mSATA /M.2 in X32?

[Hurstbridge]

Hi everyone.

After reading this topic: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=112081

I thought about installing a SATA-drive in my X32.

Considering either the mSATA ST663FD9 adapter:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IDE-44-pin-To ... 23349f7634

and the Transcend MSA370: http://www.transcend-info.com/products/ ... MSA370.pdf

Or an M.2-converter:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SINTECH-M-2-NGF ... 4adcd04496

and the Transcend MTS600: http://www.transcend-info.com/Files/EDM ... TS_V11.pdf


Does anyone have any concerns to why this might not work? Would there be any preference as to going with the mSATA or the M.2-design?

[ajkula66]

Two pieces of advice:

1) Get a genuine Addonics mSATA-to-IDE adapter. They work well, I've tested one personally and was very pleased with it.

2) Stay away from Transcend. There are much better mSATA SSDs out there, and given that it's going into such an old system, you don't need the latest and greatest.

As for M.2 vs. mSATA: there's a lot more *known good* mSATA drives around than the M.2 ones. If I had such a machine, I'd go with mSATA.

Happy upgrading.

[Hurstbridge]

Thank's for the info.

I'll stay away from M.2 then.

The adapter is the one mentioned in the thread I linked to in my first post, which a lot of people have had success with. It should be the same as Addonics' ADMS25IDE.

The Transcend by are the cheapest mSATAs here in Denmark. ~45 US for the 32GB and ~55 US for the 64GB. The one coming close to those prices are Kingstons SSDnow mS200.

[ajkula66]

The Transcend by are the cheapest mSATAs here in Denmark. ~45 US for the 32GB and ~55 US for the 64GB. The one coming close to those prices are Kingstons SSDnow mS200.

Do you *really* want to put in a SSD just for the sake of having one? Kingston and Transcend are truly the bottom of the barrel.

Crucial M4/Micron C400, Plextor, Samsung 810/830, Intel 310...these are all good old drives that will perform wonderfully in that X32, for less money and no headache whatsoever. Some of them can still be found as NOS (New Old Stock)...and I'd go for a pre-owned M4 before I'd buy a new Transcend or Kingston. Feebay is your friend, most likely.

Do yourself a favour and don't go under 64GB...smaller SSDs are *much* slower than the bigger ones, and yes you'll feel the difference even at X32 transfer speeds...

[Hurstbridge]

Ah, thanks. Looking at things a bit more, I think this will be my choice:
http://www.edbpriser.dk/ssd-solid-state ... 70435.aspx