Topic: 744T SSD drive upgrade

[waltmon]

Anyone have info on this?  Just curious cost etc.   Im pretty sure I'd send it in to Sound Devices that way it could be checked out etc. 

[hi and lo]

Before I try to answer this, a quick FYI that Sound Devices can answer this question in less than 24 hours. Fill out a Support Inquiry on their webite (http://www.sounddevices.com/support/inquiry/) and they'll get back to you within a business day. Now for my 2nd hand attempt at botching this answer....

I think the cost would depend on the age of your unit. If your 744T has a serial number greater than 461509071000 (or 471309092000 for 722 users) , it will already have a SATA interface connector for the HDD, however older units were initially built with PATA (aka IDE) connectors, a much older technology for which only a few niche-brand SDDs have been brought to market. The XL-SATA interface retails for ~$120 and I imagine SD will charge you a pretty penny for whatever SDD they install vs. typical market prices, but that's to be expected because they're going the extra step to validated and stock a specific SDD make/model/size that will play nice with the 744T.

If I had to guess, I bet you'd be looking at $300 in parts, maybe a bit more, for SD to perform the upgrade and I don't know if/how they would charge you for labor if the upgrade is done at the same time as a general checkup.

If there is nothing notably wrong with the unit and the checkup would simply be for piece-of-mind, I might recommend that you perform the upgrade yourself. Sound Devices provides clear instructions on how to perform the upgrade and consider it to be a user-serviceable part. The upgrade is dead-simple and takes all of 20 minutes. Doing it yourself means you can save a few dollars on the actual drive and possibly get away with installing a larger capacity than SD would recommend.

The risk to doing it yourself is selecting an SSD that is somehow incompatible with the 744T and from my own experience, this is a real concern. I have TONS of old SSDlaying around now; lot's of 40GB and 80GB intel drives that are no more than 3 or so years old and they all work perfectly with the 744T, but I recently tried to install a much newer 120GB Intel SSD and it simply wouldn't take. The 744T kept telling me there was an I/O error with that drive my best guess is that the controller in the SSD simply isn't compatible. Sound Devices is incredibly cautious with SSD upgrades for the 744T because they know that the much older hardware of the 722/744T simply won't work with newer, large capacity drives.

[waltmon]

Just a quick update.  SD said they have a basic service fee of 275.00 plus parts.  They recommend giving them an ok to 425.00 in case they come across something needing repair or replacing a component as to expedite getting the unit back to you more quickly.

  They said that they do not stock the SSD drive but would install it if sent with 744T but they won't warranty it.  They say the 744T was meant for the conventional drive and they have better quality drives now...recommending replacement every 2-3 years.

[H₂O]

I would do it myself - definitely not worth $425 IMO.

[stevetoney]

Do it yourself Waltmon.  Lots of us have done it and its easy.  NO WAY you should pay that much for such a simple task.  I bought a PATA drive instead of an SATA drive and didn't need the adapter that SD sold.  Works fine, though PATA SSD drives aren't as readily available as SATA drives.

[hi and lo]

Completely agree that you should self-install and am shocked at the total price and that they don't stock any SSDs for this unit. They definitely stock SSDs for the 788t and my hunch is that the same drives would work 'just fine,' but that SD is just playing it safe, and for good reason.

Another option... ignore the internal drive entirely. I didn't even realize you could do this until a few weeks ago, but there is a menu setting that allows you to only record to the compact flash drive, disabling the internal drive. I have not tested it yet, but imagine this would improve battery life and reduce the amount of heat generated. There's not a great way to even get the files off the internal HD, so it's really just an emergency backup. I always transfer files from my CF card and if you format it every time, it really should never have any issues.

They say the 744T was meant for the conventional drive and they have better quality drives now...recommending replacement every 2-3 years.

I assume this is their direct statement and disagree. The reliability of conventional hard drives is still pretty much on par with what it was when the 744t was first released and the very notion of having to replace it every 2-3 years is proof. You can't say something is more reliable, while still recommending the same frequency for routine maintenance that they always have. Shock resistance has been around in laptop hard drives for many years and they still fail more often than they should.

[stevetoney]

^ Agreed about using the CF card only.  For me, the SSD was backup for the two times that I had removed the card for off-loading a show and forgot to replace it when I went out the next time.  I used a 128GB SDXC card in a CF card adapter and usually didn't record redundantly onto the SSD for the same reason...a minor PITA to grab files from the SSD.

When I bought my SSD, I actively searched out and chose a low power consumption drive and, though I can't say for sure since I have no a vs. b test data, it sure seemed like it made a difference in how cool it ran.  The only time my 744 ever got hotter than warm-to-touch was this summer when I had my see through portabrace flap closed during the daytime.

[hi and lo]

For me, the SSD was backup for the two times that I had removed the card for off-loading a show and forgot to replace it when I went out the next time.

I did that once and damn was it embarrassing. I always keep a spare card in my bag now.

I used a 128GB SDXC card in a CF card adapter and usually didn't record redundantly onto the SSD for the same reason...a minor PITA to grab files from the SSD.

Dan and I figured out how to transfer from the internal HDD to CF the other day and it's way better than trying to hookup via firewire 400. Unfortunately, it's a really slow process to copy from the internal drive, but way easier to ultimately get things to your computer.

When I bought my SSD, I actively searched out and chose a low power consumption drive and, though I can't say for sure since I have no a vs. b test data, it sure seemed like it made a difference in how cool it ran.  The only time my 744 ever got hotter than warm-to-touch was this summer when I had my see through portabrace flap closed during the daytime.

I'm running an 80gb Intel SSD that is not necessarily low-power and it does get very hot, so this might be a worthy consideration.