Asus UX31A SSD Upgrade

I'm considering purchasing a heavily discounted Asus Zenbook UX31A, however worried about the non-standard mSATA-like SSD connector [1] [2]

The UX31A comes with either a Sandisk U100 or a ADATA XM11 (Sandforce 2281 controller) SSD. The Sandisk U100 barely outperforms a rotating HDD whereas the SF-2281 controller is known for random F4 BSODS and I haven't been able to find any firmware upgrades on ADATA's website. Furthermore, though clearly superior to the U100, the XM11 nonetheless exhibits less than 1/2 the write performance of modern SSDs such as the samsung 840 drives. [3] [4]

However, I've found some cheap aftermarket adapters on ebay. [5] [6] Should I stay away from them, and does anyone have any experience with them? Would the adapter plus regular form-factor ssd fit in the UX31A laptop enclosure.


1] AnandTech | ASUS' Zenbook SSD and Apple's MacBook Air SSD Are Not Compatible
2] http://forum.notebookreview.com/solid-state-drives-ssds-flash-storage/691183-replacing-ssd-ux31a.html
3] ASUS Zenbook SSD Review - Not Necessarily SandForce Driven Hits A Speed Bump | The SSD Review
4] ASUS Zenbook Prime SSD performance comparison: Sandisk vs ADATA | WiredRevolution.com
5] ux31a xm11 ssd | eBay
6] mSATA SSD Convert to 2 5" SATA 22Pin Adapter PCBA Asus UX31 UX21 Hard Disk XM11 | eBay

 

I have looked at that exact model.

Too many compromises* - even if the SSD could be improved upon.

Definitely a reason it is 'heavily discounted' imo...


* RAM soldered/limited to 4GB
* Proprietary SSD
* Hard to disassemble (not for the faint of heart)
* Screen too small for the resolution offered
* Keyboard/touchpad to cry over (and not longingly...).

Imo; better options exist.

(And by not buying these highly restricted examples at any price: hopefully the manufacturers get the message that an easily accessible/upgradeable machine (at least SSD and RAM) is more desirable than a glued together toy that is ultimately throw away almost as soon as it is bought (with the 2009 era 4GB RAM (fixed) and the SSD that performs worse than a properly setup HDD).


Good luck.

 

After confirming no-restocking-fee returns and in-store exchanges, I've decided to take and chance and purchase this model:

This is a bit off-topic, however regarding your points:

* RAM soldered/limited to 4GB. In my opinion RAM is one of the most overrated components, with the exception of specific needs including scientific computing and digital arts. For most uses of a mid-range "ultrabook" (lightweight, travelling latposuch as this UX31A, 4GB is more than enough.
* Proprietary SSD: troubling, but cheap (untested) aftermarket adapters exist. More troubling is the BSODs related the SF-2281 firmware. I've contacted ADATA and ASUS directly, hopefully someone will provide newer firmware which according to LSI/SandForce has already been distributed. [3] [4]
* Hard to disassemble: Actually this laptop is quite simple to take apart, provided you have a Torx scredwriver. [1] Furthermore, the construction appears to be quite solid [2]
* Screen too small for resolution offered: A matter of taste, but I count myself lucky to be able to purchase a 13.3" 1920x1080 IPS screen with such phenomenal specifications and reviews [5]
* Keyboard/touchpad to cry over: From what I've read the keyboard is a matter of taste. The touchpad actually poses a problem, which can mostly be solved with the newest driver updates. Furthermore, most linux product reviews (which I intend to run) claim the touchpad performs outstandingly with the default kernel drivers.

Issues you haven't mentioned:
* blacklight bleed [6]: This seems to be laptop-dependent and intermittent in nature. One user was able to stop the bleeding by loosening screws holding the LCD panel in place. In any case, I believe this is purely a construction defect that can be fixed by reassembling the screen myself.
* wifi unreliablity [6]: only reported by a minority of the owners, judging by how sparingly it is mentioned. I won't know until I recieve the laptop, however the chip in question (Intel Centrino Advanced-N6235) is not known for any defects. While this doesn't rule out problems with antenna placement, I doubt I will have any problems.

All the other problems (fans frequently spinning-up, over-heating) seem to be resolved with a fresh OS installation, and for the majority this model has received very good reviews.


1] ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH72 13.3 Inch Disassembly and Teardown
2] Review Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A Ultrabook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews
3] SandForce Support
4] http://forum.notebookreview.com/sol...sandforce-still-unreliable-used-year-ago.html
5] AnandTech | ASUS UX31A: Putting the Ultra in Ultrabooks
6] http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/681574-ux31a-before-buying-questions.html

 

RAM is an over-rated component? Lol...

Simply the part that allows the cpu to do any real work... oh well.


Hope your system is as good a match as you seem to think.


(As for myself, even with all your points to the contrary; this is definitely in the Mac Air (circa 2008) camp of 'finesse' from my perspective: i.e. looks like a '9' from a distance, but under closer scrutiny ends up more like a '3').

Curious also how much it was discounted?

Good luck and please let us know how it is when you finally get it.




...

 

I stopped by here after googling don't know what.

I agree that having ram and ssd glued to the motherboard is the main drawback of this device. Had i made a little more research before buying i would have definetely discarded it.

Now (well, since the very beginning) i am short, very short of space in the ssd, always moving stuff to an external hdd.
Apart from that i am still very happy with this laptop (almost 3 yrs now since i bought it) but already considering something like the new ux303ln if i find a non-touch screen model. I find it useless to have a touch screen in a laptop.

Regards