Flash Drive v. Hard Drive For New Laptop
#16
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#17
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I've been lugging around the same corporate laptop for over 5 years now and it still hasn't crashed on me. Just in case though, I have backups of my data, and if I'm on a trip where there's some critical data that I might need (presentations, reports etc), I bring these data along on a flash drive and also on paper if there's a chance I won't be able to access a PC. In principle the flash drive is the same but it is still much cheaper than the SSD option.
Having backups and bringing along extras may sound inconvenient, but I think this is just part of having good information systems management. Even if you use an SSD you need to have a backup somewhere.
* Using the same laptop for 5 years means there might be a greater chance of it crashing sometime in the future - yay, good excuse to get a new laptop!
Last edited by KIXman; Jan 29, 2011 at 11:58 pm
#18
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I just put a SSD into my four year old Thinkpad. It's like a new computer. If it's powered off and I tap the power button, I get the Windows login screen within about 15 seconds. I can fully use the computer (no hard drive loading things into memory and slowing things down) about two seconds after logging in.
#19
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gfunkdave, good to know you kept backups!
#20
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Please take a look here at Frys.
256 GB SSD Drive prices: $470-700.
Plus, what happens to the warranty?
256 GB SSD Drive prices: $470-700.
Plus, what happens to the warranty?
I do not think $650 is a rip-off considering the fact that you will not have to deal with the hassle of actually rebuilding the drive yourself. Of course if you did order with the cheaper drive, buy a SSD then clone it yourself you would have the old drive to use as a backup drive or utility drive.
#21
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That's the key benefit for me, hard drives don't like moving yet a laptop by it's nature isn't static. Even with all the snazzy shock technology that new laptops have hard drive failure is more common in laptops than desktops. SSD's take that issue away and you get a nice speed advantage to boot.
#22
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There is a middle-ground if you want some of the performance of SSD, but the price of a normal hard disk, which are the "Hybrid" drives like this one.
At around $100 for 500GB it's only a little more than a normal platter drive, but it also has a 4GB of Flash/SSD which apparently can give a significant performance increase depending on what you're using the drive for.
At around $100 for 500GB it's only a little more than a normal platter drive, but it also has a 4GB of Flash/SSD which apparently can give a significant performance increase depending on what you're using the drive for.
#23
 
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#26
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As others have already pointed out, there is no doubt of the performance superiority of the SSD over traditional hard drives (an acquaintance likes to call 'em "spinning rust" Everything will simply be much faster with the SSD ... at least when it is new.
It is important to realize that SSD quality varies greatly amongst brands. The premium brands (e.g. OCZ, Intel) will consistently perform well on all performance metrics and for a long time to come, especially true for the prevalent MLC SSD drives. The lesser brands will likely perform only half as well (but probably still better than most laptop hard drives) and lack the "secret sauces" in their controllers to ensure adequate write performance (a real Flash memory weak point) as more of the drive is used/reused. I have personally experienced cheaper SSDs pausing/freezing annoyingly on disk IO. You must do your research (Anandtech is an excellent source) and understand that you get what you pay for ... there are good reasons why OCZ and Intel SSD cost 50% more than cheap brands.
An important consideration is the drive form factor ... e.g. my Thinkpad X300 only supports 1.8" SSD with microSATA interface. This means there are only two brands (OCZ and latest generation Kingston with the Toshiba controller) worth considering, stay away from the Photofast. Not surprisingly, they command high prices ($700+ CAD for 240-256GB). If your laptop supports 2.5" SSD, you will have at least half a dozen options at significantly lower price points.
If you are not technically inclined and/or can't be bothered to do the research required to find a good product you will be happy with, my recommendation is to pay the premium and get the SSD option available through the laptop manufacturer. They have applied the rigorous due-diligence and testing to ensure satisfactory performance, reliability, and compatibility. One-throat-to-choke for warranty is good as well.
