Adding SSD cache to my new m14x r2, need some help

Hey guys, I purchased a m14x r2 from delloutlet (woot 20% off coupon!)

It does not come with the msata cache drive, so I ordered one from newegg.

I'm not interested in using it as a boot drive, I'd rather just use it for cache.

I know how to physically install it, but how do set it up to use it as a cache?

Thanks!

 

Whats was your final price? Just curious?

 

$814.99

Lol with a Sandy Bridge processor it's almost like a m14x R1.5

Alienware M14x R2
Processor: Intel Core i5-2450M Processor (2.5GHz)
6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory (1X2G/1X4G, 1600MHz)
750 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
8X DVD +/- RW Drive
1 GB DDR5 NVIDIA GeForceGT 650M using NVIDIA Optimus technology
Intel Centrino Wireless 2230, 2x2 bgn + Bluetooth

 

Good snag man and I think you should call back to dell customer care and let them know how you really wanted to order one with a 32gb or 64gb msata drive and noticed there is other builds available. They will offer you $50 and if you decline and say that is not enough to sway you they will counter offer at $75 and then finally if you decline again you might be able to get $90 + tax. That will help you buy a MSATA drive but honestly I would pick up a true SSD and I will spoonfeed you a slickdeal. A true ssd in the main bay and optical caddy for your 750gb will give you a blazing fast system for day to day tasks


$84.99 and $5 rebate and a $10 instant coupon using a new email/account

add this coupon to cart for $10 off instant making it $79 - $5(MIR) = $75 after rebate


Here is the coupon link to add or search google for (Buy.com $10 off $50 tech) New account/new email (gmail trick)

h t t p://www.buy.com/basket/additem.asp?sku=88847129&loc=55812

 

Hey, grats for your new rig!

How to Enable Caching on mSata SSD for Alienware Laptops?

Hope this is what you need

 

Thanks, that was exactly what I needed.

My 64GB msata arrived yesterday and installing it was dead simple. I did not need to re-install windows, all I had to do was download the RST driver and click "accelerate."

Boom! Everything was faster the second time

Windows took 40 seconds first time and 20 the second!

 

How are you liking your setup? Assuming you had some time "pre-msata". I'm considering adding a cache drive as well. I thought about just adding a large msata drive for the OS, but I'm thinking I'd be better off saving money and getting just a smaller cache drive since the articles seem to show it improves overall performance. I wouldn't install games on my msata drive anyways if I did use it for OS.

Just curious if you like it or regret not getting a larger drive or not instaling the OS on it and not going the RST route.

 

On my desktop I have the standard setup with a 120GB SSD for OS and a couple of games and a normal drive for everything else.

Contrary to what most people would say, I actually prefer the cache SSD route because then I never have to think about what I want on my faster drive. Right now I'm playing Rift mostly and its load times went from 22 seconds to about 6.

If I change games next week, I won't need to adjust anything, and that's worth whatever slight speed loss I might lose vs a dedicated drive.

... and not having to re-install *anything* was a big plus for me.

 

That's all I needed to hear. Thanks. I have the same setup for my desktop. 120Gb SSD and a 1TB Samsung F3. I don't want to have to use SteamMover or worry about moving installations around as space fills.

 

Are you sure this worked without reinstalling Windows? I'm doing the same procedure right now, and I don't have the "Accelerate" option in either the status or manage screens in iRST. I think you have to have BIOS SATA operation set to RAID, but if you do that it BSODs. I'm stumped how you got there.

 

It has to be raid in bios for RST. The BSOD is a driver issue. I'd try to set it as RAID without the msata drive and sort out the bsod issue then add the msata.

 

I think it may have been because R2's are now shipping with SATA operation set to RAID from factory to be able to work with the mSATA. Actually mine arrived using the mSATA as cache so I didn't even have to configure it. Anyway, if it's not set you may need to reinstall the OS to get it done :/

 

It's possible that his M14x was pre-configured with its BIOS in RAID mode, or possibly that he did the registry hack for disabling AHCI in advance... (I remember there being a registry hack for allowing an AHCI configured Windows installation to boot with IDE/RAID)

 

I know my M14X came with RAID set in bios even though I don't have the cache drive. Secondly I remember a while back on my desktop having to do the registry hack to get AHCI to work once I got my SSD. Probably a similar hack you could use, but being a new system I'd do what the other guy said and just switch to RAID in bios and do a fresh install.

 

OK. I know the problem. The system I was working with came from Dell IT with the corporate image. The IT guys say they have issues installing the FIDA download we use for corporate images in RAID mode and have to change it to AHCI to get it to image properly. We did the reg hack here for it, and it worked great. Intel 311 Larson Creek 20GB SLC SSD Review - Enabling Intel SRT w/ RAID on an IDE / AHCI Windows Installation - Legit Reviews

 

sorry to hijack but ill be messing with this too.

going to try this:

Newegg.com - Mushkin Enhanced Atlas Series MKNSSDAT60GB-DX mSATA 60GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

with this:

Newegg.com - Western Digital Scorpio Black WD7500BPKT 750GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive

 

That's exactly how it was!

 

Would this process be the same for other Dell laptops? I have a Latitude E6230 I would like to add an msata card to.
It came with a 5400 320GB drive. This laptop isn't used a lot so I don't want to spend the money for a SSD, but would like to speed it up some.


Thanks