Crucial 256GB M4 mSATA SSD $160

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Kueller

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I know there was some discussion of mSATA SSD's recently, so I thought I'd go ahead and post this.
http://www.buy.com/prod/crucial-m4-...-state-drive-ssd/231543742.html?up?adid=18094

Shows $199 on site, but is $189.99 in cart.
$30 off with promo code.. Use promo code 53240D4 at checkout. Ends 12/10/2012.
Brings it to $159.99

These mSATA drives fit in your notebook's special place. They are NOT standard 2.5" SSDs.


The 2.5" M4 256GB is here, but it's $169.99 after coupon, sorry no drop to $189 in cart.
http://www.buy.com/prod/crucial-m4-...state-drive-ssd/221150375.html?ip?adid=18094&
 
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MissJ84 said:
256GB m4 is only $149.99 after $20 rebate over @ Tiger so....

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...ffiliateID=lw9MynSeamY-MVtsj5wqmludlf_JEAQJwQ
Click to expand...

Nice find! Submit price match requests to Amazon ("Tell us about a lower price"), perhaps we can get it to $150 without rebate.



Newegg has it for $160 shipped after coupon 1210GREENMNDY24 if you're anti-rebate (or just another place that might have it in stock).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148443
 
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aVaLaNcHe said:
The drive OP posted is an mSATA drive, which is a different form factor than the drive you linked in that it is smaller physically and has a different connection for use in netbooks or ultrabooks where physical space is limited.

So....
Click to expand...

One of them was, but the second wasnt, so...

Just linking the better deal for the 2.5 form factor instead of starting a new thread lol

Kueller said:
Nice find! Submit price match requests to Amazon ("Tell us about a lower price"), perhaps we can get it to $150 without rebate.



Newegg has it for $160 shipped after coupon 1210GREENMNDY24 if you're anti-rebate (or just another place that might have it in stock).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148443
Click to expand...

Heh thanks for not taking my post personally or too literally lol. I submitted the price match on Amazon and I'd probably go with the Newegg one if I needed a 256GB m4.

Edit: B&H has it for $160 shipped too, which is good and tax free for Cali people - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?is=REG&Q=&A=details&O=productlist&sku=768803
 
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I went ahead and snagged the 256 GB m4 from NE for $160 shipped. It'll be my 1st SSD. I'll definitely update its firmware that was released last week before I install the OS and apps on it.
 
These seem very slow compared to newer SSD's, especially when you look at Anand's real world benches, it's always quite far from the pack. I guess for the price you can't really complain though.
 
If adding an MSATA card to a Dell with a regular HDD as well, CALL DELL SUPPORT to get instructions on how to install Windows to the SSD. Seriously, it's a convoluted process on some of their laptops. This has to do with how the drives are seen at the BIOS level.
 
xIronCrossx said:
These seem very slow compared to newer SSD's, especially when you look at Anand's real world benches, it's always quite far from the pack. I guess for the price you can't really complain though.
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The mSata drive? I don't see it in their bench tests?

I've heard everything from "it'll be much slower because you're running SATA II" to "you won't notice the difference" so far. But I ordered one this morning for my new Y500 arriving soon... knew there would be some tradeoff concerning performance vs not occupying an extra HDD slot, but haven't been able to figure out how much so far.
 
Shocked said:
The mSata drive? I don't see it in their bench tests?

I've heard everything from "it'll be much slower because you're running SATA II" to "you won't notice the difference" so far. But I ordered one this morning for my new Y500 arriving soon... knew there would be some tradeoff concerning performance vs not occupying an extra HDD slot, but haven't been able to figure out how much so far.
Click to expand...

Oh, no idea for mSata. I'm talking about the regular one.
 
M4 is still one of the best SSD out there.
In real world I doubt you'd notice a difference with the latest contenders like Samsung 840 pro.
 
In the real world...It's fast enough. I've got Windows 8 on one of the "slow" 128 GB 2.5" models. Looking to get a 256 msata for my mini-ITX board and then move the 128 GB to my MAME cabinet or PS3. I hear it helps with GT 5 load times.
 
Shocked said:
The mSata drive? I don't see it in their bench tests?