SSDs do fail, but generally at a much lower rate than hard drives. Btw, there is no reason why SSD would be harder to recover from; I suppose the poster meant it would be harder to find a data recovery service that knows how to recover data from a broken SSD. As with all newer technology, it takes the market a while to catch up to the needs, especially true for a niche market. The best thing to do is to make sure you perform consistent backup of your data. Fyi, I have found Casper to be an excellent and cost effective tool for creating a bootable clone of a drive and I setup an Outlook task reminder to run it once a month. Combine that with a set-it-n-forget-it online backup service (e.g. Backblaze or Crashplan), and you are golden!
It is important to realize that SSD quality varies greatly amongst brands. The premium brands (e.g. OCZ, Intel) will consistently perform well on all performance metrics and for a long time to come, especially true for the prevalent MLC SSD drives. The lesser brands will likely perform only half as well (but probably still better than most laptop hard drives) and lack the "secret sauces" in their controllers to ensure adequate write performance (a real Flash memory weak point) as more of the drive is used/reused. I have personally experienced cheaper SSDs pausing/freezing annoyingly on disk IO. You must do your research (Anandtech is an excellent source) and understand that you get what you pay for ... there are good reasons why OCZ and Intel SSD cost 50% more than cheap brands.
An important consideration is the drive form factor ... e.g. my Thinkpad X300 only supports 1.8" SSD with microSATA interface. This means there are only two brands (OCZ and latest generation Kingston with the Toshiba controller) worth considering, stay away from the Photofast. Not surprisingly, they command high prices ($700+ CAD for 240-256GB). If your laptop supports 2.5" SSD, you will have at least half a dozen options at significantly lower price points.
If you are not technically inclined and/or can't be bothered to do the research required to find a good product you will be happy with, my recommendation is to pay the premium and get the SSD option available through the laptop manufacturer. They have applied the rigorous due-diligence and testing to ensure satisfactory performance, reliability, and compatibility. One-throat-to-choke for warranty is good as well.
SSDs do fail, but generally at a much lower rate than hard drives. Btw, there is no reason why SSD would be harder to recover from; I suppose the poster meant it would be harder to find a data recovery service that knows how to recover data from a broken SSD. As with all newer technology, it takes the market a while to catch up to the needs, especially true for a niche market. The best thing to do is to make sure you perform consistent backup of your data. Fyi, I have found Casper to be an excellent and cost effective tool for creating a bootable clone of a drive and I setup an Outlook task reminder to run it once a month. Combine that with a set-it-n-forget-it online backup service (e.g. Backblaze or Crashplan), and you are golden!
Last edited by nchinetti; Jan 30, 2011 at 10:47 am
#27
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I will never purchase another computer, dektop or laptop, that does not have an SSD as the OS drive. It is a huge improvement in useability. That being said I won't be ripped off either. So in your example I'd buy my own SSD and install it myself. It's not hard with tons of how to's on Google.
#28
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I do not think $650 is a rip-off considering the fact that you will not have to deal with the hassle of actually rebuilding the drive yourself. Of course if you did order with the cheaper drive, buy a SSD then clone it yourself you would have the old drive to use as a backup drive or utility drive.
As far as who makes them. WD, Seagate do make them but I am seeing more from Crucial, OCZ and Kingston. I would assume because they are better suited to manufacture but dont know why for sure.
There is a middle-ground if you want some of the performance of SSD, but the price of a normal hard disk, which are the "Hybrid" drives like this one.
Yup. Of course, this is easier on some models than on others.
#29
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A decent price point for high-quality 80-160GB SSDs right now is about $1.50/GB (compared to $0.08/GB for traditional 500GB-1TB hard drives).
In fact, Newegg has a good 120GB SSD for $170 after rebate.
In fact, Newegg has a good 120GB SSD for $170 after rebate.
#30
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Considering the OP is talking about a Sony, I'd look at what's involved in swapping. $650 is only marginally above market for a 256 GB SSD, and may be WELL WORTH THE PRICE to have it installed.