x200s and Intel X25M 80GB SSD, Win7 - Are these right steps?

[nuex]

I am actually upgrading my thinkpad x200s from 7200rpm hdd to Intel 80GB X-25M SSD. I would like to know what exactly is the best option to get the best results.

Before I begin - I am confused about the Intel ToolBox - Is this even required with Windows 7. Doesn't Windows 7 have native built in TRIM Support.

Here are my scenarios

Scenario 1)

Remove the HDD, install the SSD, and restore the original thinkpad OS build from the recovery disks, and once booted turn of some of those windows features that I keep reading on the forums and everything is dandy. (Note: Toolbox not loaded) - The laptop image build is pretty much clean windows 7 image anyway.

And Should I install latest Toolbox?

Scenario 2)

Install clean Windows 7 from cd/usb and then all the other programs of interest - Again does Toolbox need to be added.




Potential Issues - Need suggestions on these


1) What should I do about Intel storage Manager being installed in the original laptop desktop image build. Should I uninstall this immediately? or leave it.

2) Even though Intel Turbo memory is installed in the system - it is disabled in the Intel turbo memory application. Or should I physically remove it.

And do Intel Storage Manager and Intel Turbo Memory Manager conflict with Intel's Toolbox

(Intel Storage Manager and Turbo Memory Manager came with original x200s OS build - they are on the image too)


Thanks, I would love to know what is the best scenario here. Option 1 saves time, whereas Option 2 takes some time out of my schedule (doing everything by scratch here).


And does Bitlocker work well with Intel's SSD?


I would love to hear what you all think.


Thanks,

nuex

[efrant]

Take a look here: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 5&start=30

Most of your questions are answered there. The Intel Toolbox is not required if you are running Windows 7 and are using the Microsoft ACHI driver. Either scenario 1 or 2 would be ok.

Answering your "potential issues":
1) You don't need to "uninstall" it, just updated the driver as per my post in the thread I mentioned above.
2) Might as well remove the Intel Turbo Memory and sell it. It is pretty much useless to you, and it adds weight (albeit negligible...).
3) You use the Intel Toolbox when you are not running the MS driver. It you are using the ISM driver, then the only way to get the TRIM command to the SSD is by using the Toolbox.

Keep in mind what the TRIM command does: it tells the SSD controller that it can "zero out" certain blocks of memory, so that the SSD controller does not have to "erase-then-write" when over-writing blocks. Micrsofts ACHI driver in Windows 7 has native support for doing that automaticallhy. Other versions of Windows cannot pass the TRIM command to the SSD controller, so that is what the Intel Toolbox does -- you launch the Toolbox, run the Optimizer, and it zeros the non-required blocks.

[dfumento]

Just be certain you get the Intel X25-M Generation 2 drives (34 nm vs. 80 nm of G1) as they support TRIM functionality. There are still some G1 drives being sold (check the part number for G2 vs. G1).

Here is the G2 model on newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820167016

Note you can also get the retail instead of OEM.

[ThinkRob]

Just be certain you get the Intel X25-M Generation 2 drives (34 nm vs. 80 nm of G1) as they support TRIM functionality. There are still some G1 drives being sold (check the part number for G2 vs. G1).

Good point. That said, even if you do get a G1, all is not lost. The Intel controller is very, very good, and even though there will be some performance degradation, it's nowhere near as substantial as that observed with other drives.

[Investinwaffles]

I would recommend a clean install from a CD/flash drive because I dont think the lenovo install is perfect. A clean install would be what I plan on doing soon (as soon as I can find someone around me that has a Win7 Home Premium install DVD).
It would be far less bloated anyway. I would also recommend updating to the latest firmware before you install and making sure you are using the optimum drivers.

Maybe take a look in this thread, I just went through basically the same thing (X18-M G2)
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=85025

[jvarszegi]

There can apparently be a performance-robbing storage alignment issue if you restore a backup onto the new drive. (I am just passing on what someone told me, but it was enough to help me decide to do a fresh install.) The new W7 installation proceeded without a hiccup, and at speed, onto the new drive. I then ran the individual installations from the SWTools folder, of which I'd taken a file system backup beforehand. After that, I updated the firmware on the SSD from a thumb drive, which took a little more doing.

I was thinking of upgrading to W7 Ultimate just for the Bitlocker feature, until I found TrueCrypt. That does everything I could ever want in local file system encryption software.

[nuex]

Thanks for all the help.

I did manage to get Intel X25M 80 G2 working great - but there are some issues. I am trying to figure out what is the most optimized way to get all the ssd benefits on x200s. Some of the lenovo toolbox and its addons - power, wifi module etc do cause some delay in boot up. I am trying to document and figure it out.

[dfumento]

80 GB can fill up rather quickly because unless you've turned it off restore points which can cost several GB get done whenever you install something including updates for Microsoft's Security Essentials so you need to keep this under control by doing disk cleanups under properties of the disk and deleting restore points (look it up if you don't know how to do it).

I use this utility, "TreeSize Free" to check on how my disk space is used.

Also, I use "autoruns.exe" file to see which programs I can turn off on boot-up.

Good luck, David

[jvarszegi]

OP, did you do a fresh install of Windows?

[narakunate]

I used these steps when I made the HDD to SSD swap... (did not need to reinstall Windows 7)

http://funtothinkabout.com/computers/a- ... ate-drive/

[jvarszegi]

That's a good resource. As long as you tested afterward to make sure your performance is what it should be, you may not have needed to reinstall.