3830tg maximum ssd size

Westernjt
Westernjt Member Posts: 4 New User
in 2015 Archives

I am trying to install a new larger ssd in my 3830tg.

Cloned the original 120Gb to a 240 Gb.

Worked ok on first boot but subsequent boots failed.

 

Same happened with a fresh install of linux mint.

 

Original drive works fine.

 

Any ideas?

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer

    Enter the bios to make sure the new drive is fully & correctly recognized.

     

    Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • mrpete
    mrpete Member Posts: 32 New User
    Well first, don't do anything to that original 120 GB SSD. It's VERY unlikely that the problem you are experiencing with the 240 GB SSD has anything to do wit it being "too big." A 1 TB (or even bigger) SSD should work in there just like a more modestly sized SSD would. The behavior of the 240 GB SSD sounds quite odd. What's the make, model #, etc.? I've found recent model SSDs to be rather reliable. You might want to try doing a secure erase on the 240 GB SSD and then cloning it again. "Enhanced secure erase" is not necessary. The advice of Jack E about the BIOS is a point well taken. Can you try testing the 240 GB SSD in some other machine, like maybe a desktop computer and use it (test it) as a 2nd SATA device? If the 240 GB SSD works fine elsewhere then the problem is with the "boot" aspect of this scenario.
  • Westernjt
    Westernjt Member Posts: 4 New User

    The problem was found to be caused by hardware. When hot the 3830 will not boot even from the original 120G now.

    Will boot ok from a usb with linux but if linux is installed on a hdd boots sometimes when cold but not when hot.

    Guess I will just have to get a new laptop and use this one for linux or maybe get windows to boot from an external hdd.

     

    Thanks for your help.

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer

    >>>Will boot ok from a usb with linux but if linux is installed on a hdd boots sometimes when cold but not when hot.

    Guess I will just have to get a new laptop>>>

     

    Good detective work! You might want to try vacuuming the air intake and blowing air into the outlet to chase any dust bunnies out of places you can't easily reach to clean when installing the drives.

     

    Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • mrpete
    mrpete Member Posts: 32 New User

    Yet another Acer heat problem ...

     

    Vacuuming is good, but taking the thing totally apart and getting every last thing out of the fan is the better path (but MUCH PAIN involved). While you're in there redo the thermal paste on the CPU. I know, all of that is a real pain in the rear.

  • Westernjt
    Westernjt Member Posts: 4 New User

    Checked the fan area looks pretty clean.

     

    Will try and take it apart and replace heat sink compound and see what happens.

     

     

  • mrpete
    mrpete Member Posts: 32 New User

    When I took apart (just "the base," not the screen) my 5742G there were also thermal pads for the graphics chips. I opted to reuse the pads, but probably should have replaced them.

    That worked out OK for me. But maybe it was because I'd gotten the laptop 2nd hand and as far as I was concerned I didn't need strong graphics capabilities and I didn't reinstall the NVIDIA drivers, only the native Intel graphics drivers. The extra NVIDIA hardware never really got used, but it was powered. It didn't need much cooling.

    I'd redone the thermal CPU paste of many desktop systems, but this was the first time I had ever seen a thermal pad. It's kinda like thick sticky tape that has thermal conductivity properties. I'm guessing that because your laptop model has a "G" in its name that you have elevated graphics capabilities and the heat that goes along with it. You may have some thermal pads.

     

    As far as I'm concerned the key to thermal paste is Do Not Use Too Much. A proper layer will give the best heat conductivity. See the web page and PDFs at the link below for suggested thermal compound application procedures. You may be able to get better compound than Artic Silver, but only marginally better. I think I'm gonna try the stuff made from ground industrial diamonds when I run outa my tube of compound. It takes a LOT of CPUs to run out.

     

    http://www.arcticsilver.com/intel_application_method.html

     

    It appears that we both have mobile core i3 or i5 CPUs. The suggested method is surface spread. First, get the CPU and heatsink good and clean with isopropyl alcohol and a coffee filter (there's other methods, too).

     

    intel_app_method_surface_spread_v1.1.pdf

     

    I got my 5742G because it had croaked on its previous owner. The reason for death ... you guessed it ... HEAT.

     

  • Westernjt
    Westernjt Member Posts: 4 New User

    Replaced heat sink compound, still has problems.

     

    Boots into linux when first switched on, then has problems eventually get linux running, but not windows.

     

    Have set up an external SSD with win 10 now works ok for my intended use to program PIC micros in the workshop.

     

    Have purchased another laptop for general use.

     

     

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