Reddit mentions of ADATA SU800 128GB M.2 2280 SATA 3D NAND Internal SSD (ASU800NS38-128GT-C)

The advise below about SSDs not being worth it is VERY short sighted. Yes, after you remove the inefficiencies in the rest of the system, the platform is CPU bottlenecked, but random read/write performance and reduced heat and power draw ALONE are worth the upgrade. If you are going to do this, it doesn't have to be expensive at all. This IDE adapter + this SSD is my go to $40 replacement for every IDE drive I come across in my classic Mac collection.

In my experience, most USB flash drives have the lowest grade memory out there, and just from that alone are more prone to failure, not to mention almost all of them overheat since they don't have a heatsink.

Consider getting an M.2 drive with an M.2 to USB 3 enclosure instead. These enclosures will be metal and can be used as a heatsink, and the performance will be well beyond what any conventional flash drive will be capable of. Below are a few recommendations:

USB 3.0/3.1 Enclosure: Amazon

SSD (128GB): Amazon

SSD (256GB): Amazon

SSD (525GB): Amazon

Had the same choice too. Not sure if I should jump on it. Some suggested to get an SSD too for 70 bucks. Link for the SSD.

First, I certainly wouldn't put 4 Vegas on only 750W, even if you're undervolting. It's my experience (via watt meter) that they briefly run full-speed on startup, and you could have other troubles than lack of connectors.
Ah, I see you have two PSUs. But even still, if they don't come with 2x 6+8s on the PCIe, I feel like you're running more cable than you need to. Wonder if it would handle a splitter. I'm using that to power my risers... so even if you do use two separate rails for GPU power, you could split one of them for the riser and get that headache handled.

But for what it's worth, I did not need to use the SATA power input on my H110 until I added a fifth card; I ran a single Molex rail (which on my HX1200i, has four heads per rail) to the 4-pin connectors.

It really sounds like you need to get a better PSU first. Also, if you can, I highly recommend using an M.2 SSD - <$55 for a 128GB ADATA, which I can personally vouch for. It makes the overall package so much cleaner; no need to make room for the SSD, and two fewer cables to worry about.

It depends a bit on how much you want to spend on the upgrade, but I would maybe get an extra [4 GB stick] (https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Single-PC4-19200-Unbuffered-260-Pin/dp/B019FRDKWI/) and a [128 GB SSD] (https://www.amazon.com/ADATA-SU800-M-2-128GB-ASU800NS38-128GT-C/dp/B01M9K0N8I/). Probably best if you check with Acer if they are compatible, and maybe there are better offers later on when you are ready to upgrade.

Hi,

For the best value, I would still recommend the Acer Aspire E 15, and you can add a 128 GB M.2 SSD that fits inside of the extra SSD slot. So, you can get a mix of big storage and fast speeds.

How would the microsd adapter compare to just getting a low end m.2 ssd and putting it in a usb 3.1 enclosure?

I had a samsung that failed, they wouldn't replace it even though it was within warranty and hadn't met there data written requirment. So I was looking at this because it was cheap and had good reviews
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M9K0N8I/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A2UXO5LPTDY3LN&psc=1

Sorry, but it looks like they only go for $40 new on Amazon unless I'm looking at a different model. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M9K0N8I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4M4.AbGP89YMD

First and foremost, every ASU student gets a free OEM license of Windows 10 Pro and Office, so don't factor this into the price. I'm going to assume OP either used his ASU license or pirated it... If he didn't, his loss.

Windows 10 licenses are dirt cheap and shouldn't be factored into the cost of a computer, you can buy licenses from bulk OEM keys on ebay for < $10 anyway:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Windows-10-Pro-32-64-BIT-GENUINE-LICENCE-KEY-PRODUCT-CODE-win-10-pro-/173148179959?hash=item28506f8df7

Someone looking to play games should really stay away from this build with a ~$700 budget. Any old intel computer with even a modest graphics card like a 1050ti will far outperform this build.

