SSDs for my Samsung R580

[finnbob3334]

Hi,

I am wondering about upgrading the storage in my laptop (Samsung R580-JS07UK) and I think, out of all the possible options, that an SSD would be the best option. However, I have a few questions before I make the upgrade.

Firstly, my laptop only supports SATA II and the SSDs I have been looking at are SATA 3. I know SATA 3 is backwards compatible with SATA II, but would this slow down the SSD or would it still make a large difference in speed compared to my 5400rpm SATA II hard drive?
Secondly, how long does an average SSD last? I'm a bit worried about longevity and I have heard reports about SSDs going bad after only a couple of years. Would this be a problem with SSDs and could I take steps to prevent this?
Thirdly, I am not sure which is the best out of the SSDs I have been looking at.

Samsung 840 EVO 250GB: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-MZ-7TE250LW-250GB-Solid-State/dp/B00E391JP4/

Intel 530 Series 240GB: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-Series-240GB-Solid-State/dp/B00DTPYSEM/

Crucial M500 240GB: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-CT240M500SSD1-2-5-inch-240GB-Internal/dp/B00BQ8RM1A

What are your opinions on these and are there any other ones you could recommend? I don't want to spend any more than £150/$250 on one and I am roughtly looking at a 250GB capacity.

Thanks in advance ,
Finn

 

[GhislainG]

An SSD connected to a SATA II port will be much faster than a hard disk. Most people will recommend the Samsung 840 EVO, but on a SATA II port the Intel 530 will be almost as fast and it offers a longer warranty.

 

[finnbob3334]

Hi,
I forgot to mention that I may use this SSD in a future PC build, so would the Intel SSD be slower than the Samsung SSD in a SATA 3 compatible PC? In addition, I've heard that the SandForce controller in the Intel bottlenecks it slightly, so would the Samsung be better for that reason?

Thanks,
Finn

 

[sora]

Hi,
I forgot to mention that I may use this SSD in a future PC build, so would the Intel SSD be slower than the Samsung SSD in a SATA 3 compatible PC? In addition, I've heard that the SandForce controller in the Intel bottlenecks it slightly, so would the Samsung be better for that reason?

Thanks,
Finn

Yes, the Samsung would be better for that reason but you probably wouldn't notice the difference.

 

[GhislainG]

Hi,
I forgot to mention that I may use this SSD in a future PC build, so would the Intel SSD be slower than the Samsung SSD in a SATA 3 compatible PC? In addition, I've heard that the SandForce controller in the Intel bottlenecks it slightly, so would the Samsung be better for that reason?

Thanks,
Finn

Yes, the Samsung would be better for that reason but you probably wouldn't notice the difference.

I totally agree; I bought an Intel 530 mainly for the longer warranty. My desktop now boots Windows 7 in less than 10 seconds and that's all I needed.

 

[finnbob3334]

Hi,
I forgot to mention that I may use this SSD in a future PC build, so would the Intel SSD be slower than the Samsung SSD in a SATA 3 compatible PC? In addition, I've heard that the SandForce controller in the Intel bottlenecks it slightly, so would the Samsung be better for that reason?

Thanks,
Finn

Yes, the Samsung would be better for that reason but you probably wouldn't notice the difference.

I totally agree; I bought an Intel 530 mainly for the longer warranty. My desktop now boots Windows 7 in less than 10 seconds and that's all I needed.

I've been looking for prices for the 530 and there are two versions I keep seeing. One seems to be an OEM edition and another seems to be the retail edition. There is a £40 price difference on Amazon and I was wondering, does the OEM edition give you any less warranty support like it can do with Windows? The OEM also does not come with the additional accessories, but could I get a spacer from somewhere else and fit it?

Another question, how easy is is to flash the new firmware onto the drive? I have heard there are problems with the DC02 firmware and that you flash it with a new firmware. Can you use the bootable CD for Windows systems or do you have to use the SSD toolbox? (I want to flash the new firmware before I install Windows).

Thanks,
Finn

 

[GhislainG]

I bought the retail version (SSDSC2BW240A4K5) because I needed the adapter. The warranty is the same, but the retail version on Newegg costs $10 less than the OEM version. It may be different in your country.

To flash the firmware, download the ISO and burn it on a CD. https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=18363 I used that method because I wanted to update the firmware before cloning the hard disk to the SSD.

 

[james_44]

Hi,
I forgot to mention that I may use this SSD in a future PC build, so would the Intel SSD be slower than the Samsung SSD in a SATA 3 compatible PC? In addition, I've heard that the SandForce controller in the Intel bottlenecks it slightly, so would the Samsung be better for that reason?

Thanks,
Finn

Yes, the Samsung would be better for that reason but you probably wouldn't notice the difference.

I totally agree; I bought an Intel 530 mainly for the longer warranty. My desktop now boots Windows 7 in less than 10 seconds and that's all I needed.

I can second what GhislainG said. I've been using the Intel SSDs with sandforce controllers for sometime now and they work great. imo the extended warranty is the plus and nothing has gone wrong till now

 

[finnbob3334]

Hi,

Thanks for all of your suggestions about SSDs, and I have just ordered the Intel 530 240GB SSD (retail version). I'm looking forward to installing the SSD and enjoying faster speeds 😀. I can't help feeling that we're ripped off in the UK somewhat, but that's a different matter in itself 😉

Thanks,
Finn