SSD replacement

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Dec 12, 2012
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Hello, a simple question, I will buy a Zenbook UX31A Prime with a SSD 128 Gb drive. In the future I would like to upgrade to a bigger one. Is there a restriction/limit/compatibility issue in size or design which I should be aware of? Example: 2 years go buy and a cheap 1 tb SSD drive is for sale, can I buy it and install it?

Thank you very much in advance.

Cheers,

Alejandro
Buenos Aires
Argentina
 
G

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No Issues here, SSD works same in this respect to a HDD.

Upgrading in the future to a larger size drive will not be an issue.
 
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Scratch that last post, cant find out if it is a mSata drive, which would cause you possible issues in the future, or if they have soldered the chips on the Mobo.

Will try find out


 

RetiredChief

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Feb 22, 2007
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Simple question deserves a simple Answer.
Should be absolutely NO problem providing the HDD (SSD in this case) us easily removable. I'm seeing some laptops that the Primary drive is NOT readly removable.
Before Buying, download the manual and read it.

To replace should only need to connect NEW SSD to USB port, clone the drive. Pop new drive In. Go to disk manager and Expand to use full capacity of New larger drive.

UPDATE: Above was for laptops IN GENERAL: Looks like yours is NOT readily replacable
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According to user reports, Asus includes two types of SSDs in the UX31A. Both the 128GB and the 256GB options can either be the ADATA MX11 or the Sandisk U100.

Comparing AS SSD benchmarks between 128GB SSDs shows that Sandisk's U100 is considerably slower than Adata's MX11, especially in 4k reads and writes. The U100 also has increased access times. According to Asus, Sandisk U100 models are used only due to MX11 shortages. This change in hardware is independent of model variation or place of purchase, but mostly MX11 SSDs are supposed to be used. Other manufacturers like Apple with its Air are also forced to this course of action due to component shortages.

There is no way to determine the type of SSD in the laptop. The ‘Sandforce Driven’ sticker on the box should be ignored and SSD tests like HDTune or CrystalDiskMark should be able to confirm the type of SSD inside. Consumers should take advantage of the 14-day return policy if the slower Sandisk U100 is found in their purchases. Running the softwares from a USB drive on the machines in a brick-and-mortar store should also help determine the type of SSD present. Customer complaints can be found here.
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http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Asus-Zenbook-Prime-UX31A-Ultrabook.80135.0.html

2nd added:
May be able to remove SSD - BUT the SSD uses a NONstandardized (mSata) Connector.
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We removed the A-DATA XM11 128GB SSD and found that their are no MLC NAND Flash chips on the back, which means the four chips on the front are it. Each of these are obviously 32GB, which adds up to the 128GB capacity of the SSD. The SATA socket used on the ASUS Zenbook Prime is smaller than the standard mSATA socket, so good luck on find consumer options if you want to upgrade capacity down the road. ASUS uses both the ADATA XM11 (SandForce SF-2281) and SanDisk U100 SSDs in these notebooks. Since OEM notebook designs can change at any time there is no way to know what SSD you will be getting for certain. This might be an issue to enthusiasts that want a specific drive, but when you buy an external storage drive or a notebook you never know what exact model you'll be getting.
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Easiest way to expand Storage space may be simular to many tablets - Use a large capacity SD card - ie I use a 64 ig SD card in my Asus TF700 tablet for added storage space (plus I have a couple of 64 gig Thumbdrives (USB3)).
 
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