I advise anyone with this budget to stay away from APU gaming, it really doesn't perform too well given the price.
Check out these benchmarks:
https://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AMD-Raven-Ridge-3DMark-11-Graphics-740x497.png

https://offerup.com/item/detail/432098607/?ref=Search
You can get this and drop $220 into a 1050ti and have something far nicer with little effort and less cost.
Even if it doesn't have an SSD, you can purchase a 120gb SSD for $45 these days.

The motherboard has an NVME port, so you could take this as an opportunity to purchase an even faster drive:
https://www.amazon.com/ADATA-SU800-M-2-128GB-ASU800NS38-128GT-C/dp/B01M9K0N8I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521707714&sr=8-3&keywords=120gb+m.2

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-960-EVO-Internal-MZ-V6E250BW/dp/B01LYFKX41/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521707741&sr=8-3&keywords=pcie+ssd+m2

The GPU market is slowly getting calmer, should be able to get a 1060 for $250 if/when prices return to normal.


_____

If you insist on getting everything new check out this build for ~$60 more:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Mh6GfH

It includes the z370 chipset, support for overclocking, and a 240gb ssd you can actually fit some games on it

It should outperform his build in every reasonable way, (cpu performance, storage, and of course gpu performance)

I would say that is your best option for the money.

Throw in an m.2 SSD and order the proper mounting kit from Acer then you should be good to go.

RAM should be pretty simple to install, cheap option there for you.

You're either being bogged down by the amount of RAM on the Acer that you currently own, or you are used to laptops with an SSD - and the Acer you bought has an HDD.

If you're comfortable upgrading the laptop yourself, there is an empty RAM slot and an empty m.2 SSD slot inside of the laptop. If you add an m.2 SSD, and add another 8gb (or 4gb) of ram, you'd experience significantly faster performance. However, you would also have to load windows onto the m.2 SSD, and boot off the SSD.

You can buy an m.2 SSD for ~$60 and 4GB of ram for $30-$40.

Here is a video on how to upgrade them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wH2jIKK_M4

___

if you do want to purchase a machine, both the Lenovo Flex 5 or the Acer E15 would be a solid choice.

What does that whole "power efficiency" honestly even mean? And what about the extram video memory of the Vega 56 in the long run?

As for the NVMe, I'm getting the 512GB one from Adata for £67 (matter of fact, I'll order it tonight or tomorrow as it's low on stock already) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/ADATA-SU800-M-2-128GB-ASU800NS38-128GT-C/dp/B01M9K0N8I?th=1&psc=1

This is the 1TB SSD that I wanna get: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D998212

As you may have guessed, I'll use the nvme for the OS and some frequently used games and programs, and I'll keep the SSD for less frequently used games and other files. What makes the NVMe you suggested better though? It costs like 50% more. (not bashing, just asking to expand my knowledge and maybe even change my decision)

The Adata 128GB SSD might be a great one for you then, especially if your motherboard has an m.2 drive slot. The garden variety 2.5" SSD is on sale for $18 if you have Amazon Prime and personally I haven't had any issues with them.

> ADATA SU800

I only have SATA connections on my motherboard. Should I purchase the SATA version or the one in the link below with an adapter card that will interface with my board?

https://www.amazon.com/ADATA-SU800-M-2-128GB-ASU800NS38-128GT-C/dp/B01M9K0N8I/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=ADATA+SU800&qid=1559027641&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I would like to use this M.2 drive with this motherboard. I know that doing this will provide little-to-no speed improvement over a 2.5" SSD and will disable one of the Sata ports.

Will this work? Is there anything else I should be aware of about M.2 drives?

Looks good to me, might consider an M.2 over the sata SSD though. Might not impact speed much, but it is a couple less cables to deal with.

link to m.2 near same price

That's fair (price). But how come you're willing to pay more for things you might not notice (more than 8GB RAM, faster CPU) but not things you might actually notice (brighter + better display, SSD)? CPU and RAM don't define how good your computer is. Product marketing will have you believe that, but there are bigger things at stake. The difference between a HDD and SSD has a lot more of an effect on performance during normal use. 8GB RAM is "enough" for most things but you can upgrade it if you decide you need more, and you can do that later rather than now. The screens in both the Envy and Lenovo I would say are of acceptable quality, since there are some much worse ones out there, just that I still think you'd notice that difference over the ones you speak of.

