1TB hard drive + 512MB SSD in Sager NP8671

Hi Guys,

I ordered an NP8671 and will have it arrive in a couple days. I ordered it with the standard 1TB hard drive. I have purchased a Crucial MX100 512GB SSD that I plan to use as my primary (will re-install the OS on it), and I want to use the the 1TB as my back up. I saw some reviews of the NP8651 and I'm a bit confused it seemed like they were saying you can only stack drives if they are both SSD. Have any of you tried this SSD / HDD setup in the NP8671? Thanks.

Edit: To prevent confusion this model is aka the Clevo P670SE .

Edit2: Dear trolls, yes I accidentally put 512MB instead of 512GB in the thread title... obviously I meant 512GB. I love internets. Won't let me edit the title if a mod wants to do that to avoid confusion be my guest

 

Depending on the HDD you end up getting in the configuration you shouldn't have too much trouble doing so. They're limited as HDDs typically come in 7mm, 9mm, and 12 mm sizes. The machine would only be able to support two SATA drives in those ports if both are of the 7mm size. If the HDD is larger than that it'll start occupying the physical space the second SATA drive would be needing to install. If it's not too late you might want to order an mSATA drive instead as those are located elsewhere and will allow keeping that HDD no problem.

 

That's pretty much what I was thinking. Its already shipped. I'm thinking I might just buy a 256GB SSD as my backup, that's all the space I need and I'd rather have two cooler SSDs stacked. Oh well, I can convert the 1TB to an external drive. Thanks for the reply.

 

Anytime! Hope you enjoy the machine either way

 

I suggest just get the SSD coz its much more faster compared to HDD,

 

They plan on getting the SSD either way. Was just asking in what combinations they'd be able to have both SSD and HDD.

 

I know, but SSDs are still expensive relative to standard HDDs. If you're just using backing up files every week or so a slower HDD is ok. But the SSD is tempting I'm not sure what I'm going to do Maaaaybe I sell some stuff and try to setup RAID1 with two 512s...

 

Then why dont you increase the memory space for SSD rather than the HDD. That would make your laptop faster.

 

Oh ok but is 512 MB enough for you though?

 

Assuming you mean 512gb, for most people that's plenty of storage for the SSD. To have a further 1tb in mechanical drive storage furthers that point. Everybody's data needs are different though. On my laptop I have 256gb SSD and no mechanical storage whereas on my desktop I have close to 5tb of data storage nearly at capacity. It's each to their own as far as that goes.

 

I believe you are allowed to stack a 7mm SSD with a 9mm HDD in the 8671.

For my 8651 I can only do two SSD's or one HDD whereas for the 8652 you can stack a 7mm SSD with a 9mm HDD.

Sager website also confirms this "Two changeable 2.5” HDD/SSD, 1st 7mm(H), 2nd 7mm(H) / 9.5mm(H), SATA interface (RAID 0/1 support)"

Some of these models in the lineup are 25mm in height, these are limited in their storage options, the others are 28mm in height and these are not restricted and can do a combo SSD/HDD.

 

Your post makes sense... as long as the one on the bottom is 7mm, the sata connection for the top one will still line up. Sweet think I can just roll with what I got. I'll let you guys know how it goes. It will be here tomorrow, cant wait My NP8170 has served me well, but that guy was always a bit too bulky. Really looking forward to the new slim design. Yes I'm off topic but I had to rant about how excited I am at some point lol.

 

You'll really like it. My NP8651 really exceeded my expectations as far as how slim and aesthetically pleasing it is, and performance-wise: I couldn't be happier.

At the moment I'm very happy I didn't go with a mainstream brand and pay more simply to cover their marketing costs.

 

Ok so my laptop arrived. I was able to fit both drives with no problem. As we had thought, put the SSD on the bottom and you're good to go. LOL I got a recovery disk with my computer. Thanks for trolling me for not having an optical drive You can boot off of a usb so its no biggie, but still found that funny.

I do have to mention that there is zero room between the two drives. I'm not thrilled about my SSD sitting directly on top of a mechanical with zero air flow. But I doubt its going to break anything... I still like to baby my hardware whenever I can, so I think an mSATA + mechanical is the way to go. Or 2 SSDs... but my budget is such that I can't splurge on another SSD at this time.

A quick tip for re-installing windows 8: It looks like the key still ties to the motherboard. It barked at me when I first tried to re-install. The solution was to delete all the partitions on the stock drive, then partition the SSD. It was smart enough to transfer the license to the new drive. You can then repartition the stock drive after the install process. The error code I was getting was 0x80300024.

Without going into too much detail, my first impressions of the laptop are 100% positive. The keyboard is top notch and the viewing angle on the screen is better as well. I also like the look, nice angled edges. Id like to do a full review but wont have time during the week.

 

I just copied what he typed which is 512 MB but yes I meant GB. And I get that it depend on the needs. But since we are referring to this specific laptop. And its purpose is gaming then shouldn't it be wiser to max out your SSD to enhance the gaming experience?

