SSD, worth the upgrade? sell me on it!

So getting an Intel 510 SSD is +$190 to my config in my sig. Is it worth it over a 500GB Momentus XT? I'm going to be playing "lots" of games mostly, some CAD, PS, and some Maya. And will my CPU take full advantage of the 6GB/s interface?

 

1. Cut your boot times from 50% (SATA2) to 80% (SATA3). Start working in apps in about 20 seconds or less.
2. Transition from Logon screen to desktop instantaneously
3. Instant application starts (IE, Firefox, Word, Excel, etc.)
4. Instant resume from Sleep (you should disable Hibernate with SSD)

If it's the 120GB SSD, you should get a 2nd HDD for 'data' (movies, music, archive CAD, PS files etc.). Also, my Steam folder runs about 80-100GB so you need a place to move non-current games.

If you're upgrading your video card from a 260m to a 6990M, that's a ~100-120% performance boost. An SSD is from 100-400% performance boost. SSD is like going from T-Ball to the major leagues.

If you get it, you will NEVER go back to HDD for boot.... NEVER. I'm trying to talk my work into letting me install an SSD into my work laptop because I'm so spoiled.

 

well, SSD improve the performance of the whole computer, it doesn't do such a big difference in games, but they launch and load faster.also, the computer will boot faster, use less battery ( good for everyday use).

 

I think it's worth it if you have a good storage drive. Tons of threads exist with pros and cons of going either way. All I know is the lure of an under 10 second boot is enchanting.

Games will load faster, programs open quicker. anything that's HDD dependent will move like lightning.

 

I see. Hmm...so what kind of stuff should I install on my SSD? and stuff on a 7200rpm HDD? Though keep in mind I do not plan on always moving stuff between the SSD and HDD just get get better performance--too much of a hassle.

 

The power consumption thing has been shown otherwise. I can't find the link ATM, but some SSDs actually use more power.

 

The SSD is for programs and apps. The HDD is for files: movies, music, CAD files, word docs, etc.

The only games I have on my SSD are those where fast loading times give an advantage. You can use a program called Steam Mover (I think) to move programs. That or WinBolicLink.

 

I personally keep larger, less important files on a secondary HDD. You'll be surprised how quickly 120GB runs out- so most people only install a few current games on the SSD along with the operating system and most apps. For media, big game installs, etc- the HDD is probably the better storage choice because those files don't benefit much from SSD speeds and/or take up tons of room.

On smaller SSD's (64-80GB), setting up a symbolic link on the C:/Users folder useful because it houses most of the above mentioned stuff (music, movies, documents, app settings, etc) and can grow to be pretty massive.

 

That's one of my favorite parts. Also, beating friends in the loading screens in games.

 

Nice. Hoping to shave a bit off with a SATA 3 SSD.

 

Do SSDs still have reliability issues over time? and does my CPU take full advantage of an Intel 510?

Also with the Momentus XT (since it runs by some kind of intelligence based flash) do games load quicker than normal 7200rpm drives with it?

 

As long as you don't buy a drive with a Sandforce chipset (OCZ, Mushkin, Corsair Force, et al). You mention the Intel 510, which should be fine.

This shouldn't be a consideration. Even netbooks benefit from an SSD.

The XT is only helpful if you do the exact same tasks over and over again. When I used an XT last year, I actually found it made my games run worse. There was an annoying stutter in some titles, specifically those that used the Source engine (HL2, etc). This issue might not be one since Seagate has released a couple firmware updates in the interim, but I still don't think the XT is worth the money. A SSD + traditional HDD is the way to go.

 

Sounds like me and quads. I went from a core 2 duo 1.83GHz to an i7-950... I can't use anything with under 4 threads anymore.

 

SSD's allow you to spend more time doing and less time waiting to do.

 

I think the OP will find, that most people that already have experienced a SSD, are saying "never again spin-disk as a OS/system/software disk". That says a lot, doesn't it?

 

That seems to be the general consensus. After trying an ssd on one of my coworkers computers, by standard 7200 seems extremely slow in comparison. He has about half the load time for the same programs on his machine. I know I will be getting an ssd for my next computer.

