SSD noob advice

[evilstebunny]

So my brother visiting from Europe gave me a 120gb OCZ Vertex 2 SSD as a thank you gift for organizing the family get-together.

My home pc is a recent i7 960 machine used mainly for gaming & internet so it'll probably go in my laptop that I use for work, a 2 year old Dell XPS M1530.

Am I right in thinking the SSD will have a bigger perceived performance impact on the laptop than in the home pc?
Does replacing laptop HDD with SSD affect any warranties? Laptop has 3 year's next day on-site support I don't want to mess with.
I know pc hardware, built up most of my own PC's. Should I install myself or have it installed, again keeping warranty in mind?

I already know not to defrag, anything else one should be aware of when using a SSD?

[HavocXphere]

You need an OS with trim support.

Warranty should be fine. Most laptops have a dedicated panel at the back to change hdd.

I'd put it in the gaming box, but thats just me.

[Slayeruser]

I'd put it in the gaming box, but thats just me.

+1

[ponder]

Does replacing laptop HDD with SSD affect any warranties? Laptop has 3 year's next day on-site support I don't want to mess with.
I know pc hardware, built up most of my own PC's. Should I install myself or have it installed, again keeping warranty in mind?

Your laptop has an access door to change/replace the hard drive so you don't have to open the laptop. Should you have a warranty claim just put the old HDD back in before filing a claim or taking it in.
Do it yourself.

[SouthBit]

Does replacing laptop HDD with SSD affect any warranties? Laptop has 3 year's next day on-site support I don't want to mess with.
I know pc hardware, built up most of my own PC's. Should I install myself or have it installed, again keeping warranty in mind?

Dell don't mind if you swap out the HDD yourself. They seem to like it if you inform them though, and as far as I remember they offer to send a technician to install it for you if you don't feel comfortable. Either way I would call them up, give them your service tag and tell them you're doing it so they can update it on their system.

[evilstebunny]

Thx for the info, much appreciated.

[Saajid]

Just out of curiosity, what is the physical size of that HDD. If it's meant for desktop PCs, I doubt it will fit in the notebook.

[SouthBit]

It's the standard 2.5" form factor as per usual SSD

[ponder]

Just out of curiosity, what is the physical size of that HDD. If it's meant for desktop PCs, I doubt it will fit in the notebook.

The majority of them come in 2.5" form factor with a few in 1.8" & 3.5" sizes. Even if it's a 3.5" I think that's simply a 2.5" in a 3.5" enclosure so you could always remove it but then again I could be wrong...

EDIT: Looks like I'm wrong and it is indeed a full 3.5"
http://www.tweaktown.com/cms/gallery..._state_drive#9

[Saajid]

Ahh.. ok. Thanks guys.

In any case, I'd put it in the laptop. SSDs use a lot less power than mechanical HDs, and should help to improve the battery life of the laptop.

Also depends on which machine you use more - laptop or gaming desktop. I'd put it on the machine I spend the majority of my time.

[killadoob]

Laptop, gaming does not really benefit. The loads times yes but the actual game play is the same.

[bullfrog]

EDIT: Looks like I'm wrong and it is indeed a full 3.5"
http://www.tweaktown.com/cms/gallery..._state_drive#9

I have an ocz vertex 2 in 2.5"...so you're not wrong

They seem to come in both sizes

[Synaesthesia]

An SSD will provide a vast performance improvement in either setup - desktop or laptop. Apps start way quicker, and respond instantaneously, even heavy multitasking doesn't impact responsiveness.

[ponder]

I have an ocz vertex 2 in 2.5"...so you're not wrong

I think you misunderstood me. I was under the impression that the 3.5" version is merely a 2.5" unit in a 3.5" housing but it's not.

[evilstebunny]

Regarding size, it's a 2.5" but includes a 3.5" adapter for desktops so can go in either.

I was thinking my laptop would benefit most as it is aged (2.5 years old) compared to my desktop machine which is new & has great perfpormance anyway. I'm a developer that use my laptop for work 8-9 hours per day, so better performance would be great.