that also usually means something is coming up next. maybe preparing the system to accept customizations? (I think it's a common pattern at dell's site)

it's the new 17.. all sata ports are now at sata 3 speeds (even if odd ports are of sata 3)

msata ssd's are slower than 2.5" ssd's because of the compact size (limited space to put more good stuff on it to make it run as fast) still, they are much faster than hdd of course

I suggest Plextor m5pro xtreme. Samsung 840 pro is one of the best. however it's pricey. in fact, any recent ssd's are fine. the bests will be pricey (for normal usage, it's not worth it)

well the msata 32gb might be too small. nowadays the minimum is 128gb. however the sweet spot is actually 256gb.

yeah well you can get a 128gb first.

the 32gb msata is for caching, thus it makes the system load faster than conventional hdd's.

I suggest getting a larger bag if you wanna put more stuff than the laptop and power brick.

get the consumer grade ssd's and you will be fine. although it's slower compared to enthusiast grade, it's still fast.

samsung 840 pro and plextor m5pro xtreme are enthusiast grade. they charge a premium on a slightly noticeable speed differences. to many, i think it's pointless also.

hm.. i don't know, to me the more space the better haha!

you need to configure it to work:

http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshootin...ew?docid=564442

no not yet. i think you should follow the steps described in the link to make it work (check if your sata mode is in raid mode)

oh ok sorry I was supposed to quote the other post :/

yeah.. congratulations; looks like it's done

uh? don't be. just add whatever you want slowly

oh I thought there will be an empty hdd caddy complete with interposer in the laptop? no?

uh? don't say like that :/ it's not about low or high specs. the interceptor should be placed in the container. have you double checked it? if it's not there, I think you should ask dell to send you one.

oh.. mansooriqbal has one for sales lol! damn.. you're fast!

.. oh :/

Hehe nice

if you wanna put in an hdd caddy for a 17", there are 2 that i have tried and both work well:

1. silverstone ts09 (http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=387);
2. hdd caddy 12.7mm that can be found at garage sales.

i like the first one more. make sure it's sata-to-sata (not any other combinations) for recent hdd's / ssd's.

yes, you can. just run them all with the sata mode ahci.

intel 7260 works on a r4. just get the latest driver from intel download center (plus the Bluetooth driver).

hehe it's true you can run in raid mode there is no apparent issue about that. i just like to run things with the proper mode.

yes you need to do that first. i previously assumed that you're going for a fresh install

call dell tech support and ask for replacement? (if it's still under warranty)

if you must get it from elsewhere, you can try contact aw sellers here. maybe they could help.

also you can look around ebay, amazon,etc. i just typed 'alienware m14x r2 keyboard' at ebay and there were many matching results.

yeah taobao is a good place to look for parts too. just be careful and read all the specs and ask the seller to confirm before getting anything. sometimes they sell things that are different from the pictures.