External SSD on a Y50?

[don_svetlio]

 Quick question, would an external SSD via USB 3.0 work for a Y50 as it has a single mSATA port and no M.2?

[QueenDemetria]

 Quick question, would an external SSD via USB 3.0 work for a Y50 as it has a single mSATA port and no M.2?

For storage you can, but you cant use it as a boot drive. Also you cant RAID with USB if that's what you wanted to do.

[Nacho Marco Segui]

I can't see why not, the problem is that you would have to carry the ssd everywhere but it's not too much of a problem

Someone correct me if im wrong

[don_svetlio]

For storage you can, but you cant use it as a boot drive. Also you cant RAID with USB if that's what you wanted to do.

Wait, I can't set it as a boot drive? Why?

[Unhelpful]

For storage you can, but you cant use it as a boot drive. Also you cant RAID with USB if that's what you wanted to do.

Why wouldn't you be able to...?

[QueenDemetria]

Wait, I can't set it as a boot drive? Why?

USB 3.0 requires a driver to work properly most of the time, so the bios wont recognize the boot drive if its USB 3.0(or if it does, it glitches while its booting since it loads on 2.0 and trys to switch on the fly to 3.0, which makes the OS think the boot drive was disconnected).

 

 

@JoeyDM

 

 

I have never been able to boot off of USB 3.0, cause even when it does work its only at 2.0 speeds.

[don_svetlio]

USB 3.0 requires a driver to work properly most of the time, so the bios wont recognize the boot drive if its USB 3.0(or if it does, it glitches while its booting since it loads on 2.0 and trys to switch on the fly to 3.0, which makes the OS think the boot drive was disconnected).

Well shit. Guess that means no SSD for now. Not sure if replacing the HDD voids the warranty but I'm not going to attempt.

[79wjd]

USB 3.0 requires a driver to work properly most of the time, so the bios wont recognize the boot drive if its USB 3.0(or if it does, it glitches while its booting since it loads on 2.0 and trys to switch on the fly to 3.0, which makes the OS think the boot drive was disconnected).

 

 

@JoeyDM

 

 

I have never been able to boot off of USB 3.0, cause even when it does work its only at 2.0 speeds.

Are you using a Nehalem or earlier cpu? 

 

 

Well shit. Guess that means no SSD for now. Not sure if replacing the HDD voids the warranty but I'm not going to attempt.

I doubt it would -- if you can take the HDD out without removing any stickers, then it won't void the warranty. 

[Unhelpful]

 

Your profile pics keep getting better and better. 

[QueenDemetria]

Well shit. Guess that means no SSD for now. Not sure if replacing the HDD voids the warranty but I'm not going to attempt.

I don't think it would void the warranty, most laptops can be opened up without voiding the warranty.

 

 

Are you using a pre-sandy bridge cpu? 

 

 

I doubt it would -- if you can take the HDD out without removing any stickers, then it won't void the warranty. 

pre and post, Intel and 3rd party chipsets. 

 

 

@JoeyDM Thanks lol

[don_svetlio]

Are you using a Nehalem or earlier cpu? 

 

 

I doubt it would -- if you can take the HDD out without removing any stickers, then it won't void the warranty. 

I guess but I'm not entirely sure I should risk it

[Lord_Karango17]

Well shit. Guess that means no SSD for now. Not sure if replacing the HDD voids the warranty but I'm not going to attempt.

Unless you have to cut stickers to open the bottom of the laptop, you will be fine.

 

Those stickers are one of the only ways the manufacturer knows if the product has been tampered with, and sometimes, they give you access to the ram and hdd without it voiding your warranty.

[don_svetlio]

Unless you have to cut stickers to open the bottom of the laptop, you will be fine.

 

Those stickers are one of the only ways the manufacturer knows if the product has been tampered with, and sometimes, they give you access to the ram and hdd without it voiding your warranty.

It's a singe panel which is tricky to get off and has a particular area which a lot of people crack while opening.

[Lord_Karango17]

It's a singe panel which is tricky to get off and has a particular area which a lot of people crack while opening.

Yeah, then it would be an issue.