 

haha, dang...looks like I might get the Intel 510 then. But I heard a lot of people are saying it's not that fast compared to other Second Gen SSDs such as the Vertex 3 or Patriot Wildfire.

 

The difference will be imperceptible. Intel is more reliable, anyway.

 

in a related topic, will the current hybrid drive from seagate provide significant performance gain over normal 7200 HDD ?

 

I can't speak to any particular model- but as others have pointed out, with a hybrid drive you'll have a gain over the 7200 in certain applications and in boot time, though nowhere near an SSD. It will cache the most frequently loaded files into the hybrid flash storage, which will make them faster to load. However, due to the small size of this storage it's limited to only a few apps- so if you're loading lots of different ones you'll have them cycling out so often you won't notice much speed improvement across the board. It's a decent option for most productivity apps and for boot speeds.

 

How about for example if I'm "always" playing Guild wars 2 or Skyrim (lots of loading screens). Will the Momentus XT prove faster?

and lets say if I'm playing a game for a few weeks, then going to another game in a few weeks...Momentus XT won't help in load times then?

 

The XT would take a while (2 or 3 cycles) to learn and cache the games, then you'd see faster speeds than a 7200 (most likely) but not faster than a dedicated SSD.

This AnandTech article shows a couple of benchmark charts.
AnandTech - Seagate's Momentus XT Reviewed, Finally a Good Hybrid HDD

 

just saw a Intel 520 is planned for Q4 2011. Hmmm if it uses Sandforce controller I probably won't wait...but if it uses an Intel controller than I want it!

 

why would they use a sandforce? of course they will use an intel controller

 

the current 510 uses a Marvell, and rumor has 520 is a Sandforce due to the memory options of the 520.

 

What's the consensus on most reliable SSD's these days? Crucial M4, Intel 320, Intel 510? Any others?

 

From what I've read, it's Intel and Micron/Crucial on top (with Intel slightly beating on the reliability, but losing on performance) followed by the rest. Why look at the rest? The top drives are the Intel 510 and the Crucial M4. Remember to get at least 128/120 GB drive. The bigger drives are faster than the smaller ones.

Was it OCZ that has all the failures or firmware problems?

Among the Sandforce controlled drives, some of the drives with the same controller had different firmware that caused performance problems, too. You'll need to check out the SSD threads here: Solid State Drives (SSDs) and Flash Storage

 

I've spent probably $600-$700 on SSD's in the last year and don't think a penny was wasted. I don't even think about it now, all my new computers will have SSD one way or another.

I bought this desktop with a 40gb main drive and instantly saw the speed difference. I bought a 2nd 40gb and realized what the hey, lets go get 2 80gb. I now have a 256gb main drive

It is easy to keep buying them since I have a wife and relatives to pass the old ones to and not feel guilty. I know for a freaking fact they will appreciate them and have already had praises up and down.

 

seriously no one can sell you on an ssd more than the ssd itself. you just have to have one and play with it for a while. once you do you'll know that they are by far better than a regular HDD.

 

I've been using my Momentus XT for a good month now, and you will definitely notice an improvement over a regular hdd. As others have said, you need to boot the program a few times for it to remember it, and after that it will blaze along. I've been playing Heroes of Might and Magic 5 lately, which has all sorts of load times, and it pretty much launches instantly. Same can be said of an ssd, of course

 

So...where do you get caddies to fit an extra disk in the optical drive bay in the UK? I can't find any for the life of me.

 

I plan on purchasing a Malibal P150HM and am wondering if there is a way to keep the dvd drive but have two hard drives.

 

There is only one internal drive bay. The optical HDD bay displaces the ODD. I have an external DVD SuperMulti drive for the rare occasion I actually need to use a DVD.

 

Yeah now that I think of it I use a dvd drive rarely. I forgot about external dvd drives. Also they are cheap.

 

yeah or you could just swap out the dvd when you need it.

 

But the caddy and an external drive are about the same price.

So which is harder, plugging in a USB cable, or undoing and redoing three screws?

