Need help with replacing the L502X hdd with an SSD

I'm going to pull the trigger and order an XPS L502X tomorrow. The following is the configuration I settled upon:

i7 2720qm
GT 540M 2GB graphics with Optimus and TV Tuner
6 GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
500 GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
5.6 FHD B+RGLED TL (1920x1080) and Skype-Certified 2.0MP HD Webcam
8X Tray Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
Intel© Centrino© Advanced-N 6230 & Bluetooth 3.0
56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Backlit Keyboard - English
JBL 2.1 Speakers with Waves Maxx Audio 3 + Creative SoundBlaster X-FI MB 1.2

I am planning to purchase a 240 GB SSD separately and replace the hdd myself. The same thing is true for the TV Tuner. I will purchase the European version of the TV Tuner and replace it myself. However I have never had a laptop before, even though replacing parts in the desktop computers I owned were always easy.


Is replacing the hdd with an ssd easy?
What do I have to know, as I will order the SSD simultaneously with the Notebook?
I'm considering purchasing a 256 GB Vertex 3 for 500 $; anything else I need to buy along with the SSD to be able to replace it with the hdd?
Any other brand/model at the same price range you would recommend me?

You see I'm a total newbie concerning Solid State Drives and replacing them.

Also, I believe replacing the tv tuner should be relatively easy as the European version should be identical to the USA version in means of size and shape...

Please help me with this, because I have to place my order tomorrow...

Thanks in advance...

 

The Dell service guide (link below) shows how to replace the hard drive. Hardest part is going to be removing the palmrest to get to it - but it's doable.

The TV tuner is easy, as long as you're swapping out one that's already there. Have you found somewhere selling a European version of it? Dell in the UK will (now) put one in for you but i've not found anywhere else. Not too bothered though as you need an external antenna anyway.

Not sure the Vertex 3 is available yet. But in any case, the drive you remove will be in a cradle. Take it out of the cradle, put the new one in the cradle, put it back in.

Documentation

 

Thanks for the help as always...

I read the part concerning removing the palmrest in the manual and I'm not sure if I can pull it only with the help of this manual. There's no video of removing the parts of this laptop, is there?

So I realized Vertex 3 has not been released yet... What models would you recommend me to search for?

Also is this the only Samsung SSD model (256 gb) or are there other models? So I know it has 250 mb write and read speeds.
An external antenna is needed for the TV Tuner? I thought cable tv connector would be enough. (This is the kind of cable and connector at my home: http://www.tvcables.co.uk/images/items/20m-tv-aerial-cable.jpg)

Does it only receive broadcasts through air?

 

Meurglyso, have you found a part number for the TV tuner for your area? I'll be in Iraq for a year, and AFN broadcasts on the PAL B/G standard, via a cable we get in our rooms. I understand GB uses the PAL I standard, but if a card can do the I standard, it can also do the B/G standard.

 

No I haven't yet. It was just wishful thinking. I was hoping I could find it. I believe the best thing to do would be to phone and ask Dell UK the model of the TV Tuners they install in the L502X notebooks. If you do that please let me know too.

 

I replaced the HDD myself. It`s really not that easy to remove the palmrest.
You have to unscrew one screw at the back and the push tow clips so that the palmrest opens a bit at the top. than you`ll have to use a plastic knife or s.th. to open the clips round the palmrest.

 

I'm not very skillful with stuff like that, so I think I'll give it a try, but if it looks like I'm going to break the thing, I will take it to the Dell service to get the job done. I hope I don't break it in the process.

Is the warranty rendered void if the HDD is replaced with an SSD?

 

Warranty is not voided when replacing the hdd or ram.

 

They use Avermedia TV cards: AVerMedia AVerTV Global - TV Tuners, Media Player, IPTV and Multimedia Products - Hybrid DVB-T series

Sorry, I wasnt very clear before. They'll most likely work with a house top aerial but the laptop doesn't have a built in one that I would want for a laptop/TV experience. The socket you get on the back if you order with a TV card is smaller than a coax cable, so I assume there's a tail, to plug one in. The cards say they can use S-Video and composite as well as an aerial, but there's only one external socket, so there must be a set of tails or a fan cable. So that'd mean you could plug in a Sky box or your house aerial or a DVD player (though that'd be odd) or whatever.

