- An adapter 2.5 inch to 3.5 inches (8 euros). Required to install this drive in most rounds.
- An internal SATA cable (5 euros). It remains probably available in your lap.
2) CAUTION: Do not confuse as I did the "PRO Series 840" and "840 series".
The difference between the two: 6 GB more for the first, but also 70 euros more, a higher write speed of 60%, lower power consumption (which accounts for a laptop) and Articles rave everywhere for the first while the second was not the news ...
However, if like me you spend mechanical disk SSD and your SSD is intended for a workstation, the performance difference between the two models will be negligible: it is to go from instant to instant -still-plus-fast. The old model is already several HUNDREDS of times faster than a mechanical drive. The new model is faster than writing.
For more info on the stats of the two models, see this article from Tom's Hardware:
[...]
And specifically this photo:
[...]
3) Part WARNING: some motherboards offer SATA II and SATA III ports. This is my case. SATA III are blue. They, only they can properly support the flow of a SSD of this generation.
4) MY EXPERIENCE
I installed this drive in a tower as the primary hard drive. I've installed Windows 7 and software that I use most often (Lightroom, Photomatix, Photoshop, Visual Studio, Office, Chrome, etc.). My old mechanical disk (a WD Black 3 TB) has become my second drive. Software used less frequently and those who are heavy without the benefit of an SSD (WoW and most of my games, but also iTunes) were installed on the second drive.
Windows 7 was no problem with the installation of this disc.
Result: very fast startup of Windows 7 (be sure to install the SSD all the little programs that launch at startup), and surprisingly quick start apps installed on the SSD: Photoshop puts a little more than a second to launch, ie the progress made!
In use, I realize that is 240 GB * * widely enough and 128GB would probably suffice. My 3 TB was almost full, but I still occupies 50 GB on my SSD. And I'm the type to install anything and what (anything being systematically installed on my second disk ...).
Note that SSDs do not always have reliable mechanical disc ([...]). So plan regular backups and possibly a replacement SSD. For backups - and if your data is very important or you do not want to reinstall everything - I recommend a good NAS with redundancy (SHR, SHR2 or RAID 5). Windows 7 includes a utility to make a backup of your files PLUS an image of your operating system. Do it on your NAS. Add as an additional measure an online backup of your most important files. Skydrive and Mega offer 50 GB of free space. Google and Box.net are not bad either. Personally, I have a subscription with Livedrive giving 2TB of space for just under 100 euros per year - this is the price an external drive but it is not lacking and it is accessible from anywhere .. .
Hope these information will be helpful to have.
