Thinkpad Edge S430 - is it possible to replace the hdd with a ssd?

[i-think]

ok, so i took another approach...made a clean install of the system, without the additional software coming with lenovo...

and heres the outcome...

i am satisfied so far

[alex1906 Support Specialist - Retired]

That's great you got it going.  If you did want to add the Lenovo software later on you can always download it from the Lenovo support site.

Looks like good numbers on everything so far.  Let me know how it works out for you.

Glad I could help,

Alex

[iamtom]

Hi - do you know if the mSATA slot supports SATA3 (6Gbps transfer speed) or whether it's limited to SATA2 (3Gbps)? I want to know if I'll be able to take full advantage of a Crucial m4 mSATA SSD if I buy one for my S430.

[alex1906 Support Specialist - Retired · Accepted solution]

Hello iamtom,

the mSATA slot is a SATA 2 port.  Only the 3Gbps is available, for now.

Hope this helps,

Alex

[wman]

Hi there,

I'm considering ordering a s430, and I have another question concerning the mSATA SSD.

I'm interested in selecting the "16Gb mSATA SSD" option in my order, only to replace it by a 128Gb mSATA SSD (Crucial M4) to install the systems on (windows and linux dual boot), and keep the 500Gb disk for storage.

So i'm wondering : do I have to select this option to have the mSATA/Minicard slot working in the s430; or will I be able to plug the Crucial SSD in the available Minicard slot on  the board (I'm not interested in, and won't order, the WWAN option), and make it work, either if I don't select this option in my order?

Cheers

[wman]

Did some more research on the forum, and it seems the answer is yes! (that was a newbie question, hope that could help some users though)

[gregpeters]

Hi I-Think,

what are your experiences so far? Is the OS on the MSATA SSD still working out for you? I curious because I'm envisioning doing the same thing.

Which MSATA SSD did you buy? This one?

Cheers,

GregPeters

[okarhu]

I today followed I-Think's example and installed a 128gb m4 crucial mSATA in place of the 16gb flash drive. I then did a clean install of windows 7 home premium 64 bit onto that mSATA drive. I've now got all updates and drivers sorted out, but I ran the lenovo solutions centre hardware check and the newly installed crucial 128gb mSATA drive fails the "Targeted Read Test", passes all others, with the exception of the SMART Drive self test, which it says is not supported by the drive.

Should I be worried? Is this mSATA failing or is it just reporting something because it is not meant to be used as a primary drive for the OS originally?

I would appreciate any help! Thanks. Otherwise all is working well and very quickly.

[okarhu]

Update: the drive has now passed the even the targeted read test, while the SMART Drive self test still says it isnt supported by the drive. I assume the problem was fixed by running all windows updates and maybe some further driver updates.

I would still like an opinion on whether the one time fail of the test speaks of bigger problems? I hope not...

Also as a side note to anyone thinking of doing this same thing: You should make a backup copy of the SWTOOLS lenovo system folder which contains all the drivers. Getting the drivers from the internet is a real pain, because Lenovo's website is quite difficult to use and doesnot always offer the correct drivers. It took hours to get it sorted, and I am still missing one driver that I cannot find anywhere (for a PCI Device). I don't even know what the device is... Others seem to be having similar issues but I have found no solution yet.

[alex1906 Support Specialist - Retired]

Hello okarhu, I see no one has responded yet and its been a while since I've been on here. Just so you know the SMART drive test is not supported because the mSATA is looked at as the WWAN area and not a drive for the SMART test. When the mSATA fails, if it fails, it will fail quickly and without much notice. Just as if you used the mSATA as cache, only it would die out without you noticing and would be a little difficult to know if it had failed or not. But with it holding the OS I do believe it would be quite noticible when it dies out. If you can post your machine type and model number on here I could help you find the PCI Device drivers. Hope this helps, Alex