Is it possible to replace hdd with ssd. Changing HDD to SSD in PC
On budget computers, even with a good processor and other components, manufacturers sacrifice for the sake of savings hard speed disk, relying on volume.
Replacing the HDD in a laptop with an SSD will speed up the computer and, if desired, you can get additional storage if you purchase a special adapter.
What you need to know
- Before making a replacement, you can worry about transferring the system. If you are planning to install a new OS, you can skip this point. Just send it important files on cloud service or flash drive.
- If you want to change the drive while preserving the system, then the new memory storage must be large enough to accommodate all the necessary information.
- If you have new laptop With valid by guarantee, then after opening the laptop yourself, you will lose it.
How to save a copy of Windows
When replacing old HDD to a new SSD in a laptop, many users are thinking about how to transfer the system to new drive. For this purpose they were developed special programs from laptop manufacturers.
Some of them:
- Acer provides the “Acer eRecovery Management” utility;
- at Sony – “VAIO Recovery Center”;
- The Samsung company has “ Samsung Recovery Solution 5";
- Toshiba satellite – “Recovery Disc Creator”;
- HP Recovery Manager;
- Lenovo solution center;
- U Asus program"Backtracker";
- MSI Recovery Manager;
Over time, the list may grow. You can find and download new versions of programs from official websites.
You can also use universal ones: Macrium Reflect Free, Macrium Reflect. They are supported on all Windows operating systems.
For each program there is detailed instructions on the developers’ website, but basically all the functionality is the same: you launch the program, choose what and where to copy, wait until the process is completed. After replacing the disk, you will see the desktop as it was.
Let's start replacing the hard drive
Below we will look at an example of replacement hard drive on an SSD in an Asus laptop. If your laptop is from another manufacturer, it’s okay; the principle is always the same for most models.
Before you begin disassembling your laptop, be sure to turn it off and remove the battery. And when working, try not to touch the components with a screwdriver or your hands. motherboard, even the slightest scratch can damage it.
Let's start work:
If you decide after replacement to install new system, then use Windows 7 and higher, Windows xp and Vista are not designed to work on an SSD drive and a drop in write speed may be observed. Also, versions 10 and 8 of the system are most optimized for running on a solid-state drive.
Otherwise, after you have installed the SSD, installing the OS will be no different from normal.
What to do with an old hard drive
1) The HDD drive can be installed as additional data storage instead of a DVD drive. They have long lost popularity and are practically not used.
To do this, you will need a special adapter that is inserted into the drive position. When choosing, pay attention to its height and width, since the dimensions disk drive depends on the thickness of the laptop itself. Also, the width of the adapter can also be different. The discrepancy between the dimensions will not hurt work hard disk, but if you are a perfectionist, then this disadvantage will get on your nerves.
Connecting a hard drive instead of a drive is not difficult; usually, instructions come with the adapter and necessary tools. This method of use will be optimal for replacing the hard drive without reinstalling the system.
2) Or, you can buy an external case with a USB adapter and use HDD as a portable storage device.
Shouldn't present any difficulties. A typical case has a lot of space, so you can install multiple drives, and the motherboard contains, at least, four SATA ports, so the drives can work simultaneously, allowing you to clone the system or install everything from scratch.
In the case of a laptop, certain difficulties arise because, as a rule, only one SATA port and one 2.5” drive bay are available. So, to transfer data from one drive to another, you will need a good USB drive. Of course, the problem becomes less relevant if the laptop has space for two 2.5” drives (or one 2.5” and one M.2).
Replacing a hard drive in a laptop
Installing a system from scratch is easy: just replace old disk to a new one and reinstall the system from disk or flash memory. It is more difficult in the case of cloning.
One disk space
If your laptop has only one 2.5” drive bay, and there is a working system disk, a USB housing should be used.
You can already close the lid and turn on the computer. If there is a problem starting the system, it is almost certain that the source is an incorrect disk cloning. Replace the disks, repeat all the steps with slightly different program settings (for example, change the partition structure) or use a different cloning tool.
If after several attempts the cloning replacement fails, you may have to install the operating system on new disk from scratch.
