XPS L501x won't recognize OCZ Vector 256 SSD

Question

(I also posted in the HD forum; delete one of this if felt to be redundant.)

I have gone thru several maneuvers to try to get this to work.

Machine is Dell XPS L501x, with 4GB RAM, Core i7, Win7 Pro 64bit. Lastest BIOS A08.

(This is my second Vector. I have a 512 in my desktop machine, working well.)

Started off with cloning the orginal Samsung HD to the SSD using an Apricorn device (USB HD try for cloning.) That initially got 99% thru the cloning using the Acronis software download from OCZ, then got stuck there.

Then downloaded Easy Gig IV (lastest version) and tried using that with their Apricorn try: said it worked, although took about 6 hours.

When I put the SSD in the Dell, it seemed to freeze at the bios boot screen: just went black after boot.

Tried running the OCZ bootable tools on the Dell, and it recognizes the Vector 256.

So, I took out the SSD, verified the HD was still booting the Dell properly (it did.)

Then put the Samsung HD out of the Dell into my desktop machine in one of the open hotswap bays, and the Vector in another. The Vector was recognized.

Figured I'd reset it, so using the current bootable tools, did so. Seemed to work fine.

Rebooted my desktop, re-initiallized the Vector, and formatted it.

Ran Acronis 2013 (works under Win8) to clone the disk, worked like a charm: took about 20 minutes.

Verified the same, was able to view the files, id's it as a boot drive.

BUT when I put it back in the Dell: still gets stuck after boot.

If I hit F2 to get into the Setup, hit a couple keys to move to the HD settings, and it stops responding.

Restart and try F12 to select boot drive, which does eventually come up, but although it lists HD as first choice, nothing happens.

Tried running the bootable tools again, and it came up asking for wireless network settings, which it hadn't done earlier. Says there's a vector there.

I let it sit for a while after rebooting, and a message came up:

> Intel Unde, PXE-2.1 ... PEX-E61: Media test Failure, check cable.
PXE-MOF: exiting PXE Rom
Operating system not found
>

I gather this means the Bios is not correctly detecting the SSD?

Took out the SSD, replaced the Samsung HD: boots as normal.

So: The ssd seems to be working fine in my desktop rig, but isn't properly detected in the Laptop, which is what I got it for.

Any suggestions?

..Mike

mramsden · Answer

At tech support request, tried it in some other machines:

I have an HP DV7 with intel i7, uses the intel PM45 Express chipset.

Put the Vector in that one. The BIOS boots fine, unlike in the Dell. It doesn't ID the SSD, but it doesn't ID the default HD either. (A typical basic bios.) The BIOS HD quick test utility ran fine on it.

I also booted the OCZ boot disk utilities, and that ID'd the SSD just fine in the HP.

My desktop is an ASUS Rampage III Extreme with i7980x, with intel X58 chipset, and the Vector works fine in that machine as well.

At the moment I don't have another Dell with that same chipset; my son's friend has a similar model, and if he drops by with that machine I might be able to check it there.

My daughter has a Lenovo x61 tablet with the GM965 chipset, which is older than the Dell. I had put an OCZ Vertex 2 in that last year ... pulled that, and put the Vector in it: it is properly identified, and the BIOS works fine. It's quite a bit older than the Dell, so it's funny the Vector works in that, and not the Dell!

So the Vector works fine in 2 older laptops than the Dell. hmmm. Why would a newer chipset or BIOS have trouble with it?

mramsden · Answer

I have now checked this SSD (An brand new OCZ Vector 256GB SSD) in another Dell machine about same vintage: an XPS 1645 using BIOS A08 … with no issues. It is detected nicely.

So, to summarize, in the Dell 501x, the Vector SSD causes the bios to freeze, so it won’t work. It gets stuck in the menu structure as soon as I try to do anything even in the bios settings.

This ssd works fine in:

An older Levovo x61 tablet, with intel GM965 chipset

An HP dv7, also older, with the PM45 Express chipset

A Dell XPS 1645 with PM55 chipset

An ASUS desktop, using intel x58 chipset.

The only machine it is NOT working in is this L501x, with the intel HM57 chipset.

Suggests either that there is some incompatibility with the chipset, some hardware issue with the SATA controller, or a bios issue.

Clearly, the SSD works fine.

Would be nice to get some assistance from Dell about this issue.

Rumski24 · Answer

That SSD is SATA 3 6GB/s I believe the L501x only supports SATA 2 3GB/s

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XPS L501x won't recognize OCZ Vector 256 SSD

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