Hey all,

I just want to share my experience on upgrading the SSD in my CR48. I replaced the stock 16gb SSD with an Intel 310 40gb and it actually worked! This will be something like an amateur mini-review.

First off, English is not my native language so for those grammar nazis out there, I’m so sorry. Another thing is this will be the first time doing this kind of thing. I could be wrong or miss stuff. I'm open to suggestions and corrections.



Ok, let’s start.

Chrome OS Installation:

As soon as I got the Intel 40gb, I removed the old one are replaced it. I turned on the system and popped in the Google USB Recovery and it did the recovery. After the USB Recovery, it rebooted and started the actual restoration. I’m on developer mode and the first thing I noticed is that the restore time is slower than usual. According to the screen (also from my experience with the 16GB), it takes about 5-10mins to finish the developer mode restore. It took ~18mins to do it on the 40gb. I don’t have a clue why it was longer. Anyway, after a successful bootup > typed in my email > took my picture > it installed some updates. After the updates, I noticed the faster boot. As soon as I press Control + D, it takes 7 seconds to be on the login screen. It is also noticeably faster and snappier within CROS (ex, opening multiple tabs). I also noticed 720p YouTube playback is better than the old SSD. Mind you, I’m not even on the Development channel yet. So I switched to Development channel, updated and noticed better 720p playback (enabled 3D/2D in about:flags) but still not perfect.

Now, about the partitioning, I think Google USB Recovery used all the space in the 40gb. It still used the standard partitioning scheme but it made the “stateful partition” larger, like 30gb+. It seems that all other extra space was thrown to the stateful partition.

Chrome OS finding: (Negative findings highlighted in red)

• It is faster and more responsive.
• Flash is faster. Youtube 480p plays perfectly. 720p still stutters a little bit, but its actually pretty good.
• Boots 2-3 seconds faster
• The Intel SSD is warmer – you can feel it on your palm
• Development mode restore is slower

Flashing the BIOS/Settings/Secure Erase:

Now I'm done with Chrome OS and wanted to use Windows to do benchmarks. In order to do this, I had to flash the BIOS to InsydeH20. I didn't use the Luigi script. I flashed it manually. However, I had some struggle doing this because I had to install Ubuntu first to manually flash it. When I used Jay Lee’s method it gave me an error about my partitions are “weird” and I had to fix it. I was expecting this error because the script was originally designed to allocate space on a 16GB SSD. I didn’t have time to do the harder install (from Google engineers) so I popped back my old 16GB SSD and installed Ubuntu on it. After that, I had a successful flash. *DON'T forget to backup your own CR48 BIOS and make sure you have you back case cover opened*

After a successful flash, I tweak the BIOS to my liking.

• Turn off Num Lock
• HDC Configure As – AHCI
• AHCI interface support Enabled
• Quick and Quiet Boot Enabled
• I set boot order to USB > CDROM > SSD

I saved and exited. Turned it off and plugged back the 40GB SSD.
Alright, before anything else, I had to make sure that the SSD is not in locked or frozen state in order for me to do a secure erase. I had an external DVD drive and I used “Parted Magic “ cd to do a secure erase. Here

*Another bonus is that the Intel SSD supports Enhanced Secure Erase. You can choose that over the normal secure erase if you want.
So there you have it, the CR48 (with InsydeH20 BIOS) can achieve secure erase on the SSD. This is a very big deal for me. If it was not possible, it will be a deal breaker. Thank goodness it was!

Windows Installation:

*Note: I’m not encouraging CR48 owners to install Windows on this beautiful system. I’m just doing this because there is no other way for me to make comprehensive tests on the SSD.

There is nothing much I can do here because I there are a lot of guides out there on installing Windows on the CR48. I didn’t use those guides though. I just installed it normally like one would install on a Desktop/Laptop.

