SATA drive with flash cache vs. SSD
 

I am looking to buy new laptop, but can't find any with decent size SSD drive. I found an HP ZBook with 750 GB SATA, 7200 + 32 GB flash cache mSATA

How does that compare to SSD? It seems that it is always the disk that is the slowest in all my computers so far, so I want a fast storage now.

Also, what do you think about Intel Core i7 4700MQ (2,4 GHz)?

Thanks

Stock models seem to have really small drives. You can buy a 500 GB SSD laptop drive for around $400, I would go that route. They have one terabyte as well as. I have a 128 GB SSD and it drives me crazy. Very fast though.

buy the laptop and replace the drive with a ssd

you can find 1tb ssd's for $400-$500 nowdays.

http://www.rakuten.com/prod/samsung-...1&adi d=28884

1 TB, $470

just replace the drive afterwards...

Yea, ssd drives have gotten cheap. How does the 32 gb flash solution actually work? It puts os in flash or most used programs?

Replace the drive. I had 16G ssd cache and it didn't work well. Had to change it to 512G SSD.

i'll be doing the same soon - i rather have a smaller SSD and use cloud storage or a NAS

I would only recommend Samsung SSD's at this time: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electr...sung+mSATA+evo

I swapped the HD in mine for a SSD - Then I use the HD as an external and attached to my home network and cloud and I store all my files on that - The SSD is AMAZING - Once you go SSD you wont go black, sorry I mean back:upsidedow...

SATA with Cache is fast but not nearly as fast as SSD. You pay more for SSD but it is worth it. Besides speed, the old style hard drives are mechanical, generate more heat, consume more power, which of course means your laptop won't go as long on a single charge. SSD all the way.

Hybrid drives are supposed to cache almost like a pre-fetch for commonly used data but don't measure up to an SSD drive at all.