Which SSD model and size is a good fit for the X51?

[Carson2006]

I am currently looking at installing the 120 GB variant of the Samsung 840 EVO TLC.

This size was chosen so that the Original OS could be installed, with plenty of room for overhead and some other applications. The current HDD will remain.The model was chosen based on the ratings on Newegg and the price. My budget was $100 dollars, and this one seems to blow away competitors of similar size and pricing.


Are there any recommendations on what size and model of SSD to buy to get the most bang for your buck?

Has anyone installed this Hard drive in their X51?

Are there any known common issues with installing an SSD in an X51?
This would be in exclusion to being limited by SATA 2 hardware in the motherboard.

I have read daxmagex's guide to installing SSD's into X51's
Thank you for your time.

Cheers,
Carson

 

[Ridix]

I just put in an intel 530 240GB and it runs perfect and saves power and heat. cost 159.99 on amazon

 

[Carson2006]

That looks like a nice drive.


What made you go with that size and model?

Were you looking for power efficiency specifically?

 

[Ridix]

I had an intel 520 in my old pc and loved it never had a problem and was very happy with the performance. I'm sure it uses a lot less power than the big mechanical did. I would have went bigger but money was an option, only problem I have is I'll just have to uninstall some game from time to time.

 

[jayhernandez7]

You should go with a Samsung 840 Pro or Evo series SSD. They are blazing fast! I've purchased over 5 in the last year. Never been disappointed since!! I definitely recommend.

 

[Carson2006]

I ended up going with Samsung 840 EVO (120 GB) and 24 hours in, I'm super happy.

It's nice when windows boots to login screen before the "windows boot animation" can complete one cycle. :-D

That and being able to open folders and start running programs as soon as I log in. Beautiful.

I still have my 2 TB HDD, but I have not had a chance to install Steam on that, and see how things run with games pulling from the disk while the OS is handled by Samsung.

Granted I think ANY SSD would have given me identical performance boosts since the data transfer speed is limited by the SATA 2 (3Gb/s) technology, but I have to admit that the drivers and maintenance software that Samsung has included with this drive are AWESOME. Not to mention it's hard to beat that 5 year warranty.

 

[jayhernandez7]

@carson2006 Glad to hear your upgrade was a success story
I told you man, can't go wrong with Samsung SSDs
I've used other brands, but they seem slower or about the same as my HDD. Anyways, glad you're part of the SSD owners now.