Since I did a secure erase, there are no more partitions on the SSD. I made a 25gb chunk and installed Windows 7 on it normally (using an external DVD). It took a little bit longer that I’ve expected but not too much.
Right after installing Windows, I installed the drivers. Here are the drive versions I’ve used:

• Intel Chipset: 9.2.0.1021
• Graphics: 8.14.10.2230
• Intel RST: 10.1.0.100
• I also installed Intel SSD Toolbox: 2.01 for some Intel suggested tweaks.

Here are the benchmarks:



Windows Boot time:

From the moment I press the power button or open the lid, it took 39 seconds for a complete boot up (tested multiple times). This is after a fresh format, windows updates, driver updates. All default services are enabled except Windows Defender and UAC (I manually turned those off).

FYI: from the moment I press the power button, it will show the InsydeH20 bios splash screen and what not – it takes 7-8 seconds. So technically, the actual windows boot up takes like 30-33 seconds.
I could probably cut down the 39-second boot up to 25+seconds by tweaking windows services, registry, etc. But since I’m not going to be using Windows here, I didn’t do it.

Windows Installation Findings:

• SSD is not as warm as you would get if you use Chrome OS
• Intel RST and Toolbox works as expected
• Benchmark results met my expectations
• TRIM is supported
• Firmware update available (2CV102M3) - at least in my case
• Slower than expected boot up (which can be fixed by SSD tweaks)
• SSD still gets warm but it is only minimal (not like with CROS)
• Usable SSD capacity = 37.27GB only

Broadcom HD Crystal to be continued on the next post...

Broadcom BCM970012

While I was thinking of how I could make better video playbacks in the CR48, I remembered I had a Broadcom Crystal HD BCM970012 (I bought on ebay last year for $20) that was installed on my Lenovo Netbook. I pulled it out there and tried it on the CR48. I removed the GOBI2000 WWAN and placed it there.
I installed the drivers from Broadcom:

http://www.broadcom.nl/support/crystal_hd/



In order for the Broadcom codecs to work, you should have a compatible player. There are a lot out there but I only use three.

You can also use it with your browser using Adobe Flash – I’ll talk about that later.

Media Player Classic Home Cinema, GOM Player, and Windows Media Player 12 are my favorites. *Please VLC support Broadcom Crystal HD already!

I had to do some tweaks from it like disabling all of the other internal filters and codecs and just solely use the Broadcom codecs.

The sample HD files that I used are my all time favorite – Mr. Big Buck Bunny.

Can be downloaded here: http://www.bigbuckbunny.org/index.php/download/

As you will notice, there are MP4, H.264, OGG, MSMP4 on the download list. I actually downloaded them all in 1080p except the OGG format.
If you ask for the 720p versions, it plays flawlessly! No worries about 720p 
However the 1080p is a different story. BTW, I also threw a 1080p .mkv file on the bunch. I also used a program called FRAPS to see the real time FPS while playing the movie clip.

1080p BigBuckBunny

-- Mp4 AVI (with surround ac3) = FAIL -- stutters, audio out of sync, all crap –
-- H.264 – Flawless! FRAPS = 50+FPS.
-- OGG – ). 1080p = FAIL but 720p works fine (I installed k-lite)
-- MSMMP4 = FAIL. Stutters, audio of sync, FRAPS = 15-20FPS
-- MKV – most of them work flawlessly. But I noticed some anime in mkv format, it does NOT. Even in 720p.

Installing K-lite fixes the problem but it runs a CPU usage of 100% (but NO stuttering). However, Installing K-lite breaks the Broadcom Codec. You have to uninstall K-lite AND the Broadcom Driver/Codec to make BCM970012 work again.

With regards to CPU usage, all the good ones which are 1080p H.264, 1080p MKV, all 720p it runs about 30%-55%. I never actually saw it hit more than 55% while playing. Of course, the bad ones are 100%.

Just for fun, I actually tried plugging it to my Samsung LED TV UN46C7000 and wow, just wow! The H.264 plays very nice on the TV. I plugged in a VGA to VGA cable. I setup as Extended Desktop (to utilize 1080p resolution). I was actually surprised that the GMA 3150 can support up to 1920x1080 resolutions. On the LED TV, Fraps = 56 FPS as you can see in the picture (It could be a bug, I dunno).



