The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    SSD/HDD hybrid solution

    Discussion in 'Alienware M11x' started by erd0c, Jun 7, 2011.

  1. erd0c

    erd0c Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I'm not sure if this is a taboo question.
    But anyone put a combination solution in the m11x?
    I wanted to run the OS off the SSD and everything else off the HDD?

    Thanks
    erd0c
     
    erd0c, Jun 7, 2011
    #1
  2. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    Where exactly are you going to put the second drive?
     
    namaiki, Jun 7, 2011
    #2
  3. erd0c

    erd0c Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Literally, everything else.
    I wanted a low carbon footprint for the OS.
    So I'm willing to take a few gigs of SSD but the rest as HDD
    Seagate provides a solution:
    Momentus XT Solid State Hybrid Hard Drive | Seagate

    but I was wondering if anyone hacked anything together
    e
     
    erd0c, Jun 7, 2011
    #3
  4. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    Oh, no. The SSD chip in that harddrive is not accessible as a separate drive. It is only used as cache.
     
    namaiki, Jun 7, 2011
    #4
  5. erd0c

    erd0c Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    really?? hmm...
    the site says there's 32mb of cache
    and 5 gig of SLC SS?
    I'm I interpreting this incorrectly?
    thanks for you insight

    g
     
    erd0c, Jun 7, 2011
    #5
  6. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    The 4GB NAND is like a long term cache memory. It will automatically cache often used files/programs so that they can load faster instead of reading from the spinning disk.

    See: "Improved system response with Adaptive Memory™ technology."
     
    namaiki, Jun 7, 2011
    #6
  7. Stiiiiig

    Stiiiiig Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    2
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I thought the same until I read up on the Momentus, big shame.

    Would it be possible to put barebones Windows on an SD Card or similar and leave it permanently plugged in? I havent tried yet but perhaps the card may extrude from the m11x because of its size, but other laptops could fit the card in without it showing at all. Of course I know nothing of the speeds on card readers
     
    Stiiiiig, Jun 8, 2011
    #7
  8. martinroshak

    martinroshak Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    46
    Messages:
    215
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Pretty sure it does protrude, at least it does on my r1. Probably a good centimetre as well, which is kinda disappointing, but not too bad.
     
    martinroshak, Jun 8, 2011
    #8
  9. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

    Reputations:
    21,580
    Messages:
    35,370
    Likes Received:
    9,877
    Trophy Points:
    931
    SD card would be a SLOW load, not to mention pagefile and other misc writes done by the OS that would destroy an SD card in no time. Those SD cards don't have nearly as many writes as an SSD not to mention no wear leveling unless you delete files and use again. In other words bad idea.
     
    HTWingNut, Jun 8, 2011
    #9
  10. xtravbx

    xtravbx Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    12
    Messages:
    337
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    31
    How much space do you need?

    I find the 256gb SSD I put in my M11X is plenty.

    I can understand needing/wanting more - but the 256gb hits a decent sweet spot of space and speed.
     
    xtravbx, Jun 8, 2011
    #10
  11. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    3,905
    Messages:
    6,116
    Likes Received:
    89
    Trophy Points:
    216
    ...and price, too.
     
    namaiki, Jun 8, 2011
    #11
  12. bigun08

    bigun08 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    4
    Messages:
    128
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I have a 256Gb smasung SSD and currently my desktop is packed up waiting to re-emerge.. so my R3 is my only computer and I constantly have to move files to an external network drive to keep from getting to low on space.. I just ordered a few momentus XTs 500 GB so I can get more space.. So look for the 256GB ssd and a 160GB ssd on sale soon.. Check out this review
    YouTube - ‪Seagate Momentus XT‬‏
     
    bigun08, Jun 8, 2011
    #12
  13. Stiiiiig

    Stiiiiig Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    2
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I dont think that Momentus video is telling a completely true story. The SSD works like a cache so that test would have had to have been run previously for it to be in the 'cache'. Without the data there it would be just as slow as the normal 7,200
     
    Stiiiiig, Jun 9, 2011
    #13
  14. hermitmaster

    hermitmaster Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    194
    Messages:
    128
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Here is a good review of the Momentus XT. Overall, it seems pretty decent. I've been thinking about picking one up myself.
     
    hermitmaster, Jun 10, 2011
    #14
  15. xtravbx

    xtravbx Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    12
    Messages:
    337
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    31


    For sure =/
     
    xtravbx, Jun 10, 2011
    #15