Dell Inspiron 2350 Msata SDD

Question

Hi,

I have a Dell Inspiron 2350 i7, i have recently upgraded the original 1tb hard drive with 870 EVO SATA 2.5 1tb SDD. I have a question regarding the original Msata 32gb SSD.

1-Should I upgrade it to 256gb SDD would that make my system more faster?

2- Is Transcend 256GB SATA III 6Gb/s MSA230S mSATA SSD 230S Solid State Drive TS256GMSA230S a good replacement or is there a better option/ brand/ speed...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QFXJ3NX?th=1

Thank you for your kind help.

RoHe · Accepted Answer

@betterend - What version of Windows?

Did you break the cache between the HDD and the 32-GB SSD before you mirrored the HDD onto the new SSD? If you didn't break the cache, the 32-GB SSD is probably now caching the new SSD.

So if you really want to replace that 32-SSD with a larger SSD, you have to break the cache first. Otherwise Windows won't boot after you remove that small SSD, and you'll end up needing a clean install.

You can break the cache using IRST (Intel Rapid Storage Technology):

Open Intel Rapid Storage Technology, which may be listed on your Start menu.
Click Accelerate tab, select Disable acceleration
You should see a new option Make available on the same tab. Click it to completely disassociate the mSSD from the cached drive

If you can't find IRST on your system, you'll probably have to download/install it.

If you want to reuse the 32-BT mSATA SSD as a separate drive for storage, reformat the mSSD in Windows Disk Management.

If you replace the 32-GB SSD with a larger one, just set it up for routine or backup storage, not as a cache.

RoHe · Accepted Answer

Now I'm confused...

The image you posted originally says: Cache mode: Off.

Your new image says: disk cache enabled. ???

My advice is just leave everything alone since the PC is working properly.

If the 32-GB SSD is being used as a cache for the 1T SSD, fine. If it's not being used as a cache, that's fine too.

Leave BIOS set to RAID and just get on with life...

Chino de Oro · Answer

Hello @betterend , upgrade to larger mSATA would not make system faster. Only do upgrade if you need to increase storage with optimal performance available from your device.

If you decide to upgrade, get this Samsung SSD instead. It works very well.

RoHe · Answer

The old SSD was being used as a cache for the HDD. If you did a clean install on the new SSD, that old mSATA SSD isn't being used for anything now. So you could use it for routine storage, but it's not a lot of extra space.

Besides, mSATA technology is long gone, so why waste your money on a new/larger mSATA drive that likely won't be usable in any future PC you ever get?

betterend · Answer

Thank you for your advice, I really appreciate it. It helped me a lot for taking a decision.

I didn't do a clean install, I mirrored the HDD and replace it with an SDD. In this case, will I need it or the cache will be in the new SDD?

Thank you

betterend · Answer

Thank you, I appreciate your kind help.

betterend · Answer

Hi Ron,

Thank you again for your kind help and advice.

I have Windows 10, I didn't break the cache between the HDD and the 32-GB SSD, I didn't have any idea about it. Thank you for letting me know I appreciate it.

I will break the cache from mSATA following your detailed instructions.

So there is no point in upgrading the mSATA anymore by mirroring and replacing it for the cache. The cache will be directly from the SSD. Right?

Thank you

betterend · Answer

I managed to install  Intel Optane memory Service and there is an option I took a screenshot below, i'm not sure if it is the same. https://share.getcloudapp.com/bLux5JP5

betterend · Answer

I have downloaded the IRST, but it is not showing in the app search. I'm not sure if there is anything i should do before.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19512/intel-rapid-storage-technology-driver-installation-software-with-intel-optane-memory-10th-and-11th-gen-platforms.html

RoHe · Answer

Your images say there is no caching. So that looks ok.

The new iT SSD doesn't need caching at all. It's ~5x-6x faster than your old 1T HDD. So you can just leave the 32-GB SSD in there and not use it. Or initialize it and use it for a bit of extra storage.

You might, perhaps, possibly see a small additional performance improvement if you use that same software to activate caching the 1T SSD on the 32-GB mSATA, but you also increase your risk of a total disaster if that relatively old mSATA SSD ever fails.

Whatever you decide about using caching, IMO, a larger cache SSD won't provide any additional benefits and is just a waste of $.

betterend · Answer

Thank you again, and I'm sorry for all the questions. In the same app I noticed other info for the mSATA below that confuses me from my lack of knowledge, is it disabled or not.

https://share.getcloudapp.com/12u0zv46

RoHe · Answer

You're welcome...

betterend · Answer

Thank you Rohe, I will go with what your are saying. I really appreciate your kind help and time :).  Take good care

betterend · Answer

Hi Ron,

I hope all is well.

I'm afraid something happened with the boot as I'm receiving a black screen and a message No boot device available.

It was working perfectly until, I decided to move my computer and disconnect the power, I am not sure if this something has to do with the msata or CMOS battery.

Thank you

RoHe · Answer

Oopsy!

Reboot and start tapping F2. Assuming BIOS setup opens, check that BIOS is still set to RAID, and the boot order is still correct.

If BIOS isn't still set to RAID, that would suggest the motherboard battery died while you were moving the PC. So next step would be to replace the battery.

In meanwhile, make any necessary changes to SATA Mode (eg, set to RAID), and reset the boot order correctly. Save the changes and see if it boots now.

Assuming it boots, that's a good indication the battery died. And while you're inside to replace the battery, double-check the connections to the new SSD, just in case something got loose in the move.

NOTE: If the battery is dead, until you replace it, you'll probably have to reset BIOS to RAID again, every time you unplug and re-plug the PC.

Inspiron Desktops

Dell Inspiron 2350 Msata SDD

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