how to make sure the V7-582PG 20GB SSD is doing its job

kirkers

Greetings everyone,

 

I'm new to Acer but not to Windows PCs -- built desktops in the 1990s and have been inside a few laptops and netbooks in my time.

 

I am new to SSDs, however.  I have read a bit about them but never actually dealt with SSD drives or mSATA chips.

 

I am seriously considering purchasing the V7-582PG, which comes with both a "booster" SSD and a touch-screen. The touch-screen is also new to me for PCs, but I've been using smartphones for awhile now.  From what I can tell, Windows 8 is difficult to negotiate in places without a touchscreen, and I am fairly confident this is the direction in which computers and other devices are moving in any event, whatever becomes of Windows and Microsoft.

 

From what I could tell from talking to the Acer Online Store representative over the phone, and from what I have read elsewhere online, Acer tech support will likely be of limited use.  That is not exactly surprising, and I have been left to my own devices most of the time due to technical limitations and legal loopholes in warranties offered by HP, Dell, Lenovo and Toshiba.  So that alone will not stop me from going with Acer, as long as I can get some clear answers (in words if not pictures) to find my way through challenges like configuring the SSD and its drivers.

 

So..., after that somewhat long-winded introduction, can the "Acer Technician" Tommy or anyone else here post clear directions on how to make sure the 20GB SSD is doing its job?  I know this thread has been quiet for several months, but perhaps someone will see my post and respond.

 

It would also be good for me to understand just what a 20GB device is capable of accomplishing, beyond basic boot-up.  Can I choose to install certain programmes on the SSD for speed?  Can I make sure that my own files are loaded on the slower but more reliable HDD? (I understand SSDs have a fairly limited lifespan, and tend to fail suddenly and spectacularly, with little chance of recovering data in any reasonable condition).  How do the SSD and discrete NVIDIA graphics chip in this V7 interact?  

 

Also, it would be nice to have a service manual for this model.  HP and Dell are very good about providing service manuals for all their models online in PDF format.  I have relied on those manuals heavily in the past.  No such thing appears on the Acer website, and 3rd party websites contain only a smattering of service manuals -- perhaps reflecting the lack of such manuals at Acer itself.  So far Acer staff have referred me to "the in-house technicians" at Best Buy and Walmart, although I would almost certainly purchase the V7-582PG via Amazon Prime.  I imagine that might make it difficult to connect with those local technicians.  I hope I am wrong about that, and would welcome hearing some good news with happy endings relating to these technicians.  A link to a proper PDF service manual would be equally welcome, perhaps even more so.

 

I read here and elsewhere that a few brave souls have opened up their Acer V series laptops without the aid of a manual to install or swap out mSATA chips, RAM, HDDs, SSDs and batteries.  mSATA might be considered optional, but the rest range from important to vital.  I would want to have some guidance before plunging into the interior of any laptop, particularly one as thin and packed as the V series must be.  

 

Thanks in advance to any of you inside Acer or out who can help me with the SSD and/or service manual issues.

 

Cheers!

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Acer-Tommy wrote:

... So, should that system have the SSD raided using RST for caching?  Yes, it should.  The OP did nothing wrong in getting their system to work.  I'm not sure what the 'shop' was doing running an inital set up on the system for a customer ... I'd personally do that myself on any system I owned.

 

And no, it does not void your warranty to install software on the system.  We may not be able to support the software, but the hardware is still covered.

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kirkers

Could not edit my post, perhaps because Elizabeth @Acer kindly moved my post from another older thread and launched this thread.

 

I just wanted to add that I went ahead and purchased an Aspire V5-573PG, and have been working with it for just a couple of days.  From what I can gather, it is very similar in configuration with the V7-582PG -- the major differences being the Graphics chip (GPU) in the V5's favour (NVIDIA 750M) and the screen being in the V7's (1080 full HD, required for Intel Ultrabook designation).  They share being sealed black boxes (no access doors, no detachable batteries). 

 

The V7 also has a 20GB "booster" mSATA module pre-installed to assist the mechanical hard drive, but V5 users report it has the same mSATA slot so that it can accept a module up to at least 256GB (240GB usable) in size.

 

So, as a newbie to SATA chips and drives, I wonder how best to use them, what sizes are good for what purposes, how to ensure they are actually doing something useful, and how to protect irresplaceable data from being destroyed in a sudden SSD or chip formatting crash.

 

Links to service manuals for the V5-573PG or anything close to it in configuration (including V7-583, V5-572) would be most welcome. Pictures and text explanations make fine additions or substitutes as well.

 

Cheers!