Flash Performance with BCM970012

Flash version: 10,2,154,12

Before I plugged the Broadcom crystal HD chip, I tried playing HD Youtube files on 720p (Google Chrome, IE, Firefox) and it was hmm better than the Chrome OS but it still stutters. 1080p is out of the question, it is not watchable.

After plugging the the Broadcom HD Chip, 720p is flawless. 1080p is not flawless but acceptable in my standards. I’ve played a 1080p trailer of Avatar and according to fraps – it stays 21-27FPS. However, as soon as there are extensive graphic scenes, it dips to 15-18FPS which can be noticeable but still very much watchable. I also suggest you let it buffer everything first before trying to play it.



Another important thing to note is that even with the Broadcom chip plugged in, I noticed that the ATOM CPU FAN keeps spinning like crazy. Of course, this only happens when you actually watching flash or video clips. It spins so loudly, like full throttle. I don’t think this will help save battery life. But I haven’t tried measuring the battery life yet so I’m not sure. Also, I haven’t done anything yet to fix this issue. Maybe other knows to keep the fan from not spinning all the time.

Summary:

The only problem I have with the Intel SSD is heat. It is not hot or even scary warm. It’s just a bit warm and it gives me just a little bit of concern. I don’t know why the SSD is hotter in CROS compared to Windows 7. For some reason, I can’t find a tool/program that measures the temps of SSDs. CrystalmarkDiskinfo and other tools don’t give temp measurements. Due to this heat, I’m suspecting it is using more power thus making battery life less. Since this is the first time I’ve tried installing Windows on the CR48, I’m not sure if it also happens on the 16GB SSD.

**additional info update: I also installed Ubuntu 10.10 on it (Full install) and I noticed the SSD is still warm like in CROS. Also, BCM970012 does not work in Flash (browser) – although there is hope. XBMC is only standalone player to run Crystal HD in linux, AFAIK.

IMHO, the Intel SSD is a worthy upgrade. If you could add in a few more moneyz, you can pimp it a little bit by buying BCM970015 instead of the BCM970012. However, I’m not sure if the 970015 version will work since I don’t have it.

Of course, I would really love to make the BCM970012 to work in Chrome OS. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to do it or if it is even possible. They said that all drivers are integrated to the kernel. I don’t know how to compile my own kernel in CROS. If any knows how to make it work in CROS, I’ll be more than glad to test it.
I just decided to let Windows 7 run for two more days. If you guys have any suggestions or question or you want me to run something in Win7, I’ll do it now before I go back to CROS.

My next hack would be replacing the wireless minipcie (half height). I am having major issues with the Atheros wifi that came with the CR48. There are times when I reboot from Windows, the wifi is not being detect at all! Device manager reports no device missing drives or anything -- it is just empty! After a restart, it's there again. This also happens in Ubuntu. I'm not sure if this is an issue with the modified bios, but I just want to replace it.

Anyone knows what other minipcie wifi (half height) cards available right now that supports CROS? I'm thinking of getting the Intel wifi 5300.

BTW, always remember that when you plan to do this, you risk breaking the device and that will be a sad day. I would also want to let you know that this worked for me. I highly doubt it, but it may be different in your case. If you plan on doing this, make sure you can return the products for refund if you are not happy. I bought this from beachaudio.com instead of newegg.com because of the return policy. If you break your device, I am no way responsible as this is just a mini-review (not a guide).

I hope you like it! Let me know what you think

EDIT: For those having problems looking at the photos, you can directly go here:

http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc28/keplenk/CR48/

UPDATE: Media Player Classic Setting to fix 720p .mkv anime clips. Here

UPDATE 2: Power Consumption

Just a quick update: I checked the power draw (from the outlet) of the CR48 using a Kill-A-Watt.

