How large of an SSD can I put in a T60p?

[StevenD]

Hi,
I've got a T60p running a 240GB SSD just great. I'd like to put this 480GB drive into it:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSD7E6G480/

When Crucial came out with a one terabyte SSD, I tried that, but I couldn't get it to work, and Crucial and I just decided there was some incompatibility, maybe with the size of the drive.

Any thoughts?

--Steve

[ajkula66]

I would pass on any SandForce-based drive and go with Samsung 840 Pro or Crucial M550.

There is no limit per se when it comes to the drive size, no idea on why that past Crucial didn't work.

[SaskFellow]

Something I've noticed with the 840 Pro in my T61 is that there is a nasty capacitor whine, when the drive is accessed.

I would probably go with the M500 because you won't get the speed benefits of the 840 Pro on the SATA 150 connection, but you will get to enjoy the power back up capacitors that are built into the M500, as well as extra beer money.

The other suggestion I can make is the Intel 335 or 530 series, very nice drives, and their Sandforce implementations are excellent.

[ajkula66]

Something I've noticed with the 840 Pro in my T61 is that there is a nasty capacitor whine, when the drive is accessed.

Interesting. I haven't bumped into that one yet.

I would probably go with the M500 because you won't get the speed benefits of the 840 Pro on the SATA 150 connection, but you will get to enjoy the power back up capacitors that are built into the M500, as well as extra beer money.

I like the 5-year warranty on the Pro, not sure of it's also offered on M500 or 550.

The other suggestion I can make is the Intel 335 or 530 series, very nice drives, and their Sandforce implementations are excellent.

Their performance still sucks with anything that isn't compressed data.

Yes, they are head and shoulders above *any* other SF-based drives.

However, they would be amongst my very last choices.

[SaskFellow]

Interesting. I haven't bumped into that one yet.

I like the 5-year warranty on the Pro, not sure of it's also offered on M500 or 550.

Their performance still sucks with anything that isn't compressed data.

Yes, they are head and shoulders above *any* other SF-based drives.

However, they would be amongst my very last choices.

I had an 840 Evo that would howl, then hard lock itself, in an Acer netbook. It's just something that I haven't had happen on anything, even an Adata 120GB Sandforce SSD, but every Samsung 840 series, I've played with does.

The M500/550 are both 3 year warranty drives AFAIK.

Intel 530 carries a 5 year warranty, power capacitors, and let's be honest, even dealing with pure media files, the Sandforce controller will easily saturate the SATA 150 connection in the T60, and comes close on a SATA 300 connection in an unlocked T61. If we had SATAIII controllers, then yeah, but we don't, and the only thing that tipped me in getting my 840Pro over the 530 was Samsung's Rapid mode, which helpful, definitely gobbles the RAM, and if I was capped at 3GB, I wouldn't use it. As for battery usage, I'd say it's wash, even in all of the reviews I've read.

Either will be way faster than any mechanical spinner, even the Hybrid drives, that one might shove in there. Checking Newegg, shows both are basically the same price for the same capacity. One is faster in new boxes, one is resistant to the power loss death issue, and both have very powerful and easy to use toolkits.

So it's really down to what's more important based on the workload.

[ajkula66]

I had an 840 Evo that would howl, then hard lock itself

EVO is a drive that I *never* recommend.

Intel 530 carries a 5 year warranty, power capacitors, and let's be honest, even dealing with pure media files, the Sandforce controller with easily saturate the SATA 150 connection in the T60, and comes close on a SATA 300 connection in an unlocked T61. If we had SATAIII controllers, then yeah, but we don't, and the only thing that tipped me in getting my 840Pro over the 530 was Samsung's Rapid mode, which helpful, definitely gobbles the RAM, and if I was capped at 3GB, I wouldn't use it. As for battery usage, I'd say it's wash, even in all of the reviews I've read.

I've personally had T6x generation machines failing to recognize SF-based drives on cold boot, without any logic that I could find behind that event.

That's one of the reasons that I'm advising users of these laptops against SF drives.

If I were buying a SSD for a T60 of my own, and it had to be in 500GB size or thereabouts, Crucial M4 would be my pick.

[SaskFellow]

One 840 Evo was enough for me to say never again.

I've personally had T6x generation machines failing to recognize SF-based drives on cold boot, without any logic that I could find behind that event.

That's one of the reasons that I'm advising users of these laptops against SF drives.

If I were buying a SSD for a T60 of my own, and it had to be in 500GB size or thereabouts, Crucial M4 would be my pick.

I know there were a lot of Sandforce firmware issues, lots of cold boot issue bugs. I'd be honestly surprised, I've put Intel 330 series into MacBook Pro's of a similar era, and they went out the door, with having one customer actually calling me back to tell me how happy they are. Intel really does do a lot of changing to the firmware, and with the 530 even the controller is customized.

I should just recommend the S3700, it's a beast that'll be more than enough for his T60, and IIRC it runs an Intel designed controller.

Is the M4 still available?

[ajkula66]

One 840 Evo was enough for me to say never again.

Indeed. I didn't even have to go that far...

I should just recommend the S3700, it's a beast that'll be more than enough for his T60, and IIRC it runs an Intel designed controller.

Amen. A proper but pricey SSD.

Is the M4 still available?

As NOS, on feebay, yes.

[StevenD]

Thanks for all the input. I just looked up my emails to Crucial. The drive I got was the M500 960GB, and the problem was that the T60p would not wake up from sleep. If I put the unit to sleep, it wouldn't wake, and I'd have to just turn off the power and boot again.

Any ideas? Any reason an M550 might work better? There was a posting on Amazon from a guy with a Lenovo who couldn't get an M550 to work in his unit, although he said the 840 1TB worked fine for him.