I've heard everything from "it'll be much slower because you're running SATA II" to "you won't notice the difference" so far. But I ordered one this morning for my new Y500 arriving soon... knew there would be some tradeoff concerning performance vs not occupying an extra HDD slot, but haven't been able to figure out how much so far.
Click to expand...

The SATA interface can bottleneck your large sequential transfers, so it could hold you back if you're installing stuff or transferring stuff over USB to/from another fast enough drive... It's not gonna impede the SSD's biggest asset tho, random read/writes are still well below any interface bottleneck and that's what makes SSD feel more responsive than HDD for OS use.
 
xIronCrossx said:
These seem very slow compared to newer SSD's, especially when you look at Anand's real world benches, it's always quite far from the pack. I guess for the price you can't really complain though.
Click to expand...

His real world bench is still just an aggregate of a bunch of traces being thrown at the drive tho...

Yeah something like the 840 Pro has a significant advantage, but if you're not doing anything super demanding you're not really gonna notice whether Firefox and Photoshop take 1s or 1.2s to open, even tho relatively speaking that's a huge gap in performance (super dumbed down pulled out of thin air scenario obviously).

Any of them is a huge jump from a HDD, and people that have a usage case that really demands a top end SSD probably already know it (and are willing to pay the premium they tend to carry). I'd easily take an M4, 830, or Plextor M5S for normal usage if it means saving a bunch or getting a higher capacity drive.
 
Since the "Green Monday" (whatever the hell that is) sale is over, it's back to the $200 price on Newegg for the M4 SATA version. I did the free shipping but hope it arrives by Fri. so that I can install it in my new PC over the weekend.
 
If they can do 256GB for $160 why can't they do 512GB for $320 ... :mad:
 
mSATA and 512GB drives are sold in less volume than the more popular form factor or capacity sweet spot, so there's less incentive for deep discounts. Basically, they know you'll pay up anyway (or most people needing larger capacities and/or laptop upgrades).
 
I should be getting my M4 SATA SSD tomorrow. :cool: Then I'm going to update its firmware after I put Win 7 on it.
 
Might as well update the update the firmware first, just in case you know...
 
Impulse said:
Might as well update the update the firmware first, just in case you know...
Click to expand...
True, I'm pretty sure it won't have the latest firmware that was posted around 12/4.

In the meantime, I should up on how to update the SSD's firmware. :eek:
 
IIRC Crucial offers self booting ISO updates, just have to download, burn, and boot off it.
 
I'm reading these instructions which are posted for both SSD being updated via their updater or doing it manually. I guess if I don't load Windows on it, then I'd do it manually.
 
CDRW discs are handy for that sort of thing. I hate burning a CDR just to use it for 2 minutes and then throw it away! I'm sure there's probably some spiffy ISO to bootable USB hack for Crucial's firmware updater ...
 
xorbe said:
CDRW discs are handy for that sort of thing. I hate burning a CDR just to use it for 2 minutes and then throw it away! I'm sure there's probably some spiffy ISO to bootable USB hack for Crucial's firmware updater ...
Click to expand...

No hack is needed for a bootable USB. Instructions are right on the website...super easy and quicker than burning a disc.
 
xorbe said:
CDRW discs are handy for that sort of thing. I hate burning a CDR just to use it for 2 minutes and then throw it away! I'm sure there's probably some spiffy ISO to bootable USB hack for Crucial's firmware updater ...
Click to expand...

Rylan said:
No hack is needed for a bootable USB. Instructions are right on the website...super easy and quicker than burning a disc.
Click to expand...

Yep, I'm going to use the USB instructions. I have an old and probably empty 1 GB thumb drive lying around somewhere, so I don't have to use my 8 GB flash drive that has important stuff on it. I read the instructions on Crucial's site - looks relatively straightforward.
 
Yes, the mSATA version is back in stock @189.99. I suspect the code wouldn't work anyhow even if you could locate the box to put the code in during checkout as the OP said it expried on the 10th. I went to look for promo during checkout just to test it...and I can't find a promo box either, just the one for gift certificates. I know I've used the promo box on buy.com in the past, but either it's not available if they have no promos going or they've made it incredibly hard to find these days.
 
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