 

On my laptop the whole bottom panel just comes off, so its a bit easier to acess the internals, but my first laptop had one of the mot cumbersome ways to get to just the hdd...

[don_svetlio]

Yeah, then it would be an issue.

 

On my laptop the whole bottom panel just comes off, so its a bit easier to acess the internals, but my first laptop had one of the mot cumbersome ways to get to just the hdd...

btw, question (also goes for @Captain_WD) how much noise do laptop HDDs make in a normal situation? I downloaded some crappy app and it said around 30-35dB when next to the HDD area and if I had to judge it's okay-ish (can hear from normal sitting postion but not when laid back)

[79wjd]

btw, question (also goes for @Captain_WD) how much noise do laptop HDDs make in a normal situation? I downloaded some crappy app and it said around 30-35dB when next to the HDD area and if I had to judge it's okay-ish (can hear from normal sitting postion but not when laid back)

That sounds about normal

[don_svetlio]

That sounds about normal

I'd imagine. Supposedly this SSHD is one of the noisier ones (according to some reviews)

[Lord_Karango17]

btw, question (also goes for @Captain_WD) how much noise do laptop HDDs make in a normal situation? I downloaded some crappy app and it said around 30-35dB when next to the HDD area and if I had to judge it's okay-ish (can hear from normal sitting postion but not when laid back)

Sounds about right. Personally, I can't hear any of my drives unless my ear is right beside, but my room isnt amazingly quiet either.

[don_svetlio]

Sounds about right. Personally, I can't hear any of my drives unless my ear is right beside, but my room isnt amazingly quiet either.

This is a laptop though

[Lord_Karango17]

This is a laptop though

I only use laptop drives... I basically gutted my old laptop before I built my desktop.

[Captain_WD]

~snip~

 

Hey there don_svetlio,

 

The sound seems about right. You should be able to hear it spinning if you are near the laptop but it shouldn't be noticeable when you are at a normal sitting distance.

 

Regarding the booting from a USB3.0 drive I personally have no problem booting Linux or Ubuntu from a USB3.0 Thumb drive on a USB3.0 port on the PC. If you are trying to boot Windows, that's another matter.  

 

For simple external storage it shouldn't matter if you are using a SSD or a HDD - it should work through all USB ports, eSATA, eSATAp, Thunderbolt, FireWire, etc.

 

What are you trying to do with that poor little Y50 again  

 

Captain_WD.

[don_svetlio]

 

Hey there don_svetlio,

 

The sound seems about right. You should be able to hear it spinning if you are near the laptop but it shouldn't be noticeable when you are at a normal sitting distance.

 

Regarding the booting from a USB3.0 drive I personally have no problem booting Linux or Ubuntu from a USB3.0 Thumb drive on a USB3.0 port on the PC. If you are trying to boot Windows, that's another matter.

 

For simple external storage it shouldn't matter if you are using a SSD or a HDD - it should work through all USB ports, eSATA, eSATAp, Thunderbolt, FireWire, etc.

 

What are you trying to do with that poor little Y50 again

 

Captain_WD.

 

I'm thinking of upgrading to an SSD but since I don't want to void warranties by opening I figured I could use USB 3.0. Maybe I'll just stick with the SSHD. Not like I can afford it anyway, was curious as to my options.

At normal sitting I can't hear the spin, only the clicks produced when it's working (not sure how to describe the read/write sounds).

Quick question about Windows (since I've yet to active it, could it be attempting to activate itself be causing the initially slow spinning of he loading circle thingie? - just curious)

[TheBaron007]

~snip~

 

This is a question for the MS's support if the OS is trying to validate itself in the background or not. 

[Captain_WD]

~snip~

 

I'd also suggest that you check with the MS's support for this.

You can check the load of your drive in the Resource Monitor and see what is using it.

The benchmarks in safe mode, though, should give you the clearest idea of how fast is the drive working.

 

Captain_WD.

[don_svetlio]

 

This is a question for the MS's support if the OS is trying to validate itself in the background or not. 

 

Could also be loading the "Sata Hinting" feature which controls the SSHD's cache in this case