Avermedia seem to have a boatload of different pages for those cards, with slightly different specs on each one and no model number. Avermedia mini PCI-e hybrid DVB-T cards do crop up on eBay (there are some now) but they give model numbers like 308, whereas I've seen 388 (US) and 389 (Europe) described for Dells.

As you can probably tell, i've been piecing this together to decide whether to fit one. I dont own one, so I could be wrong. I've seen pictures though so I know they're Avermedia hybrid cards, localised to the region.

For SSDs - I'm not sure myself. Plenty of people here are waiting for the Vertex 3 - maybe you'd like to wait? Or there's the Crucial M4 reviewed in that Anandtech article I linked yesterday, which does broadly OK, with some concerns around garbage collection. I was planning to get one of the new Intel ones, but the stats aren't as good as I hoped.

The problem is that none are good in all respects. The Vertex ones I think have had reliability problems in the past (someone might correct me) and have more complex controllers (they compress data, which is why they're so fast) and seem to use cheaper flash and pseudo-RAID to work round the failures. They're fast, on the right kind of data. Some others are fast for sequential access, others more so for random access. Just look at the different placings for drives in the various performance charts in the Anandtech article - random access benchmark (a synthetic speed test, tbh) makes the Intel drives look poor but the Storage Bench (a more realistic benchmark, imo) puts the Intel drives back at almost the top of the pack - and without the compression tricks of the Vertex.

Whatever you get, it needs to have TRIM support, otherwise performance degrades pretty badly.

It's almost like a choosing a newspaper. Pick your benchmark to pick the best drive. Or pick the Vertex that's at the top of most. I'll probably go for Intel.

Long post. Sorry. And not even a straight answer!

 

English is my second language, so I don't know what a "house top aerial" is. Do you mean a "sattellite receiver"? From what I understand from what I have read up to now, I won't be able to use the tv tuner installed by Dell USA with the cable tv at my home in Turkey? Or is it only the aerial broadcasts that I will not be able to receive?

I've been looking at the "read and write speeds" of the SSDs and I was about to make my decision based on that... Is the Samsung SSD installed by Dell noticably lower grade than others?

 

Ah sorry - didn't realise English would be a struggle. We had this discussion before in the other thread?

No you won't be able to use the US tuner card in Turkey, but if you get the laptop from them with one in, they'll install the socket you need and can then swap it.

The TV card should take a signal from a TV aerial or a cable/satellite receiver, yes. Not straight from the satellite dish, though.

I dont know the model of Samsung SSD that Dell use, so couldn't say about that. If you're not happy about taking the machine apart and the price is OK, maybe you should let Dell install the Samsung one? It will be much faster than the mechanical drive in any case, and you won't have to stress about destroying the laptop - especially if the manufacturer ends up wanting to fix it in the US rather than Turkey!

 

I guess I'm going to skip the TV Tuner. I thought it would be nice to have one, but having to pay for it twice blows the fun and I'm not a tv person anyway...

Tomorrow I'll call the local Dell service and ask them if they would -and for what price- replace the hdd with an ssd and make my decision according to their reply.

What should I take into consideration besides write and read speeds when choosing an SSD?

Thanks for all the help.

 

Random read speeds as well as read/write IOPS are the most important specs on an SSD. The sustained read/write speeds (that manufacturers advertise) are used less than 1% of the normal time you use the computer, so they actually play very very little importance. Look for random 4K read/write speads and IOPS. These are the most important for daily usage.

 

I noticed you have Crucial M4. I read a bit on the SSDs and came upon this review of the Crucial M4 compared with others such as Intel 510 and Vertex 3. My verdict is that Intel 510 is the best choice right now until Vertex 3 is available on the market, if I was to take the ssds' overall performance ratings in this review. However in random read times M4 is better. Unfortunately I don't have time to wait for Vertex 3. (When is it going to be available?) So I guess I'm going to get an Intel 510.

Please tell me your opinion on this...

Also... Where can I buy one of these from in the USA (online)?