There is room for a second disk
Many modern laptops have space for a second drive, for example an M.2 connector. It is so small that it does not require the manufacturer to increase the size of the computer, and its presence greatly facilitates the transition to an SSD.
Clone or install
In order to moving to a new hard drive was the least difficult, you can clone the contents of the old disk to the new one. After a correctly completed operation, you will receive your system and data, as well as the entire partition structure, including recovery partitions, etc.
Some SSD manufacturers package their products good tool Acronis True Image HD. We can also recommend Ashampoo Backup Pro.
Replacing the drive can also be considered an opportunity to reinstall the system. Thanks to this, you will have the guarantee that the distribution of data in individual sectors is optimal for the SSD (not every cloning tool does this well), you will also get rid of unnecessary data (this is also a relief for SSDs).
In addition, you get a guarantee that the system will fit on the new drive, which in the case of cloning does not always work because SSD drives often have less capacity than HDDs.
Unfortunately, laptop owners often do not have the opportunity to install a system from scratch, because manufacturers do not supply installation media– the system distribution is located only on the recovery partition.
Replacing a PC hard drive
In this case, there is so much space in the case that you can install any SSD without any problems. Even if there are no pockets, the SSD can “hang” in the case on the wires - this does not pose any threat to it.
Disable defragmentation!
Defragmenting a solid-state drive increases wear on memory cells, so Windows 7 (and later) automatically disables it after installing an SSD. However, when cloning, it may happen that defragmentation is enabled. To change this, open Windows Explorer, and in it is a list of disks. Click right click mouse to any disk, in context menu select Properties. Go to the tab Service and press the button Run defragmentation. In the next window, click the button Set up a schedule. You can completely disable defragmentation by unchecking the option Execute according to schedule.
Hello admin. I read your article about replacing the hard drive on a laptop with an SSD and I want to ask you.
I have ASUS laptop K50C is already slow ( Celeron processor 220 1200 MHz and memory 2 GB DDR2 800 MHz), which is just tough. What do you think a laptop will do in my case? faster replacement HDD to SSD? I increased the 2 GB RAM to 4 GB and nothing changed, the brakes did not disappear. I don't play games, I work office applications and use the Internet.
I would like from you not just words that yes, everything will work faster, but also the results of some tests. And another question, if after replacement I install the remaining HDD from the laptop instead of the drive (using the SlimDVD adapter) , then will it be detected in the BIOS and is it possible to install an operating system on it?
Hi all! This letter I read it while at work and thought about where I could get a similar model, we haven’t had it on sale for a long time, and it’s not available for disassembly, and then the idea crept into my head to disassemble my partner’s work laptop, just the ASUS K50C, because it’s my new one I took the laptop apart ten times and experimented with something, so today we’ll disassemble his device for the sake of a scientific experiment, I think he won’t mind
The ASUS K50C laptop we are reviewing today is budget model and was created not for games, but for everyday work in office applications and the Internet.
How will it behave on normal budget laptop, is there any sense in such a replacement at all? Will our laptop become faster after installing an SSD in it? We will find out about this at the end of the article!
Before replacing the HDD with an SSD, let's test the hard drive of the well-known CrystalDiskMark program, this small utility will measure the speed of reading and writing data to your hard drive. After installing an SSD solid-state drive on the laptop, we will also conduct tests and compare them with those previously obtained from a simple HDD.
Official website of the CrystalDiskMark program
http://crystalmark.info/download/index-e.html
CrystalDiskMark is downloaded in an archive, unzip it into a folder and run executable
CrystalDiskMark writes and reads information on the hard drive in blocks (1024Kb, 512Kb, 4Kb);
Select drive C: click on the button All and it happens:
Seq: Sequential write/read test (block size= 1024Kb);
512K: Random write/read test (block size = 512Kb);
4K : Random write/read test (block size = 4Kb);
Friends, let’s remember the test results, but I especially advise you to remember what is hushed up by all hard drive manufacturers - the random write speed in 4 KB blocks (then we will compare it with SSD). IN real work A hard drive, for the most part, writes data in small blocks andIn our case, the write speed is terribly low 0.385 (this is typical for most conventional HDDs).
