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    upgrading my P150EM graphics & hdd

    Discussion in 'Sager and Clevo' started by pepipopipe, Sep 22, 2015.

  1. pepipopipe

    pepipopipe Newbie

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    Hi all,

    I tried searching for similar topics, but could only find ones from 2013.
    It's 2015, and I want to upgrade my P150EM with new graphics and hdd.

    I bought it back in 2012 with Nvidia GTX 675 2GB GDDR5 and 750GB 7200 rpm HDD.
    It's served me well for the past 3 years. But for the past couple of months, I noticed that the HDD is becoming a bottleneck during boot ups, and since it's 2015, I'm wondering whether there are upgrades for the graphics card that are worth the performance increase.

    for hdd, I'm thinking of getting an SSD hybrid, and load the OS and my current games on the solid partition. However, I'm kinda new on the whole SSD thing, so I'd like your opinions on hybrid SSDs... should I invest in them, or should I just go for full SSD ?

    any recommendations for graphic cards?
    If not, how does one find out which graphic cards are compatible with this laptop?

    my budget for this upgrade is around $300 - $500


    edit:
    nevermind on the graphics department... just checked eurocom website and boy, those upgrades are expensive. With those prices I might as well build my own desktop.

    but I'd still like to hear your thoughts on SSD though.
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2015
    pepipopipe, Sep 22, 2015
    #1
  2. jaybee83

    jaybee83 Biotech-Doc

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    go full ssd! recommended brands with good value for their price are samsung 850 evo / crucial(micron) BX100 and MX200. just make sure to check what kinda capacity would best fit your needs so you can spend juuuust the right amount of money on the ssd :)

    as for gpus, thanks to our resident bios wizard prema you can upgrade your machine to the nvidia 900M series. as for your budget, the 970M should hit the sweet spot there and it would be a huge jump in performance from your current gpu :)

    and yeah, mobile gpus are expensive indeed! also check R&J tech for pricing: http://rjtech.com/shop/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=30307

    at 450 bucks the 970M would be right down your alley ;)
     
    jaybee83, Sep 22, 2015
    #2
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  3. Support.3@XOTIC PC

    Support.3@XOTIC PC Company Representative

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    I would not get a hybrid drive. You do not get to pick what goes on the SSD portion, the hard drive will do that as it learns what programs you us most often. And it will only benefit you for those commonly used programs. Get a regular SSD, 250-512GB should be enough to last a long time. And keep the HDD in there for storage space.
     
    Support.3@XOTIC PC, Sep 22, 2015
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  4. Prostar Computer

    Prostar Computer Company Representative

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    Keep in mind that "hybrid drives," or "SSHDs," use the platter/mechanical part of the drive for permanent storage still, while the NAND flash memory is used strictly for cache.

    On drives like Western Digital's Black², the NAND flash memory and the platters are both used for permanent storage.

    Hybrid drives were an okay alternative for a time, but with the price drop in SSDs and the already cheap pricing on large mechanical drives @ 7200 RPM, they're fading.
     
    Prostar Computer, Sep 23, 2015
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  5. LT1-Z/28

    LT1-Z/28 Notebook Enthusiast

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    You should have msata port . I bought a 480gb msata ssd and 1tb spinner , plenty of storage. I also upgraded from a hd8970 to gtx970m big upgrade if you can find the money for it do it well worth it. I own a p151em flashed perma's bios and no issues.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2015
    LT1-Z/28, Sep 25, 2015
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  6. pepipopipe

    pepipopipe Newbie

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    thanks for the replies guys. Think I'll get a full SSD then, and look into GTX 970M.
     
    pepipopipe, Sep 26, 2015
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  7. Bullrun

    Bullrun Notebook Deity

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    Bullrun, Sep 26, 2015
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  8. i_pk_pjers_i

    i_pk_pjers_i Even the ppl who never frown eventually break down

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    I'm sure you'll LOVE that upgrade, that is such a huge upgrade. :D
     
    i_pk_pjers_i, Sep 26, 2015
    #8