201i isn't too warm to begin with, but I'm a sucker for cooling my laptop down any way I can. I'd get one just for the improvement in noise and vibration, but the hard drive in my x201i is already unusually quiet and static compared to that in most every other laptop I've tried.

Secondly, I wanted to ask: my upper left mouse button seems to have gotten a little creaky after a few days of use. It's not a huge problem, but there's a good deal of 'floating' creak when my thumb is poised on top of it as I'm using the trackpoint, which can get a little annoying after a while. Would a little WD40 help something like this? Do I have to disassemble the palm rest to safely get under there?

Any help appreciated. Thanks, Nir

 

SSDs are generally slightly more power-hungry than HDDs, therefore producing more heat. Another difference is that SSDs produce a lot more head when they are used, and almost no heat on idle, while it's more even with HDDs. However I would say that overall difference is negligible enough.

 

That has not been my experience at all. My machine runs very cool with the X25-M.

 

I was going to say.. I have seen articles on the subject and indeed several of them say that SSDs do nothing to reduce power consumption (and/or heat?), but every time I've put one in a laptop it ended up cooler. I put a G1 X25-M in my Samsung N110 and it became noticeably less warm compared to my wife's. It also significantly increased the battery life. I did the same with an Acer 1830T i3 and it also became less warm. Perhaps SSDs make up for their power consumption in other ways?

 

Sure, but did you compare it with HDD? It wouldn't be hotter, at least if you compare both under load. SSD takes no power on idle, but significantly more power when used, thats why it heavily depends on your usage pattern.

 

kevin reported the X25-M G1 at 83°F (28°C) with an IR temp gun immediately after running benchmarks.   HDDs barely idle at those temps, let alone under load.   if your findings are to the contrary then please post your data.


Intel X25-M SSD Review

i own two X25-m G2 SSDs and use one in my thinkstation.   it's always under load.   while it will get warm to the touch, it's never been hotter than any of the 2.5" or 3.5" HDDs i've owned.

 

Most of SSD power goes into writing, and X25 is pretty slow in terms of write performance. That's maybe why its cooler.
Vertex2 I have is pretty much the same temperature as Scorpio Black I had before.

 

how are you determining temperatures?   are you guessing or are you using a scientific method like an IR temp gun, SMART info, etc.?   i'm genuinely curious.

i have three samsung MLC SSDs (all with >200 MB/sec sequential read/write speeds) and a samsung SLC SSD and each run just as cool as my intel drives as determined with an IR gun.   all six of my drives have been under 86°F (30°C) after heavy read/write tests and synthetic benchmarks.   keep in mind that i also own 15,000 RPM SAS drives that will burn you if you held them in-hand after heavy duty cycles (reaching ~145°F / ~63°C to be exact).

if your OCZ truly runs hot then that says more about the individual company or product than SSD technology as a whole.   not all SSDs run hot.

 

It does not run hot, who said so? Both my HDD and SSD were about 30 degrees

 

you said SSDs run hotter in your first post in this thread (which is what began this debate):

2.5" notebook HDDs can reach between 35~38° under load (if not hotter).   SSDs, in my experience, don't get that warm.

 

I said that according to manufacturer specs, SSD will have to dissipate slightly more power, hence generating more heat. However, since difference is minor, its unlikely to be noticeable much and choosing same-performance class SSD (eg high-perf SSD via high-perf HDD) for sake of saving power or heating is mostly moot. Which pretty much does not runs contrary to what I've observed myself.

I don't know what usage pattern manufacturers have in mind when they specify wattage. Since it's obviously not always the same.