 

SSD dont really help much for gaming. Just how fast the game initially starts and during map change/load times. The rest is up to the CPU and GPU. So spending more money on a bigger SSD is the least you can do for your gaming experience.

 

My laptop is for both work and play. I work on video games and websites, so I need a versatile laptop. The extra storage space is essential and I need to be able to open large files quickly. If you only care about gaming I would still recommend a smaller SSD for quick boot ups and level load times.

The Crucial MX100 256GB currently goes for ~$110. I think its totally worth it for the improved load times alone. SSDs are much more affordable now. Back in 2011 I paid $350 for a 256GB :/ You kids have it so easy these days

 

You got a great deal! I bought a 240GB OCZ Vertex 3 in 2011 for $555. Its still trucking on like a champ though
I paid more the the SSD then the GPU or CPU cost me for that build lol.

 

Oh did you upgrade yours? and haha well you are still spending money either way. I play video games too but I use my brothers PC because its much more efficient. Im thinking of building my own actually instead of buying a laptop. What you think?

 

Depends if you need the mobility of a notebook or not really.

 

Hmm but i feel that upgrading the parts would be beneficial in the future though. Should I just build a PC then?

 

Having the ability to upgrades parts is always going to be nice regardless of the model computer you get or if you get a notebook or desktop.
If you do not need the mobility that a notebook provides, then building a desktop may be your best choice as you can usually get better gaming performance for the money. However you lose out on mobility.

 

This is it really, you pay a premium for mobility and form factor with notebooks, if you require this then that money is well spent, if not then a desktop will always have more bang per buck (though notebooks can be fun too )

 

Thanks for the info. I'm thinking about keeping the standard 1TB 7.2K HDD in and then throwing in a 128 GB or 256 GB SSD for the OS and a few select games. Was thinking about this one. Hard to beat 256 GB for $90.

 

Never heard of that brand before, looks like the write speeds are little low compared to whats available. The Samsung Evo line have been very popular, they just came out with the 850's so I'd check those out.

 

Here is a short review on the controller used:

Silicon Motion SM2246EN SSD Controller Review | The SSD Review

 

You sure can't beat $90, but how many times will you pay that because I'm worried of the longer term reliability.

Samsung's 850 line of EVO and PRO SSD's are phenomenal. I've put 850 EVO's in my wife's laptop, father-in-law's aging desktop (8 years!) and relatively new Sony all-in-one. They thought I was some kind of angelic being with magical powers when they saw how much of a difference it made

However, nothing but the best for me as I have 850 Pro's, and their performance is stable and as advertised.

I put my confidence in Samsung since they seem to stand firmly behind their product.

However, Crucial MX100 is an extremely affordable alternative, or Crucial M550 for an edge on performance.

 

I've never heard of them either. The write speeds being below normal aren't an issue for me as I do not need to write that much data at once. I am mainly interested in SSD's for their quick access times. I only plan to run my OS and a few select pieces of software on it. Although I'm sure they are very nice, for me it isn't worth it to pay $210 for the Samsung 850. Newegg lists it as having a three year warranty so we will see how it goes.

 

The SSD you linked is definitely a good price. If you dont mind the lower write speeds should treat you well.

 

I wouldn't get that SSD anyday.. Honestly, go for something reputable and half decent like Crucial MX100.. I wouldn't really trust the warranties of these crappy cheap SSD's..

 

Does Newegg honour the warranty themselves or is it based of the manufacturer?

 

Newegg would feature manufacturer warranty, no direct support outside of just the order itself.

 

Well I think the brand doesnt matter as long as the specifications are good and you did research

 

To a certain point, that would be correct, but reliability is a huge hitting point as well. If there is an inexpensive SSD option that performed well it's likely the name would be more well known. That having not been heard of before by people that are researching this stuff daily, does warrant an eyebrow to be raised on that front. I'd make sure you did real good research on them and get some pretty firm feedback that they're well performing. Most of all, if you do get them, make sure you report back to us and let us know. I'm sure there are others that'd love to take advantage of them if they're good drives.

 

OP, don't cry when your'e crappy SSD dies... Recovering data from it will be almost impossible.. Sometimes, it's better to spend a bit more and getting something a bit more reliable... Your choice in the end but don't say we didn't warn you..

 

lol guys. To be clear, the original post is regarding adding a Crucial MX100, not the off brand model. Thread went a bit tipsy

 

Well we are still talking about SSD so basically its still on the same path

 

Hi I noticed that Seagate has 7mm hdd for sale, can the hard drive bay hold 2x 7mm hdd comfortablely?

 

2 7mm drives should be fine.

 

Yup 2x7mm drives will work perfectly...

 

Of course you can get a single 2TB drive in 9.5mm height these days and that will have more capacity. Combine that with a 7mm ssd and you have a pretty good combo.

 

You can do 1x 9.5mm + 1x 7mm or 2x 7mm.