x220 + msata + ssd drive?

I've been reading through the forums and it seems like everyone mentions a Intel 310 msata drive in combination with a large HDD.

How about the msata and another ssd drive? I ordered a 120gb c300 ssd drive to replace the spinning HDD for movies, media, files, etc. I plan on getting the Intel 80gb msata for OS and applications. Does think setup make any sense?

To me, 120gb for storage is plenty and I like the fact the ssd doesn't have moving parts which provides more protection for my files.

Finally, would I have to get an adapter for the 120gb ssd drive (which will replace the HDD)? Can you recommend me one?

Thanks!

 

Is it possible, yes. Is it wise? Not so sure.. If you are replacing HDD with a 120gb c300 ssd and as you say '120gb for storage is plenty' why not get a 160GB SSD and forget about the mSata?

A 160GB SSD will be a lot faster then a Msata 80GB one.

 

It all depends on your budget but you would be better off using the c300 which supports SATA III for your OS and applications as well, as it will be much faster than the bottleneck mSata..

mSata is basically only meant for those who don't want to pay for a large SSD and use a HDD instead but still have some benefit from the SSD as for OS/apps.

 

I get the idea of no moving parts, but judging from the reviews, a standard HD is more reliable than SSD (at least non-Intel ones). I'd also rather go with one bigger SSD, given that it can fit in the 7mm slot.

 

Wow great responses. Looks like I'll just stick with the c300 for a while and not deal with the msata. Would of liked to get the 256gb c300 but I'll just wait until there are more 7mm sata 3 drives on the market.

Interesting fact. Didn't know that SSD's had a higher failure rate than HDD. I'm always careful of bumping/shaking the laptop with a HDD. With SSD I won't have this problem.

 

Source(s) for higher failure rates?

 

The mSATA drive is sort of a bridge between SSD and the traditional disk drive. It has somewhat abysmal throughput (compared to traditional SSDs) but has the same super fast seek time of modern SSDs.

The current problem with modern SSDs is the price. They're horribly expensive per GB. This aims to solve that problem because for most people, the speedup they see from using a SSD is because the OS and their main applications are on a super fast seekable drive. Storing music and movies on a SSD is just plain dumb, so the 310 is a compromise. Its small, has bad read/write throughput (granted these bottlenecks are still higher than traditional HDDs). If you already have a 7mm SSD, theres no point in getting an mSATA drive.

 

The Intel 310 80gb has about 10% slower in sequential read and the same in sequential write. It's a bit faster in random read/writes. Put it into actual practice and it handily beats the traditional Intel 80gb ssd in both PCMark Vantage and real world tests, proof that benchmarks are only so useful.

Intel 310 Series 80GB mSATA / 2CV102M1, Intel X25-M G2 Postville 80GB 2.5 Inch / 2CV102HD - SSD Comparison - SSD Reviews, Data Sheets and Comparison - ssdreview.com

Intel 310 Series 80GB mSATA / 2CV102M1, Intel X25-M G2 Postville 80GB 2.5 Inch / 2CV102HD - SSD Comparison - SSD Reviews, Data Sheets and Comparison - ssdreview.com

 

I don't believe that SSDs have a higher failure than mechanical HDDs.

The danger of running out of write cycles on SSDs is also overblown. Anandtech did the math and even a drive with only 3000 write cycles would go 300 years of constant use.

 

I don't know about a higher rate than hdd's, but the Sandforce drives have been particularly unreliable compared to good quality ones from manufacturers like Intel and Samsung which have been very good.

 

Basically Newegg/Amazon feedbacks. Also I had 1 fail out of 4 I bought (Mushkin Callisto). On top of that, the RMA process was super-slow - it took about ~20 days from the day I started the RMA until I received the new drive.

 

@vinuneuro

Sorry, slightly off topic.

You're using the x220 with the Intel 310 80GB & 320GB HDD i see...
I'm in the process of ordering the x220 and the mSATA drive (as soon as newegg gets stock). Is there anything else i need to install it? Special screws or anything?

 

i'd like to know this as well as the newegg feedback for this item has comments that special screws are needed for the dell precision m4500