Disassembling the ASUS K50C laptop
Disassembling the ASUS K50C laptop is very simple.
Turn off the laptop and unplug it from the power supply, turn it over. Remove the battery compartment cover.
Carefully press the two latches and remove the battery (this must be done).
Unscrew the first screw securing the cover.
Unscrew the four screws located on the back of the laptop, two at a time; left and right
We don't film back cover laptop, and move it.
Unscrew the screw securing the drive and remove it. We also unscrew the four screws securing the hard drive and carefully pull the silicone tab to the right to remove the hard drive.
Unscrew the four screws and remove the “sled” from the HDD.
Laptop HDD and SSDs have the same 2.5-inch form factor, which means the sled can be installed on a solid-state drive without any problems.
Where to put the laptop hard drive?
There are two options.
For a laptop HDD, you can buy a nice one and use it as a portable USB hard drive.
In short, there are many options, choose any one.
In this article I propose install laptop HDD in adapter SlimDVD instead of a disk drive, the installation process itself in more detail described in the article, the link to which I gave just above, here I’ll just note that you need to secure the HDD in the adapter SlimDVD as expected
then transfer a special mount to it from the drive
We install a solid-state drive and an adapter with HDD into the laptop.
We secure everything with screws.
Reinstall and secure the laptop cover with five screws. We install the battery and close it with the lid.
Turn on the laptop and go to the BIOS in the Boot tab, here we need the option Hard disk drives (determining the primacy of hard drives).
searching results
We enter it and see that both of our drives are defined: regular HDD Seagate connected via SlimDVD adapter and solid state drive SSD Kingston, we can make any of them a priority for loading the laptop and we can install the operating system on any of them. Usually an operating system is installed on an SSD, and regular HDD used to store files.
We install the Windows 7 operating system on the Kingston SSD and run the drive test in the CrystalDiskMark program.
Result
Test of sequential writing/reading of information in blocks 1024- 512Kb on SSD is twice as fast as on HDD, and 4Kb blocks 20-30 times.
IN In real operating conditions of a hard drive, writing/reading small blocks will occur much more often than large ones, so the solid-state drive will work faster than a regular HDD.
Conclusion:
Friends, I do not urge anyone to urgently change their laptop hard drive to a solid-state drive, and the article is given to you primarily for your information.
If you are a computer enthusiast, I will advise you this; Install an SSD drive on your laptop and install Windows 7, 8.1 on it, work like this for several days, and then return the regular HDD to the laptop and you will immediately feel the difference in speed.
When replacing HDD with SSD, what increase in performance speed can you expect? This article tests the Plextor M6V 256GB model as an example. The article also provides detailed instructions on how to replace hdd with ssd.
Relatively good performance in reading tests, compatible with laptops and Ultrabookami (6.8 mm thick), PlexTurbo 3 technology, 3 years warranty with unlimited data recording.
Minuses
- poor performance in recording tests;
- low performance under prolonged load;
- the price could have been a little lower.
Once upon a time replacing hdd with ssd was monstrously expensive, and only a few could afford such computer optimizations. These times are fortunately over, because media prices have dropped to such low level, that at present they are not something unusual, even less wealthy customers can afford them, in particular this applies to models with a capacity of 120 - 128 GB. Models 240 - 256 GB are also very popular.
Why should you replace your hard drive with an SSD?
Okay, but why is it worth replacing the hard one? HDD drive on SSD? Replacing hdd with ssd on computer comes down to the operating principle of SSDs, magnetic disks here they are replaced by semiconductor drives, which provide much higher efficiency and significantly shorter data access times. As a result, you can count on greater comfort when working with your computer, as well as more fast loading OS and applications (including games).
SSDs, by the way, offer lower power consumption and are shock-resistant, and an additional advantage is often smaller size and weight. These features provide a certain advantage in mobile devices, where in addition to efficiency, mobility is important, and as a result, maximum operating time on the built-in battery. Based on this, roughly speaking, you already know the answer to the question: What better hdd or ssd for laptop?
SSD media is not yet suitable for everyone...