 

Optical drives are old school. I have an SSD boot and HDD in my P150HM, and I've have not used my USB optical drive yet - I loaded my OS from a 4GB USB stick using the Microsoft USB/DVD tool (loads faster too!), and I slipstreamed the latest Clevo/Nividia drivers and favorite software tools right onto the USB drive in case I need to rebuild my system in a hurry. All my Steam Apps/music/movies are backed up on an eSATA drive.

My only foreseeable DVD installs are Dragon Age II and BF3.

Unless you are a student or musician and need access to a CD/DVD for class material or entertainment, you only need an optical drive occasionally.

With digital delivery of apps, movies and music, you just don't need one as often as you think, and USB optical drives are cheap at $30-40 for DVD burner or $80+ for Bluray (performance isn't bad either).

 

I was really on the fence between a P150HM and a P170HM. Initially when I decided it was time for a new laptop I went for the 17" as I was coming from a 17" Gateway P-7805u. But I got caught up in the 95% gamut screen hype and at $95 a pop, it seemed as if the P150HM was the way to go. I then played around with configurations - I knew I would be using 2 drives by caddy (a 500GB 7200RPM drive I already own as data drive and mechanical primary but upgrading to SSD down the road). I wasn't happy about losing the optical as I burn lots of DVD's/CD's and occasionally watch movies but I figured I could spend some money and get a USB optical.

So initially, my configuration was:

P150HM
15.6" 95% gamut matte screen
i7 2630QM
Radeon 6990M
8GB 1333Mhz DDR3 RAM
500GB 7200RPM
Hard Drive Caddy for 2nd Bay
Intel 6230
IC Diamond 7

That configuration, after promotions, came out to $1,729.00

As the days went by I started to rethink my choice. When I had my Gateway it never left my house and I really liked the larger screen size, meaning I wouldn't have to play with icon and font sizes on the 15". Also, the palm rest on the P150HM is like a rubberized matte and has a sharp edge which many people say is a nuisance while the P170HM has a bevelled aluminum brushed palm rest making it more comfortable. Also, the P170HM has 5 speakers where the P150HM has 2. I think there are other audio differences but I'm not 100% sure. Finally, the P170HM has the 2 hard drive bays as well as the optical that I wanted. I wouldn't have to sacrifice anything if I went with the P170HM. Oh yeah, and the 220W adapter versus 180W.

So I called up Malibal and spoke with Matt and he helped me change my order. I switched over to the P170HM and here are my new specs:

17" stock Hannstar screen (Matt confirmed the P170HM's now use the Hannstar screen instead of the much reviled LG screens)
i7 2630QM
Radeon 6990M
8GB 1333Mhz DDR3
Intel 510 SATAIII 120GB 6GB/s SSD2
6X Blu-ray Reader 8X DVD+/-R DL Super-Multi Drive
Intel 6300 Ultimate-N
Stock OEM Thermal Compound

This cost exactly $100.00 more than the P150HM. I personally think it was a no-brainer.

The only downgrade are the screen and going from IC Diamond 7 to stock thermal compound. Going from the 95% matte gamut on the P150HM to the 17" Hannstar (which I believe is around 60% gamut) is definitely a downgrade but I figure if I decide to upgrade I can grab an AUO B173HW01 for around $150.00 if I really want the 90%+ gamut. As for the thermal compound, I can always do that myself. So the 2 places I downgraded are both things that I can easily do myself for much cheaper than a reseller. Upgraded screen + IC7 = $200 + $40. I can buy a 1.5 gram tube of IC7 for $6.00 and an AUO B173HW01 v4 or v5 can be bought for around $150.00. To me, these were significant savings.

Otherwise, here are the improvements I got for $100.00 extra:

From 15" screen -----> 17" screen
From 500GB 7200RPM drive -----> Intel 510 SATAIII 6GB/s SSD2
From Intel 6230 -----> Intel 6300
From P150HM 2.1 speaker system -----> P170HM 7.1 channel speaker system
From no optical drive -----> 6x BlueRay / 8X DVDRW super multi drive

All for $100.00 over my initial P150HM configuration. I think I made the right choice.

 

You can install your removed DVD drive into a USB caddy and use it as an external DVD too.