That Envy I wouldn't really say is worth $950 to begin with. The value for its discounted price might look deceptively good because of that initial price. But in reality, for $950, there are other models I would recommend instead, and none of those models really go down close to $600 very much. I think that is because of how much better the other models are for that $950 price. I think the Envy is designed at its core, to be discounted like that.

When it comes to refurbished, I might disagree. If your budget limits your options, then I would say a refurb of a good model is a better choice than a new unit of a less-good model. Refurbished can let you get better models for the same budget. This mainly applies when the warranty is the same, and isn't one of those cheap 90-day warranties some companies offer on their refurbs. For example, Dell is good at offering proper warranties on refurbs, but Acer is not. This often comes up with the Dell Inspiron 7567 (not relevant to your case, but refurbs allow buyers to get the 1050 Ti + SSD model instead of the 1050 + HDD model for the same price), and in your case comes up for refurbished Dell Latitude business-class laptops.

One direct alternative you could go for is this:

• https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-Convertible-Laptop-R5-571T-57Z0/dp/B01MEFEVQM/
  
• Add a 128GB M.2 SSD into the empty M.2 slot and transfer or re-install the OS to it. Then store all your big things on the secondary-storage HDD.
  
• The laptop has 8GB RAM and a 72%/300nit display like the Yoga 710.
  
  Another one you could go for is the Thinkpad E570. It is not a "true" Thinkpad because it isn't quite on the same level of build quality as the T-series, but the keyboard is still good, and it lets you get an SSD and an "acceptable" quality display at a decent price.
  
  
• Link w/ PERKSOFFER discount
  
• You could pick the "SMB Recommended Model" for $642 but I'm actually getting a cheaper price for the same config done manually. Config one as follows:
  
• CPU: You can select the "i5" 7200U if you'd like. "i7" 7500U not an appreciable improvement, and the "i7" branding is misleading by Intel. That option only worth it if you will use the dedicated GPU for something such as gaming.
  
• Display: 1920x1080 IPS. This is like the Envy display in brightness and color, but matte / non-touch. Avoid the base display since it's a lot worse than any of the other displays discussed in this thread.
  
• Memory: 8GB, 16GB, or plan to upgrade it yourself. Upgrade price difference for 8GB after discount is $53, and a DIY upgrade is ~$45 for +4GB = 8GB. It would be ~$80 for a DIY +8GB = 12GB (make sure to get 1x8GB not 2x4GB), but that is the same effective cost of just getting 16GB on the config page, so at that rate I'd do that instead.
  
• "Secondary Hard Drive": The 256GB SSD is such a good deal once the discount factors in ($67 for 256GB PCIe). This upgrade would cost a lot more to do on your own so I would go ahead and get it here. You'll notice it.
  
  The refurb Dell Latitudes as I mentioned:
  
  
• Dell Outlet link, filtered
  
• Currently there are no options close to your budget. Check the latest coupons for codes that might bring them down to it.
  
• These are business-class models that have much better build quality than the average consumer class model. They are normally not available in your price range, but refurb + coupon codes can sometimes bring them to it.
  
• The link is filtered by 8GB RAM and up, but you can relax that filter to include 4GB if you're willing to upgrade RAM yourself.
  
• The link is filtered by 1920x1080 resolution. All the 1920x1080 displays are IPS type on these models, with the 5000 series models having displays like the Envy and the 7000 series models having displays like the Yoga. I wouldn't go for 1366x768 (low-quality-TN display) models unless you're willing to replace screens yourself.
  
• The link is filtered by SSDs, 256GB and up. You can remove that constraint and it might let you get one in your budget when you otherwise couldn't, but I think having an SSD would be worth it, whether you buy something with one or you choose to DIY.
  
• The link is filtered by Refurbished and New, excluding "Scratch & Dent" units.

How much capacity are you looking at?

For 128 GB you can get these:
ADATA SU800 M.2 2280 128GB .......
Silicon Power 120GB M55 M.2 2280 SSD

They both cost around 55$.

If you can spend more, you can get a higher capacity SSD or go for a faster NVME standard.