Currently, the big disadvantage of SSDs is the price-to-capacity ratio compared to hard drives, which use traditional magnetic disks (HDD) - characterized by higher capacity and lower cost per GB. Also the number of entries and erases is the which is better hdd vs ssd it's a little smaller. But the industry is constantly evolving, so in the future in a few years you can expect solid state drives just as much large volumes, or even larger capacity than HDD. Prices are also becoming lower from year to year and are even predicted to equal HDD drives.
At least that’s what the theory looks like, so it was decided to test it in practice using the example inexpensive model Plextor M6V 256 GB.
Below is shown how to replace the HDD in your computer with an SSD; you will also see what increase in performance speed you can expect, also thanks to the use of the author’s PlexTurbo 3.0 technology. This information is intended for less experienced readers, not everyone is a great expert, so if you are an experienced user, don’t blame me because you probably already know what disk better ssd or hdd.
Test platform
- Motherboard: MSI Z87M Gaming;
- RAM: GeIL 2 x 4 GB 1500 MHz;
- Solid State Drive: Plextor M6V 256 GB;
- Hard drive: WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (WD3200AAKS);
- Power supply: High Power Element Bronze 500 V;
- Graphics system: Intel HD 4600 (integrated).
Operating system and drivers:
- Operating system: Windows 8.1 64-bit;
- Intel Graphics Driver 15.36.
Step-by-step installation
Before starting work, you should take care of the order and disconnect all cables from the computer. Don't forget to also remove the electrical charge (if you don't have special gloves or an electrostatic mat), simply attach the plug to a grounded element, such as a radiator.
First you need to prepare a new one hard SSD as well as the tools necessary for the work, in this case a Phillips screwdriver is sufficient. In addition, aesthetes can purchase several clamps for routing wires. To replace the disk, you first need to get inside the computer - to do this, unscrew the screws holding it sidebar body and confidently move it back.
Then you need to find a bay designed for hard drives, it is usually located in the front of the body.
The old HDD is removed from the computer and inserted in its place fast SSD. The operation begins with the removal of cables, power and signal.
Then the old disk is removed and removed from the basket. A new SSD is installed in place of the old disk.
There is nothing difficult about replacing an old HDD with a new SSD. They both easily mount to the basket.
If the manufacturer has provided mounts for 2.5-inch hard drives, then you can safely install your new solid-state drive in it. Often you can also find universal cages designed to hold 2.5- and 3.5-inch hard drives (like the one in the picture above).
Otherwise, you will have to use a special adapter that accepts the SSD drive and then install it in a cage designed for 3.5-inch drives. Some manufacturers add such an adapter in the kit, but in other cases you need to buy it separately for a few dollars.
You also need to connect two wires to the new drive, for power and signal.
The power cable is wider, and the signal cable is narrower. Both plugs are designed in such a way that you cannot connect them incorrectly. The signal cable is connected to a free SATA 6 Gb/s connector on the motherboard.
If the case provides such opportunities, it is worth taking care of the aesthetic cable routing. At the end, the case is closed and all the computer wires are connected.
It remains to configure the launch operating system With solid state drive. For this purpose, immediately after starting the computer, enter the menu UEFI bios(usually F2 or DEL key).
Find the function responsible for the order in which hard drives are searched while searching for the system (BOOT) and select the SSD drive as priority. All that remains is to save the changes and install the operating system or clone the contents of the old disk to a new one (for example, using the Acronis True Image package).
The media was installed in the computer, which means it was time to compare the performance of HDD and SSD - for this we used a WD Caviar Blue 320 GB drive. In the example we focused on real tests, which will allow you to better understand what the real benefits of such a computer upgrade are and which hard drive is better hdd or ssd.
The procedure for measuring installation time and loading the system/games is not repeated, so we performed all tests three times, and then received an average rating.
Installing and starting the system
Installing Windows 8.1
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 211;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 250.
Loading the Windows 8.1 operating system
[s] less = better
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 28.
If the difference is small when installing the system, then when it starts, the benefits of the “replacement” will certainly be felt (the time is measured from the moment you press the computer’s power button until the desktop appears).
DiRT Rally: Greece Argolis Ourea Spevsi
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 12.6;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 28;
DiRT Rally: Baumholder Germany - Frauenberg
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 11.9;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 21.2.