 

Please reconsider the Intel 510. The crucial M4/C400 blows it away in actual daily tasks, and even beats the Vertex 3 during some real world tests. It's the fastest ssd on the market right now. You will seriously regret the 510 due to the low random IOPS.

 

I'm new to the subject, so I will definitely take your advice. However in the tests I linked in the previous message Crucial M4 did worse in write speeds, write burst speeds and copy speeds while maintaining its top position in other aspects. Intel 510 had balanced results so I thought it was good enough in all areas. Amyway I'll get the Crucial M4 then! I'll take advice from someone who knows.

 

It will feel like you're about to break it when you pull it off. You have to be brave to do that to a brand new lappy.

 

I spoke to the local Dell service; they will replace the HDD with an SSD for a 30 $ fee.

 

The key to taking the palm rest off is probably to not follow the directions. After you remove the screw that connects it to the chassis there are the two tabs that have it clicked in. Follow the directions up until this point. Once you've gotten those loose push them up instead of using the scribe to pry the top off. if you push the tabs up with your fingers enough, you should be able to wedge your finger underneath the palmrest and gently remove it.

 

Wow. Does that include them supplying the SSD, or they'll fit one you provide for that much?

 

That's only the installation fee. Quite a robbery, but one that may save the notebook in the end.

 

Cool. So you're all sorted now? Excellent! I can't see you being disappointed with the choice!

 

Yes! I have stated a few final questions on this thread... Would you be so kind to have a look at them? I may buy the notebook form Turkey after all!

 

Take a look at this review of the m4 (and others). It is very thorough, and explains a lot about SSD's to people new to them, such as what to look for.

Crucial M4 256GB SATA 3 SSD Review ? Unexpected Performance in a Small Package | The SSD Review

 

The palmrest is easy. Just use a credit card and start working on it where the number keys meet the cover up at the top. Once that is lifted up there should be room on one of the outer corners to slide the card in and work your way around the pamrest.

 

Hi, does anyone have any experience of replacing the original 500GB (7,200rpm) HD with a new SSD (of any make/size), then using a caddy to replace the DVD/CD Drive bay with the old HD?

In particular, the process of cloning the old drive (Dell partitions will be a problem), or if not a good idea clean install hints & tips, eg: BIOS settings, etc., and any notes on setting up the SSD afterwards, eg: no defrag, no spin down, no sleep mode, etc.

 

I just got a new OCZ Agility V3 120GB SSD (only $220), and replaced the original 500GB HDD in my L502X (AHCI by default). Sadly, the OS image I made on an external HD could not be mounted as the W7 DVD does not have USB3 drivers, so had to do a clean install!

Next problem, W7 does not have all the Dell drivers & even the Dell DVD does not have em all (SM Bus Controller). So I hit an error updating the OS without all drivers & got an infinite loop blue screen - start again next day. This time slow & step-by-step, so after 6-8h total all was well; system boots in less than 30s, runs real fast & shuts down fast too. Remember to upgrade the Nvidia Graphics, etc.

NB: No real post-SSD setup required as W7 recognizes the SSD (& auto-formats), I installed the Intel Rapid Storage Technology & TRIM is on by default, as is write-caching to the drive. Only thing to check is that Defrag schedule is set to Off on this drive. Does seem to hang for c.30-60s once per day, but a minor problem for all the other benefits.

Only thing left to do is mount the original HDD in a caddy to replace the CD/DVD, but am worried it will not recognize the partition as I still have data on it, but can easily be fixed if needed.

PS: Removing the case & some other parts can be a pain, but slow & sure will win out. W7 Experience disk score jumped from 5.5 to 7.9!

Anyone who needs any extra tips can PM me. Cheers, Greg.

 

Original HDD now moved to the bay where the Optical drive used to be (tight screw to release). Disk works fine, no problems on booting even with 2 C: System partitions, in fact the disk in this location actually performs over 10% faster than before. So now I have a sweet system for under $1,500.

 

I also got a Agility3 120Gb. And I agree removing the palmrest area is a pain. I got a 'drivers and utilities' disk with mine which had all the drivers on it. Though I need to update some of them.
Boot time is amazing.