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Installing a 32GB SSD Cache in Inspiron 17R SE
Hello all,
I recently purchased a refurbished Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition laptop from a 3rd-party retailer, supposedly one that contained the 32GB SSD mSATA drive I wished to have included with the laptop. After chatting with a technical support representative on Dell.com and giving him my service tag, it is evident that despite having Intel Smart Response program installed, the laptop itself never did have the mSATA drive installed. My question is regarding purchasing and installing this caching device in my current laptop. So far, the retailer has promised two options: returning the laptop for a full refund or a partial refund while still retaining ownership of this computer. Specifically, would it be plausible to purchase and install a 32GB SSD cache without too much effort and cost?
Thanks in advance,
DriveInDad
ejn63
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July 26th, 2013 17:00
Depends on the system model - 17R SE covers quite a few different ones. Some systems require a daughterboard for the mSATA drive that won't be there if you didn't purchase the system with the drive. All of them require a lot of disassembly to get to and install either that board or the mSATA drive card.
There are other options they may consider:
Let you upgrade to a full 2.5" SSD. If you have a "3" or "5" series model (the four digit number of the model - on the BIOS screen, F2 at powerup) you can have only one internal 2.5" drive. If you have the "7" series model, you can actually install BOTH a full SSD and a spinning hard drive.
Or, ask them to upgrade you to a Seagate or WD SSHD (solid state hybrid drive), which will have a built-in cache (i.e., the hard drive has its own caching SSD).
DELL-Amogh G
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July 26th, 2013 18:00
Hi DriveInDad,
Inspiron 17R SE comes with the in built slot for mSATA drive. You may install the mSATA on the system just by removing the bottom base door of the system. For Owner’s Manual, please refer to the link: http://bit.ly/1087YJ2.
Hope this helps. Please feel free to reply for any further questions.
driveindad
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July 26th, 2013 19:00
Hello DELL-Amogh G,
The explanation of how to install the mSATA seems simple enough. Is there any specific type of drive I should search for (brand, physical size, etc.)? From what I understand, Intel Smart Response only supports drives with less memory, so I've already determined that I'll look for a 32GB drive.
Many thanks,
DriveInDad
DELL-Amogh G
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July 29th, 2013 18:00
Hi driveindad,
Thank you for the response. Dell has tested the system with 32 GB mSATA drive. You may get any 32 GB mSATA card. There is nothing else apart from capacity which you need to check in particular before purchasing the mSATA drive.
Hope this helps. Please feel free to reply for any further assistance.
driveindad
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July 29th, 2013 20:00
Hello DELL-Amogh G,
The vendor of the laptop has promised a partial refund in exchange for this clerical error, as he doesn't have another Inspiron 17R SE in stock, which is enough to purchase a 64GB mSATA drive. I understand that Intel Rapid Response technology is able to use the entirety of a 64GB drive, but would this particular computer support a drive of that capacity? I'm sure that if the drive is compatible with the mSATA port and Intel's program, it would work, but I'd still like a second opinion before purchasing any drive.
Many thanks,
DriveInDad
DELL-Amogh G
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July 30th, 2013 18:00
Hi DriveInDad,
As I informed earlier, Dell has tested the system with 32 GB mSATA drive. The minimum space required for Intel technologies to work is 18.6 GB on mSATA. So 32 GB mSATA is enough if you want to use it as a cache drive. You may try using a 64 GB drive. It should work fine with 64 GB mSATA as well.
Hope this helps. Please feel free to reply for any further assistance.