Thinkpads Forum

I would like to install a new SSD disk. I think about a new Intel X25-M 160GB or Corosair P128. The price is more or less the same for 1GB. I know that x61s has a SATA 2 but with a speed limit limited to SATA 1 so I can't use the full speed of this Corosair disk. Intel SSD has a much better "Write IOPS" - source and source. Will it be better to choose new Intel SSD or Corosair SSD for x61s?

I'd vote for the Intel.

Most people tend to be seduced by the high sequential read/write speeds of many other drives, and I'll admit: seq. speeds aren't the X-25's strong point. Thing is, unless you're doing a *lot* of massive transfers (think multi-GB copies, etc.) on a regular basis, you're far, far more likely to notice the effects of a drive's random read/write performance.

Random read/write speeds are where the Intel drives shine: simply put, there's nothing else like 'em on the market. Given that the vast majority of desktop usage is random read/writes, you'll enjoy the most dramatic boost to your daily computing from purchasing a drive that excels in this area.

It seems as if you answered the question yourself—if you can't use the Corsair's faster sequential read/write speeds because of the Thinkpads' 1.5 Gbps limitation, then why bother?

For everything ThinkRob mentioned, I'd also vote for the Intel drive.