M4700 Owners Thread

hello guys, i think about to buy a Crucial m4 mSATA SSD, to install it into the wwan slot.

are there some limitations which could slow down the ssd?

based on a test on a german site the ssd should be generally as fast as the normal m4 cards which fits in the hdd slots.
i would prefer it this way instead of changing the cd drive with a hdd.

 

Hi and excuse my ignorance as I have arrived here rather unexpectantly.
I was up sold this machine after I returned an xps15 due to the wireless fault.
I'm a web designer and decided to treat myself to a WQHD monitor (U2713hm) for my home set up and noticed Dell had a new laptop that would work with it (sadly it had issues)
. I assume this kit is a bit of overkill for my needs ( mostly PS & AI )?
I was sold it over the phone so didn't check the full spec and have realised that it doesn't come with Bluetooth. I've had a look on the Dell UK site but they don't seem to have the 380 Bluetooth module listed, anyone got any ideas where to get one?
Also as I'm not that technical could anyone advise on the best sort of SSD to put in ( and how/where) its probably the only upgrade I'll require. I expect I can get one of the developers at work to do the OS reinstall.
cheers
tony

*Edit- probably should have read post above...kinda answers my second question.


Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM (2.60GHz, 6MB cache, Quad Core)
39.6cm (15.6") UltraSharp™ FHD(1920x1080) Wide View Anti-Glare LED-backlit Premium Panel Guarantee
8GB1 DDR3 SDRAM a
500GB 2.5inch Serial ATA (7.200 Rpm) Hard Drive
NVIDIA Quadro K1000M with 2GB GDDR3

 

anyone know when the M4600 might be discontinued?

My company's procurement system keeps getting new M4600s in stock I'm up for a new laptop so I'm sitting here waiting for the M4600s to go away...

 

While the mSata drive is just as fast as the 2.5" model, I think the mSata slot is only sata2, not sata3 like the 2.5" drive bays.

 

Hi there,

apologies if this has already been answered, but I can't see a definitive answer...

I've just gotten approval for a new laptop from work, and am looking at a Precision M4700. I can afford either the i7-3720QM with the 128GB SSD mini drive, or the i7-3820QM with just the base (500GB) HDD. Am I right in thinking I could go for the faster CPU with the base HDD, and then purchase an mSATA drive like this one (CT128M4SSD3 - 128GB, mSATA Solid State Drive , from Crucial.com) separately and install it myself (so long as I don't go with the mobile broadband option)? I don't need to buy it with an SSD in order to have the right connections/settings enabled do I?

I also plan to get the basic 8GB RAM when I buy it, and then install an extra 16GB such as this (16GB kit (8GBx2), 204-pin SODIMM, DDR3 PC3-12800 upgrades for Dell Precision M4700 (4 SODIMMs) Laptop/Notebook, CT3396896 from Crucial.com). Does anyone foresee any problems?

FYI I plan to put linux on it, so no need to clone the existing drive to the SSD card.

Thanks,
James

 

I would order the laptop with the bare minimum RAM (2GB i think), then add RAM you purchased yourself, you'll save a good deal of money that way. As for adding the msata SSD, you got the gist of it. The disassembly guides are available on Dell's website and are very detailed.

 

Get the 3820QM. Faster and more cache. SSD drive costs will continue to fall.

 

Agreed 100%. Get the bare minimum ram and install it yourself. Also, I added the mSATA SSD myself with no issues. I prefer the Samsung drive if you can find them.

 

The Samsung mSATA drives are kind of hard to find while the mSATA C400 are easy to grab and cheap.

 

Good point. I was able to source a 256, and ended up with a couple 128s and a 64. Now I cant find any out there.