New Dell Laptop with SSD and HD, SSD not set up for bootFF

[hal2kilo]

First, I posted this in SFF, Notebooks ect. It's like a tomb over there.

I just got a Dell 17 inch Inspiron 5070 that has an 8550U processor, 16GB of main memory, AMD 530 with 4GB, a 2 TB hard drive and a 256GB SSD.
It came configured with the hard drive as the boot/system disk and the 256GB SSD is configured as a cache with the Intel software.
Why did they not use the SSD as a boot drive?
Can the SSD be used as a boot drive?
Are there advantages to using the SSD as a cache?
My preference while its still new without a lot of software loaded is to reconfigure the SSD as a boot drive and make the 2 TB the general file storage and swap file like I have with my old trusted and true 1700 Vostro.

Where do you look to see how much of the SSD is being used for cache?

What do you all think, out there, is the way to go?
Edit: Not sure how FF ended up at end of thread title, forgot how to fix it.

 

[ch33zw1z]

It's a silly configuration way to selling to people who do t really k ow what they're buying.

What size, make, and model is the SSD?

If you can reload to it, definitely do it, and just make the 2tb a storage drive.

 

[Ketchup]

Agreed.

 

[XavierMace]

You sure about that info? I don't see a current model on the Dell website called the 5070 nor do I see one available with that drive configuration.

 

[hal2kilo]

It's a silly configuration way to selling to people who do t really k ow what they're buying.

What size, make, and model is the SSD?

If you can reload to it, definitely do it, and just make the 2tb a storage drive.

It's a pm871 Samsung. Apparently a common oem SSD.

Yea, I think I'm going to make this the way I want it. Just got to figure out how to capture the dell recovery partition in the process.

 

[hal2kilo]

You sure about that info? I don't see a current model on the Dell website called the 5070 nor do I see one available with that drive configuration.

Damn dyslexia. Should have been 5770. These are pretty new Kaby Lake R configured laptops. Described as light gamer.

 

[XavierMace]

Given I don't see a preconfigured one with that drive setup, my guess would be they configured it as cache as that's the least amount of work.

 

[hal2kilo]

Given I don't see a preconfigured one with that drive setup, my guess would be they configured it as cache as that's the least amount of work.

Oye. Went to the BIOS. In Boot Sequence screen the Windows boot manager box is checked. The UEFI box is checked. When I highlight Window boot manager and select view and get what looks like a configuration file. No devices to select. I'm thinking if I uncheck Windows boot manager, I should be able to see the devices? This UEFI boot stuff is all new to me.

Don't worry, I'm smart enough to know that just changing the boot sequence isn't going to fix my problem. What I'm concerned about is if I create an recovery image at this point, move it to the SSD, then change the boot sequence are there other issues I need to be concerned about.

 

[hal2kilo]

Looking through all of the configuration stuff on Dell I just discovered I do indeed have a finger print reader (also downloaded the user and service manuals). Its the power button. Bought this thing on Amazon and it went through another vendor. There was literally no invoice. The only paper in the box was an electrical safety and warrantee pamphlet, so I'm still figuring out what it is exactly that I bought. Also, back on the subject of memory and storage, I looks like M2 slots support both SSD and NVE PCI devices. Is that typical?

 

[Ketchup]

This sounds a lot like your Dell, and a good read if you haven' already:
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-...8250U-SSD-HDD-FHD-Laptop-Review.285058.0.html

 

[ch33zw1z]

Looking through all of the configuration stuff on Dell I just discovered I do indeed have a finger print reader (also downloaded the user and service manuals). Its the power button. Bought this thing on Amazon and it went through another vendor. There was literally no invoice. The only paper in the box was an electrical safety and warrantee pamphlet, so I'm still figuring out what it is exactly that I bought. Also, back on the subject of memory and storage, I looks like M2 slots support both SSD and NVE PCI devices. Is that typical?

You got the service tag? Is that to look it up.

 

[hal2kilo]

You got the service tag? Is that to look it up.

Yes, that's one thing I like about Dell. Just wish they had set this thing up differently.