Notebooks & Netbooks

[PenguinJim]

I got the rather cost-effective 128GB Plextor M5M. (You can see me opening my R7 to install it here.)

[greg1]

If there is a disadvantage to mSATA, I am not aware of it.  The Plextor M5M is a great choice.

[armageddon51]

Finally after looking at the poor choice of high performance msata drives (the plextor is ok although it consume a lot of power, almost 5 watts on writes) I decided to ditch the power sipping mechanical hard-drive (why tag along that dinosaure ?) and went for a 2.5" Samsung 256Gb Pro. It's incredibly fast and check out the new insane RAPID mode, 900MB/sec !

[PenguinJim]

Make sure you've got the latest firmware with that SSD, as Anandtech's review units kept dying!

[MadJoe]

I'm glad to see you changed your mind about putting the OS on a tiny (60GB) mSATA, but you could have purchased a 256GB mSATA for the same or less than the Samsung you did end up going with (I got a Plextor M5M 256GB mSATA from Amazon for $165).  I suppose it doesn't matter now, though.  You could still add the 256GB mSATA later, which in that configuration I would use the Samsung as the OS drive anyway. 

I have the R7 571 which has the 24GB "cache" drive installed already, but I plan to replace that with the 256GB mSATA I mentioned earlier.  And then I plan to replace the 500GB "OS" HDD with a 512GB Samsung 840 Pro (as funds allow).  But I might also just go with a 256GB Sammy, as a cost cutting option.  My major issue thusfar is finding reliable, easy to use, free software that will clone my harddrive over.  Or, barring that, a place to download the original Acer Windows 8 image (I would like to retain all of the drivers and helpful "laptop" software versus installing a desktop OS on my laptop and hoping everthing works) so I can reinstall it once I do swap the harddrives.  Anyone have any suggestions?

[armageddon51]

I think that 256GB is more then enough. I already transfer my stuff and it barely approch 70GB with a few films. I don't know how can someone fill up that much space on a laptop. With what ? So I have no plan on using the msata ever. Btw I use Macrium Reflect free edition software for cloning. I have been using it for a few years now and it never failed me only got better with revisions. Note : I have a OCZ 60 Gb ssd on my desktop computer for a year now and it is only half full, the rest is on a classic 1TB. You move your users data folders to the regular HD.

- For curiousity, I check Amazon.com of the Plextor M5M 256, it's $199US but since I am in Canada (we are always getting shafted here) Amazon.ca sell it for $250Cdn). I got a "relatively" good deal at Newegg.ca for $219 for the Samsung Pro. The Samsung smokes the Plextor all day long.

[Dan_Rasch]

Thank you to all posters in this thread. To build on what you have taught me, I made a picture teardown thread:

http://community.acer.com/t5/Notebooks-Netbooks/Aspire-R7-572-Teardown/m-p/217869

http://imgur.com/a/GoPJw

[davidwyl]

 i just got my self an plextor m5m 256gb mSATA SSD.

initially i using the clone disk method but the problem is, the acer recovery management not detecting the recovery partition. Tried all sort of ways that i can find online but still no luck. So at the end decided to do a clean install (LUCKILY, i had backup the recovery to 16gb pendrive before i upgrade to msata ssd) boot from the pendrive, clean install. FInally acer recovery manager work perfectly. 

* if dont want to go through all this hassle, i highly suggest everyone do a recovery backup to pendrive and do a clean install on new msata ssd.
BTW, windows license will show inactivated and u can activate it back. U need to call microsoft to get a code to reactivate it.

i also Upgrade the ori wireless card to intel 7260 wireless-AC, run dozens of ping test and show significant less response time and almost no drop signal. while on the ori wireless card, it often show long respond time, and do have packat drop. 

[Houbanny]

Hello how is the bluetooth working with the intel ac 7260?? I want to upgrade my wifi also but not if I loose my bluetooth. Thanx Mike

[ejhdmbfan]

Hey thanks for your input on this. I just got my r7-572 from Bestbuy and it's great. I'm waiting for my msata from amazon, but in the meantime I picked up a 16gb 3.0 usb and was ready to do the recovery, but it's saying I need at least 32 gb usb...how did you get by with only 16gb? Did you delete a bunch of stuff or is there something else i need to do to shrink it? Thanks.