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I am running the A08 from dell, but have a SSD coming soon, so I will probably switch to a modded A08 (I also have the GT555m). I have also just installed 16gb of Corsair memory. No Issues yet!

I am also curious about this. For SSD, I've read that you should "try" AHCI and revert to RAID if you have problems. I find this a little unsatisfying since it seems to be a workaround rather than a solution. Can anyone shed some light onto this?

Excellent information! I am a bit inexperienced with bios stuff (especially the modded bios), so it relieves some of the anxiety of experimentation to know that there are experts out there!

Do you have the latest samsung firmware installed? Their website has downloadable firmware: Samsung SSD Downloads | Samsung SSD US They also have some other utilities that might point you in the right direction.

Cooler Master U2 plus works well (it has 2 movable fans and fits the m14x nicely). As noted, a clean computer is a must, but given that, plenty of airflow under the computer will also help and is simple.

We have Windows 8 at work. I'm not a huge fan--seems they can't decide if its for tablets or computers and ends up being the worst of both worlds. From what I've read, windows 10 (there is no 9) should be much better. So, I plan to stick with 7 until 10 is out.

Amazon seems to have two "generic" types-one marketed to Apple users (seems to have screw hole tabs at the top and bottom) and the other ones that seem to have the hot-swappable pull tabs. Most seem to be 9.5mm for a 2.5" drive and some come with mounting screws. I just ordered the one that comes up with a "m14 hdd caddy" search in amazon. I do plan on having to do some modification to get it to fit right, but am still hoping for a perfect fit out of the box. I will update once it arrives.

Very nice! I am about to upgrade to SSD and will be doing a fresh windows install. I will be using this guide as well as some others that deal with the SSD tweaks. I will post my experience once complete!

I have had good luck with a cooling pad (Notepal U2 plus). It gives plenty of airflow below the computer and had 2 moveable fans. I haven't seen the peak temperatures you report, but still might be worth a try (no dis-assembly required).

I replaced my HDD with a SSD. While I wait on the slow boat to deliver my optical/hdd caddy, I have left out the optical drive. Balance is not a problem. Heat-wise may even be better (although likely a placebo effect!)

I would go with windows 7 and maybe look at 10 when it comes out. I haven't had a good experience with windows 8 on my work desktop. It sounds like windows 10 will be a better OS.

I have used a "pluggable" usb to hdmi adapter (essentially uses your cpu for processing graphics). It is not too bad for relatively "static" displays like e-mail or documents; but as far as using something like this for games or video, it's not the right tool for the job.

It looks like maybe the bios version could be responsible--anyone have issues with a "sata fixed" bios?

I just got a Notepal U2 cooling pad. It seems to help alot--it gives plenty of clearance below the computer for air flow and has moveable fans (although I'm not convinced that the fan positions really matter too much).

When I purchased my 840 evo 250gb, I looked at the 850's and the 840 pro's. Decided to save some money on the benchmark performance and to spend money for the capacity. I think that benchmarks are a good tool, but might not capture the day-to-day experience. Either way, moving from a HDD to a SSD should be a good experience!