X220 SSD Drive w/Full Disk Encryption (FDE), Intel 320 or others [ Edited ]

[Ron1]

Does anyone have experience or recommendations regarding installing an SSD with Full Disk Encryption for the X220?

[Ron1]

The only candidate I have found is the Intel 320 series is the only candidate, but I'm not sure if it will really work...

Has anyone tried using an Intel 320 Series SSD (FDE) with the X220?

Does anyone know if it suffers from a problem using the BIOS password when awakening after a sleep or hibernate?

Does anyone know if it suffers from the slow POST time problem?

Any other known problems?

[bananaman · Accepted solution]

Hi Ron1

I've had an encrypted Intel 320 SSD in my X220 since day one (April), and haven't seen any issues.

This is a good question. Please don't post it in multiple places as it splinters the discussion. Thanks !

[Ron1]

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bananaman wrote:

Hi Ron1

I've had an encrypted Intel 320 SSD in my X220 since day one (April), and haven't seen any issues.

This is a good question. Please don't post it in multiple places as it splinters the discussion. Thanks !

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Thanks, Bananaman.  Sorry about the multiple posts - couldn't quite figure what was appropriate before I started the new thread.

A few questions re: your config:  What size do you have?  Did you install it yourself?  Is that your only drive or do you also have a separate mSATA SSD boot drive?

Thanks again.

[bananaman]

I have a 300GB Intel 320 which I installed it myself (cloned the factory install using Acronis). No mSATA drive.

Hope this helps!

[Ron1]

Thanks again, Bananaman.

[justyn]

I also have a 300GB Intel 320 series SSD which I installed in my X220 myself. I use it with FDE by enabling the hard drive "User" password.

It works very well.

[Ron1]

justyn, bananaman:

Intel site says this is a 7mm drive, but most outlets list it as 9mm.

Did you buy a specifically 7mm version of the drive?  Or did you buy a 9mm version and mess with the brackets?

Does messing with the brackets feel like you are breaking something?  Or just detaching a detachable part?

Thanks.

- Ron

[bananaman]

Removing the bracket is simple. It requires replacing the 4 screws holding it with shorter ones to hold the case together.

[bruce7]

Hi bananaman, do you know more about the FDE feature in Intel 320 SSD. I have a few questions,

1) Is it just as simple as setting up a Hard disk "User" password in BIOS?

2) By enabling FDE, I would assume that all data in the SSD is encrypted. Does this mean that no one can access it by taking the SSD out and access it as an external hard disk? Or is there anyway that data on the SSD with FDE can be accessed without the password? In essence, how secure the drive is with SSD

3) If the answer to 2) is "secure/very secure", then I guess there is no point in using encryption software (PGP or TrueCrypt) for sensitive data. Am I correct?

Apologies for these silly questions.