The difference in loading times is huge - more later version hard drive allows you to reduce it by more than half.
Fallout 4
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 28.9;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 46.
The situation is similar in the latest Fallout, where maps can take a very long time to load. SSD reduces this time to an acceptable level.
Sleeping Dogs - Star
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 5.5;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 5.8.
Sleeping Dogs - Midtown
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 5.3;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 7.3.
Sleeping Dogs is a game where the level loading time is very short. There is a difference between HDD and SSD drives, but in this case it is not so noticeable.
Thief - Blocking
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 23.3;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 26.8.
Thief - Bricklayer's Market
[s] less = better
- Plextor M6V 256 GB (SSD) 13.1;
- WD Caviar Blue 320 GB (HDD) 13.6.
In the latest Thief, the levels are very varied - some take a few seconds to load, while others take half a minute. Still, the difference from switching to an SSD is not colossal.
Tests with PlexTurbo 3.0 technology
Additional benefit Plextor M6V drives feature PlexTurbo technology, which makes the media even faster. This solution is based on special algorithms that use RAM to cache frequently used data, thanks to the fact that the disk minimizes cell write cycles and increases its service life, the computer can perform these operations faster. And it is worth keeping in mind that PlexTurbo does not affect the storage capacity.
The latest version of the package can serve multiple disks. In addition, the manufacturer has introduced the ability to configure the cleaning speed and capacity of the cache memory; the user can assign up to 16 GB of memory, while the M6V series storage media supports up to 1 GB. We also didn’t forget about protection against data loss in the event of a power outage.
Activating PlexTurbo 3 technology did not reduce the system boot time; we can say that it booted just as quickly (time is measured from the moment you press the computer's power button until the desktop appears). The situation is similar in the latest part of the DiRT series - activating the PlexTurbo 3 function brought practically no increase in performance. Therefore, you should not expect acceleration in absolutely every case.
SSD or HDD?
Is it worth replacing the old one with a new one? ssd or hdd which is better? Yes, of course, there is not the slightest doubt that the difference in the operation of the computer will be visible to the naked eye. You will get comfortable operation and loading speed of the system, games and applications. In some cases, you will cut the time by almost half. In addition, you can count on quieter operation (SSDs are absolutely silent), and in the case of mobile devices, the design is also lighter and the longevity of the built-in battery is extended.
Are you a gamer and wondering: ssd or hdd which is better for games? An additional advantage of some models is the function of caching data in the area random access memory, an example here is PlexTurbo technology. This function allows you not only to further speed up the loading of the application, but also to stop the process of wear and tear of memory cells. Therefore, the answer to this question is obvious.
If you have decided on the answer to the question( hard drive ssd or hdd which is better?)then the price will not be a problem, because even despite the raging dollar exchange rate, solid-state drives are sold at affordable prices, models with a capacity of 120 - 128 GB are no longer associated with such expenses as 3 or 5 years ago; currently they can be purchased for just over $50. The Plextor M6V 128 GB drive can be purchased for $55. True, a medium of such capacity will most likely not contain all the data, but it will be perfect as a system storage device for the most important applications.
Models with a capacity of 240 - 256 GB are also selling well, because you can easily “buy” them for less than $100. Plextor M6V 256GB is now available starting at $399.
Video on how to replace hdd with ssd in PC
Step-by-step instructions on how to replace a hdd with an ssd in a PC and also transfer Windows from a hdd to an ssd.
Hi all! It's the end of 2018 and there is no better way to speed up your laptop than replacing your old and slow HDD with an SSD (solid state drive). Why else would you need to install an SSD in a laptop? - It's simple... laptop mobile device, and classic HDDs are mechanical and are terribly afraid of shaking, and I was always surprised by laptop users who dragged their laptops turned on around the office or around the house. An SSD has no moving parts and if you drop the device, you will most likely break the display, break the connector... but the solid state drive will most likely survive, and the HDD, in turn, with a 99% probability (if it was dropped while it was on) will have to be replaced!
