Thinkpads Forum

FYI,

Because of the lower demand for 1.8" drives right now, you can get an Intel 80GB X18-M for about $50 cheaper than the same drive in a 2.5" package (X25-M). I don't expect this price delta will last very long, so if youv'e been considering an SSD it's probably a good time to jump on it (just my $.02). I got one for my T400s and installed it last night, and I can confrm it is just as fast as its big brother.

I've migrated all of our Thinkpads to SSDs now (W500=X25M, T400s=X18M, X60=X25V) and I can definitively say it is the most significant performance improvement I've seen in years. Even the value drive, with half the write speed of the M models, is incredible (the X60 is only used for web and email though).

1000% agree with you! I have migrated most of my existing laptops and anything new being purchased for the business is a ssd drive.

Easily the single most noticeable upgrade we have made on our laptops in years. Users notice a difference right away. Makes the IT department look like rock stars.

Hoping to see the X18-M G2 160gb available in decent numbers soon........ If anyone knows a place that currently has stock please let me know.



thanks,

sgossard34

@ScotchDiver,
was the x18-m you received a g1 or g2?

thanks,
bA

G2. I just looked at the receipt and, though there isn't a part number listed, the description is "X18M 80GB Ssd Drive GEN2 1.8IN Sata 5MM". I can confirm from the box it is a 2nd generation drive as well.

nice!

thanks...
bA

Anybody had problems with the memory being flaky or the drives slowing down with time? Those are the concerns I've heard about these drives.

I've had the 160GB gen1 intel x-25m in my T400 for almost a year, and haven't noticed any performance degradation.

And +1 on the difference that it makes. NOTHING you can do to a computer will provide a more noticeable performance boost than moving from a spinning HDD to a current-generation SSD. The very early SSDs were pretty crappy, but the new ones are SuperCaliFragIlisticFast.

I've also used the OCZ Vertex and OCZ Agility drives in this machine. They benchmark a little lower than the Intels, but in my normal day-to-day usage I really couldn't tell a difference. I'm told by a co-worker who also tried both that the intel seemed "a little faster" for really intensive I/O things like source code building/patching... but that was qualitative and not backed up by any numbers.

In any case, I think you'll be fine with either the Intel or the new OCZs.



--lj

X25-M: http://dealnews.com/Intel-80-GB-SATA-3- ... 48690.html

It's like Wal-Mart: falling prices.

liblit wrote:Anybody had problems with the memory being flaky or the drives slowing down with time? Those are the concerns I've heard about these drives.

Get a good drive and this will not be an issue for you. It's only really an issue with poorly-designed SSDs, such as those from... well... most manufacturers other than Intel and Samsung (at least recently -- Samsung's drives used to have the same issue). OCZ's absolute latest have a form of background GC that mitigates this (IIRC) as well as TRIM support -- but almost all of their earlier ones do not.

I'm told by a co-worker who also tried both that the intel seemed "a little faster" for really intensive I/O things like source code building/patching... but that was qualitative and not backed up by any numbers.

The numbers support his claim. In fact, it's not just "a little faster" -- it's several times faster when it comes to random 4K writes. It performs much better with deep request queues too.