Which SSD for my Dell E6510

[conmgt]

Hello,

I've done some shopping for an SSD and am finding the choices/brands/reviews/advice overwhelming.

I have a Dell E6510 Win7 Pro 64bit. The current HDD is a 5400rpm model.

Through life experiences I've learned that its possible to overbuy. I need an SSD that is reliable and suited for my laptop without being more than my laptop can utilize. I don't know if my laptop is SATA II or SATA III or anything else so choosing is difficult for me.

I'm also strongly considering an SSD that would slide into my ExpressCard slot or PC Card slot to allow me to keep my HDD. I'm not sure what the difference is between the two and whether or not they would be suitable for booting.

I e-mailed OCZ for advice a few days ago but no reply.

 

[kbrady1979]

Does that laptop have 1 or 2 drive bays and SATA adapters? If you just have one spot, you may need a large capacity SSD. How much data is currently on your hard drive?

 

[kbrady1979]

I just looked that model up and it looks like you could have gotten it from the factory with a Samsung 800 series SSD, which lets me know you shouldn't have a problem upgrading it.

 

[conmgt]

Thanks.
I need about 250GB.
The choices seem endless. What are the critical specs to look for in an SSD?

 

[whs]

250GB is a good size for a laptop. I would wit for black Friday. Get yourself subscribed to the daily feeds of Newegg. I bought all my 7 SSDs from them and never had a problem - and always on special offerings.

Regarding makes it's hard to say. I have 5 different makes and they all work well - even such relatively unknown makes like Mushkin. The only one that was ever bad and I had to RMA was a 60GB OCZ. But that was in 2007. I recommend to buy whatever is cheapest.

Once you get the SSD, my little tutorial may be helpful. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

 

[conmgt]

How do I know which technology is compatible or how do I avoid overbuying as in too fast to be utilized by the rest of the laptop. I suspect that there is a limit to the benefit of going with a SSD that's faster than my CPU or buss or whatever.

Do any manufacturer websites have a web based SSD selector that's specific to my Dell?

 

[whs]

You worry too much. Just buy any 2.5" SSD and it will work. No SSD is faster than a CPU and there is nothing specific to a Dell as far as SSDs are concerned.

 

[conmgt]

Anyone have experience with PC slot or Express slot bootable SSD's? I like the idea of keeping the HDD for backup of files.

 

[whs]

The express slot is for other purposes. Won't work with the SSD. Youu need to put the SSD where the HDD is now.

What you can do is to buy a caddy for the HDD and attach it to the USB port for additional storage. Do you have a USB3 port ?? Once I know which USB ports you have, I can find a suitable caddy for you.

 

[SandeepP]

Hello,

I've done some shopping for an SSD and am finding the choices/brands/reviews/advice overwhelming.

I have a Dell E6510 Win7 Pro 64bit. The current HDD is a 5400rpm model.

Through life experiences I've learned that its possible to overbuy. I need an SSD that is reliable and suited for my laptop without being more than my laptop can utilize. I don't know if my laptop is SATA II or SATA III or anything else so choosing is difficult for me.

I'm also strongly considering an SSD that would slide into my ExpressCard slot or PC Card slot to allow me to keep my HDD. I'm not sure what the difference is between the two and whether or not they would be suitable for booting.

I e-mailed OCZ for advice a few days ago but no reply.

Hi conmgt,

Any 2.5 inch SSD would work with this laptop. However, you can check these link below for the SSDs available with for this system:

Dell 128GB SATA 2.5" Solid State Drive Only : Storage: Hard Drives & Storage Media | Dell

Dell 256GB SATA 2.5" Solid State Drive Only : Storage: Hard Drives & Storage Media | Dell

I hope this information helps. If you have any further queries, please feel free to contact us.

 

[whs]

The prices of those Dell SSDs are twice as high as the average market price. Who wants to pay that much money.

A 128GB SSD is usually around $100 and a 256GB top brand (Crucial) SSD I have seen for $156 (on sale at Newegg).

 

[conmgt]

Yeah, they are pricey.
I have USB2 ports and one eSATA.
I found the 500GB Seagate Momentum hybrid SSHD for under $100. Not as fast for all uses as a SSD but for my simple needs it may work.

 

[conmgt]

Here's a link to my specs:
ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-prod...e_laptop/latitude-e6510_setup guide_en-us.pdf

 

[whs]

That Momentus could be an option. It is better for Data than for the OS. Nothing beats a SSD for the OS. Don't expect wonders from a SSHD.

This would be a nice enclosure for you. It is eSata and USB2 and can take 2.5" and 3.5" disks.
Vantec NexStar 2.5"/3.5" SATA to USB 2.0 & eSATA Hard Drive Dock -Model NST-D100SU - Newegg.com

 

[whs]

Here's a link to my specs:
ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-prod...e_laptop/latitude-e6510_setup guide_en-us.pdf

Looks like a nice system. I have a Toshiba laptop with an i5, 6GB of RAM and a Vertex II SSD that is similar. The SSD I put in myself (10 minute job). I use a USB3 enclosure ( similar to the one I posted for you earlier) for the original 750GB HDD - mostely for images.

 

[rvcjew]

i would recommend an evo if your on a budget cant go wrong with one. id say 250-256GB is the sweet spot for space for the os.
Newegg.com - SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE120BW 2.5" 120GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Newegg.com - Samsung 840 EVO 2.5" TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) | MZ-7TE250BW

Specs - Solid State Drives MZ-7TE250 | Samsung Memory & Storage

 

[kbrady1979]

I would get a 250GB Samsung Evo, and an external enclosure with eSATA to mount your existing hard drive in for storage and be done with it. It will feel like a brand new system and extend the life of your laptop a few years.

 

[SandeepP]

Yeah, they are pricey.
I have USB2 ports and one eSATA.
I found the 500GB Seagate Momentum hybrid SSHD for under $100. Not as fast for all uses as a SSD but for my simple needs it may work.

Hi conmgt,

I understand they are not competitive in pricing. However, it was just a reference and you can purchase any SSD and it should work with the system.

If you are looking for data storage only then hybrid drive should also work fine for you. If you have any further queries, please feel free to contact us.

 

[truckinguy]

I used a Momentus Hybrid drive and it worked ok. I put one in my wifes desktop like I've posted before and it helped there also. But I recently got a 840 Pro and it flies all the time. I used the 750 gb XT for storge in my Media Bay the Dell latitude has.

 

[conmgt]

I have a Samsung 840 EVO 120GB on the way.
I'll likely get the HDD case for backup and maybe use an SD card in the card slot for back up too.
I'll keep you posted. Thanks for all of the advice!