Samsung 830: Plain or Peanuts

[eXistenZ]

One good thing about that Petrol -- while it lasted -- was that it got my foot in the door re SSD performance. You can't go back !

Samsung 830 128GB SSD.

Should I get it with the "kit" for desktop or just the drive? The difference for me would be the Norton Ghost software which is supposed to make the transfer of the OS simple. Instead of yet another fresh install.

Figure $15 - $20 difference. Does the Ghost work?

 

[psaus]

It does most of the time. Issues mostly arise when the old drive is larger than the new drive. But it works for me (though I tend to use Acronis a little more often).

I know I will get blasted for suggesting cloning is good... but hey, I'm lazy sometimes and it DOES work... 99% of the time.

If you're on a tight budget, pass on it. But if you can afford the extra 15-20, it's a nice tool to have in your pocket (once you know Ghost exists, it can come in handy helping friends and family...).

 

[guzuta]

Haven't used Ghost in a few generations, but it my experience it always worked, and worked exactly as it was supposed to. Was the first thing I put on any new build after installing Windows.

 

[Agges]

Just installed one in my setup. Bought the non-desktop (added a 3.5" bracket saving a bit).

Depending on your current setup you could use the Ghost but most likely a fresh install would do no harm. You should also check out this Tweaks and Optimizations page to optimize SSD usage: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/70822-ssd-tweaks-optimizations-windows-7-a.html

 

[booger007]

I bought the ghost package. I would say do fresh install on SSD. Then you can use ghost to create an image when you have to do a firmware update. I have the 256GB 830 and love it.

 

[psaus]

I bought the ghost package. I would say do fresh install on SSD. Then you can use ghost to create an image when you have to do a firmware update. I have the 256GB 830 and love it.

Sounded like he was going from one SSD to another. But I may have read too much into that.

But as long as AHCI is installed properly with the HDD, there's no problem cloning HDD -> SSD. Admittedly it's that nasty AHCI thing that has caused that HDD -> SSD stigma.

 

[RetiredChief]

If going from an SSD to an SSD of equal or larger size on the same MB.
Do it for FREE. Windows 7 has an excellent backup program (in control panel) for creating a Image of the "C" drive (also images that pesky little 100 mb partition).
Place the Image on a HDD, or 3+ DVDs. You can skip the "Create a restore disk" as long as you have a windows 7 installation disk.
If going from say a <120/128 gig SSD to a 120/128 gig SSD. Once you have restored the image, pop into disk management and just expand "C" drive to fill up drive.

PS, while clonning a HDD -> SSD may work, I always recommend a clean install.
Rational:
.. Don't have to worry on how the HDD was set.
.. Do Not have to manually enable trim
.. Do not have to sweat partition alignment.
.. Normally the HDD has been around long enought that it is time to PROPERLY clean out the registry.

 

[eXistenZ]

I bought the 128 Petrol when it was on sale. Could never do a C: image with Win 7. This was because the SSD was a fail, but I didn't know it. Then I couldn't do a virus scan. Then Win7 always wanted to do diskscan but always stalled. Finally, it completely failed, as computer did not recognize any HDD at all.

Returned it and waiting for money to be credited. And now the 830 is on sale.

So anyway, I don't have an SSD image to restore. I had to take my external drive and install it as an internal because my 1 TB HDD was a dynamic disk so I couldn't put the OS on that. The external had 2x 128 GB partitions -- but no system partition even after Win7 install.

So if Ghost actually works, great. But I really feel that there are no shortcuts in life so don't bother with somebody's Ghost software. But the consensus is that the software has merit.

I think of the price difference as : I could get another very quiet fan for the money, so the software has to be better than an Akasa Viper, for example.

But re this thread, I no longer have a working SSD: I am back to using a spare HDD (never could create an image of SSD) .

 

[RetiredChief]

While you might try the clonning HDD->SSD, I'd do the clean install for the reasons I outlined - Sorry.
Hopefully you will enjoy the samsung 830. Mine works great, much better than the agility III it replaced.

 

[eXistenZ]

So, I fooled all of you.

For my desktop, I just bought the LAPTOP kit. It doesn't include the hardware that I don't need but it DOES include the Ghost software.

Both GnuEgg and MicrobeCenter are selling the barebones 128 for $159 and the desktop kit for $160. However, GnuEgg has a 48 hour sale of an extra $10 off the laptop kit, using the super-secret decoder number, making a barebones 830 only $150 -- plus you get the Ghost.

The SSD is the same, right? Think so...


And yea, I'll do the clean install just like last time, since I really don't have that much time invested in the current configuration.

 

[eXistenZ]

Best answer selected by eXistenZ.