VGN-Z4 SSD Upgrade

Does anyone who has done an upgarde on a VGN-Z4 have a list of the parts required to do this modfication from the CTO HDD, and where you sourced them.

SSD brackets part number?
SSD to system board cable part number?
Decent 512GB SSD
Anything else


Thank you in advance.

 

You don't need anything except the SSD itself. Just drop a 2.5" ssd to replace the HDD.

 

Thank you glad there is no searching for special housing brackets.

 

NO problem. It will attach to the same brackets that were used to secure the existing HDD.

 

You need to hack the BIOS to get AHCI -- without that, TRIM won't work.

The question is whether it's cost-effective to drop the amount of money that a 512 GB SSD costs on an older machine like the VGN-Z.

 

The mod you mention / propose resembles the specs of the highest-end VGN-Z, which used to come with said specs and parts from the factory when sold in the States and in Japan (via CTO configs).

That involved two 256GB 1.8'' Samsung SSDs put on a RAID0 array to give a total of approx 512GB. And hence, being two SSDs it required a different flex-connector and being smaller than your conventional 2.5'' drives, required a different bracket compared to VGN-Z which come with HDD as standard.

Those machines with said specs, being on RAID0 already, don't officially support TRIM. Unless the VGN-Z RAID0 has its own GC procedure (like the VPC-Z), though I'm not aware of any.

The two 1.8'' Samsung SSDs alone will set you back a good US$700 from eBay. And they're not Sony-intended parts (more often Dell-intended warranty parts, but they'll fit in the Z nonetheless). Not to mention the cost of Sony parts (the RAID0 cable and brackets) being out of this world and near impossible to source if you live outside the States.

You also have to get the firmware right for these elusive 1.8'' drives. Despite bearing the same model numbers, there were two different 1.8'' pairs fitted into the VGN-Z. The earlier 512GB setups had older firmware resulting in slow read/write speeds, but the latter RAID0 arrays (from the 3rd iteration onwards if memory serves correct) were significantly faster, with the forums here confirming firmware differences from the factory.

As mentioned previously, the existing HDD mounts / bracket pieces will support (single) 2.5'' SSDs without issue. So if you don't mind not getting the dual 1.8'' setup, that's the most economical way to go.

Also, I cannot find the source any more but recall the RAID0 (factory 512GB SSD) setup one of the quickest you can get on a laptop after the VPC-Z. But that's to be expected; it's on RAID0 after all. So don't expect a single 2.5'' to be on par with the factory's RAID0 setup.

Though in saying that, any SSD will be a helluva-lot faster than your stock HDD, no doubt about that.

Anyways, what the official parts look like (SSD bracket and flex connector):
http://forum.notebookreview.com/4596266-post10.html