In windows 7:

Idle = 14/15 watts (Set to High Performance, brightness is set to 100%) -- 15/16 watts in Ubuntu (Brightness set to 100%)
Load = 18 Watts (Prime95)
Boot up = 17 watts
Idle with brightness set to 30%+ = 11/12 Watts
Normal Browsing = 14 Watts
Watching Flash in Browser (all resolutions) = 20 Watts
Watch Video Clips (supported by Broadcom) = 20 Watts
Watch Video Clips (not supported by Broadcom) = 20 Watts.
*ALL tests are made when everything is set on high (100% Brightness, except that one on idle with 30%+ brightness).

I made the test with the power adapter only connected (battery removed). I also noticed that power consumption is usually 1 watt higher in Ubuntu. Could that explain the warmer SSD?

Update 3: Feb 24, 2011 Here

Right now, I'm back to Stock CROS. I will not be flashing/installing hacked BIOS for now. I will just flash it if I want to secure erase the SSD, then revert back. If you have any questions about Win7/other OS, I might not be able to answer it but I would do my best. Also, I will do my responsibility to be a test pilot for Google from now on. Next updates would probably be CROS-only related updates. Thanks!

Hm, interesting. Thanks for the review!

I guess the Intel SSD is simply faster than the Sandisk?

The Sandisk is dirt-slow, and has a tiny capacity. Intel's drives are fantastic (and obviously a much larger capacity)

Great review, I'm excited to install my drive when my CR-48 gets to me in the next week or so. Make sure you disable indexing, system restore point, write caching, superfetch, defrag, and hibernate for best SSD performance in Windows 7!

I'm going to order a Broadcom Crystal HD card as well - I wish there was an additional mini-PCIe slot so that I could stack that, an MR04 SD adapter, and my wifi module. What's more valuable - an additional 32GB of space mapped like an internal SSD, or being able to decode HD content? The choice seems obvious to me :P

I'm guessing the slower restore is due to having to format 40GB over 16GB.

That indeed would be the case - leastwise historically it has been when I've reformatted SSDs of varying size.

Hey thanks guys If youre having problems with the picutes, you can visit my photobucket album for high res

http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc28/keplenk/CR48/

@KefkaticFanatic, Yup it seems so. However it is not night and day difference but it is still noticeable. When you open multiple tabs, it responds faster.

@Luminair - Yup, I actually already did the SSD tweaks earlier this morning. It's actually faster now. You'll be happy for sure Also, with regards to the Broadcom Crystal HD, when you buy it, make sure you can return it if you're not happy. Are you going to buy BCM970012 or BCM970015? The 970015 has more codec support. From what I heard, the 970012 only supports H.264.

Whatever has more support, in all honesty. I haven't really looked into HD Decoders much, but it seems like a worthwhile investment. I'm hoping my CR-48 becomes my around-the-house consumption device as well as what I bring to and from work with me.

I may even have an Intel Wifi 5300 half mini in my office - I had to part out a bunch of systems recently, so I'll dig through that.

I would really appreciate it if you could test it. I hope the Intel wifi 5300 works!

With my Lenovo S10e, I was not that happy with the HD decoder because the screen was so small (10.1). 480p was more than enough. I only take advantage of it when I plugged it in to an external monitor/tv. With the CR48, it is totally different! You can actually tell the difference between 720p and 1080p H.264 while playing on the screen.

I hope everything goes well on your hack. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Luminair

Whatever has more support, in all honesty. I haven't really looked into HD Decoders much, but it seems like a worthwhile investment. I'm hoping my CR-48 becomes my around-the-house consumption device as well as what I bring to and from work with me.

I may even have an Intel Wifi 5300 half mini in my office - I had to part out a bunch of systems recently, so I'll dig through that.

wow this is great stuff i am thinking about getting the 80gb intel ssd.
i am not sure about the crystal hd since from what i read here flash in browser isnt improved. is that only for chromeos? or in ubuntu and win7 too?

and you bought the ssd or broadcom from beachaudio? i cant find either there only on newegg