Why then aren’t SSDs installed everywhere? — the main problem in price. Classic hard drives are still the leader due to their relative cheapness, but the available performance is sorely lacking. Storing movies or rarely used data on an SSD is completely irrational. I remember at the very beginning of my acquaintance with computers I allocated space on the drive for the system (Disk C) and for games and other files (Disk D).
Now the situation is repeating itself, only for the system I use high-speed SSD drive, and for storing large amounts of information, classic mechanical HDD drives. IN Lately consumer solid-state drives are becoming more affordable and a 120 gigabyte disk (in my opinion, optimal for the system) can be purchased for around 2,000 rubles, even taking into account the astronomical dollar exchange rate.
Now it’s worth talking about some nuances. Now I can’t say for sure, but since 2005, almost all laptops had SATA interface For connecting hard disk - the easiest way to replace them is with an SSD (just open and change them). Hard disks for laptops (form factor 2.5) had two standard thicknesses (9.5 and 7 mm), so try to choose a 7mm SSD drive (I haven’t met others, but just in case)- after all, 7mm will definitely fit in place of 9mm... but on the contrary, nothing will work!
Currently, the M.2 connector is gaining popularity (including on classic computers) - they can also work using the SATA or NVME protocol. Visually, they may be practically the same - so it’s worth reading the documentation for your laptop to find out what type of SSD it supports (and it happens that you can plug both NVME and SATA drive... of course not at the same time)
So... let's sum it up! We found out that SSDs come in several form factors:
- SATA 2.5 SSD
- M.2 SSD (SATA or NVME)
Let's take it required SSD and getting ready for replacement!
Installing an SSD in a laptop instead of an old HDD
What will you need? A bright head, the SSD itself and a screwdriver (usually a small Phillips head)… and it wouldn’t hurt to prepare external HDD to copy data
Before you start disassembling your laptop, I highly recommend taking a look at Youtube and searching for your laptop model to see how you will have to get to the installed HDD. On some laptops this is done simply, but on selected models You may have to go through half the device to get to the drive.
We simply replace the HDD with a purchased SSD and can reinstall the system (or transfer the existing one to a new drive... but I recommend doing a clean installation!)
What to do with an old HDD
If you forgot when you used it DVD drive oh, then for you the best option will install the old HDD into the optical drive bay. The cost of this thing (called optibay) is about 200 rubles on Aliexpress (if you don’t know how to order there, read the note about the online store) ... however, there are some nuances here, just like with HDD. Laptops use standard and slim drives - therefore optibay should be certain size... available in thicknesses of 9.5 and 12.7 mm - you can’t go wrong with your purchase!
Why HDD in optibay and not SSD? — logical question! The first thing that comes to mind is performance... why we take an SSD can be offset by low performance throughput drive in such an adapter. Well, not every laptop can start correctly with an SSD in the DVD bay.
Will this ruin the appearance of the laptop?- on appearance This will have absolutely no effect on the device! All drives in laptops are standard, so the external socket is removed from the old DVD and transferred to Optibay - you will even have the button to open the drive... but it will no longer be of any use!
And finally - from your old HDD you can make external hard disk and use it as a huge flash drive. There are still people who need a DVD drive and under no circumstances should they occupy it. This gadget costs about 500 rubles and does not require any special skills - insert it and it works!
As you can see, you can always find somewhere to put an old HDD - there are no problems with that...
What to do with the operating system?
Ideally, of course, reinstalling a clean OS from scratch - fortunately it takes very little time. However, there are utilities for migrating to an SSD without losing data - but this topic is quite extensive and would take up a whole series of notes, so I don’t see the point of discussing it here.
If there's room for M.2
If your laptop is equipped with an m.2 connector, then you are lucky - just buy a drive of the required volume and size (usually 2280 - where the first two digits are the width, and the second two are the length). Well, the subsequent reinstallation of the system or cloning from your old HDD. The undoubted advantage is that the old HDD will remain in the laptop and no additional devices no need to buy more (and DVD drive does not have to be removed from the system).
conclusions
What do we have? — Installing an SSD in a laptop will give the most noticeable performance boost in everyday tasks like surfing the Internet and working with files. It makes no sense to replace the old HDD if you want to increase the gaming performance of your system - an SSD will only help speed up loading, which in general will have a minimal impact on the number of FPS in games...