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 an ASUS K50C laptop and it is so slow (Celeron 220 1200 MHz processor and 2 GB DDR2 800 MHz memory) that it’s just brutal. Do you think that in my case, replacing the HDD with an SSD will make the laptop faster? I increased the 2 GB RAM to 4 GB and nothing changed, the brakes did not disappear. I don’t play games, I work in 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! I read this letter 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 on disassembly, and then the idea crept into my head to disassemble my partner’s work laptop, just the ASUS K50C, because he I took my new 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 a budget model and was created not for gaming, but for everyday work in office applications and the Internet.
How will it behave on a regular budget laptop? Is there any point in such a replacement? 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 with the well-known CrystalDiskMark program, this small utility will measure the speed of reading and writing data to the 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 life, a hard drive, for the most part, writes data in small blocks and inIn 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 do not remove the back cover of the laptop, but 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.
The laptop HDD and SSD have the same 2.5-inch form factor, which means the sleds 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 is described in detail 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).
We enter it and see that both of our drives are identified: a regular Seagate HDD connected via a SlimDVD adapter and a Kingston SSD solid-state drive, we can make any of them a priority for booting the laptop and we can install the operating system on either one. Typically, an operating system is installed on an SSD, and a regular HDD is 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.
Many active laptop users have encountered a hard drive failure or simply wanted to replace it with a more capacious or faster one. Replacing a hard drive on a laptop is not impossible; just a regular Phillips screwdriver and no more than 20 minutes of free time are enough.
Often, when a hard drive breaks down, it is impractical to repair it, and after saving or restoring the necessary information from it, it is better to replace it.
You can find out where the hard drive is by turning the device over. There is often no need to completely disassemble a laptop. In most models, access to the hard drive is achieved by opening the cover on the back of the case.
Installing the HDD into a laptop is carried out by performing the procedure in reverse order. If you are lazy to read or don’t understand anything, then watch the video.
According to statistics for 2016, one of the most popular procedures in service centers is replacing an HDD with an SSD. Increasingly, owners of laptop computers are replacing outdated magnetic hard drives with modern solid-state drives. Solid State Drive appeared in 2009 and immediately gained popularity. The SSD differs from a regular Hard Disk Drive, which works by rotating, because it works based on microcircuits in a fundamentally different way.
Before installing an SSD on a laptop, it’s a good idea to weigh the pros and cons.
Before you remove the hard drive from your laptop, make sure that you have copied the necessary information from it, otherwise you will need to connect the old hard drive separately.
And here is a short video that clearly shows what replacing a conventional hard drive with a solid-state drive will give.
Replacing the hard drive on an iMac has some differences, but installing an SSD yourself is not difficult. Rumors that aimags have special drives that can only be replaced by a specialized service center are greatly exaggerated.
Before starting work, stock up on T8, T10 screwdrivers and a pair of suction cups. Apple does not use the usual screws and bolts, but prefers hexagonal sprockets.
For more convenient removal and tightening of hexagons, screwdrivers can be magnetized.
Replacing the HDD with an SSD in the MacBook Pro has recently become widespread among users. This is not surprising, because replacing an HDD with an SSD in a laptop is driven by the desire for faster and more comfortable operation of your pet, and Apple fans are no exception.
For esports players, installing an SSD in a laptop is mandatory.
After the upgrade you will receive:
To replace the SSD on a MacBook there can be various reasons, breakdown or lack of space, and it is not at all necessary to contact service centers. Anyone who can use a screwdriver can replace the hard drive on a MacBook Pro. Below you can watch a very detailed video on replacing an SSD drive on a MacBook Pro.
We prepare the PH0 and T6 screwdrivers and get to work:
Before installing the SSD in your laptop, turn off the power and remove the battery.
Don't forget to copy the necessary files from the old hard drive. If the new SSD is empty, you will need to install the system again.
Before replacing the hard drive on your laptop, check to see if it has a warranty. If the warranty period has not yet passed, then you should check whether you will lose the warranty if you replace it yourself.
Before removing the hard drive from the laptop, carefully inspect it for cables and wires. The cable going to the motherboard is very thin and tends to break at the most inopportune moment.
Before replacing the hard drive on your laptop, decide on the dimensions of the new drive. If they are significantly smaller than their predecessor, then for more convenient installation of the SSD drive in the laptop, you can drill several additional holes in the mounting bracket.
Back up important files from time to time and don't forget about diagnostics.
Yes, you are right, very often the computer slows down due to the gradually failing hard drive. And if you already hear a crunching sound, then the hard drive definitely needs to be replaced, without waiting until it breaks completely. By the way, disassemble the case and make sure that it is the hard drive that is crunching; it could also be the cooling system fans.
The most important thing that needs to be done right now is backup! That is, copy important files and documents to any other, preferably external, media. Otherwise, you will not only have to replace the hard drive, but also think about how to recover your data (and possibly pay a lot of money for recovery). And in general, make it a rule to regularly backup important data; you can read more about how to do this in our article.
To begin, use the standard utility built into Windows - in “My Computer” we find the desired disk, right-click on it and select “Properties”, then go to the “Service” tab and run a disk check there.
Next, find out the manufacturer of your hard drive and download the testing program from the official website (almost all manufacturers have it). Or use universal programs that fit all drives, for example, HDD Scan or Viktoria HDD.
It's simple - turn off the computer, remove the side cover, remove two wires from the current hard drive. Next, unscrew the screws that hold it in place (in modern cases there may be latches instead of screws). We take out the old HDD and insert a new one in its place. And in the reverse order - screw it on, connect the wires, close the case. That's all, it's much more difficult to transfer the system and data to a new drive, but that's a topic for another article.
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.
Once upon a time replacing hdd with ssd was monstrously expensive, and only a few could afford such computer optimizations. These days are fortunately over, because prices for storage media have fallen to such low levels that they are now not something unusual, even less wealthy clients can afford them, in particular this applies to models with a capacity of 120 - 128 GB . Models 240 - 256 GB are also very popular.
Okay, but why is it worth replacing your HDD with an SSD? Replacing hdd with ssd on computer comes down to the operating principle of SSDs; magnetic disks are replaced here by semiconductor drives, which provide much higher efficiency and significantly shorter data access time. As a result, you can count on greater comfort while using your computer, as well as faster loading of the 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: which is better hdd or ssd for laptop?
Currently, the big disadvantage of SSDs is the price-to-capacity ratio compared to HDDs, which use traditional magnetic disk drives (HDDs) - which have 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 SSDs to be as large, or even larger, than HDDs. 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 of the inexpensive 256 GB Plextor M6V model.
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 which drive is better ssd or hdd.
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.
Hard drive space is not infinite. The development of technology has made it possible to create disks larger than 1 TB, and everyone feels an illusory feeling that space will never run out. However, as disks evolve, so do technologies that take up disk space. For example, HD video eats up gigabytes of space for breakfast.
This was the dark side of the issue. The bright side is that learning how to replace a hard drive is a piece of cake! Therefore, there is no need to worry too much about a hard drive that is almost full. Read on, and all the secrets of this procedure will be revealed to you.
Before purchasing a new HDD, you will need to know the connection type of the old one. Today, the most used type of data transfer cable is SATA.
However, computers that are already 5-6 years old may use a connection known as IDE. The difference between them is easy to recognize: an IDE cable really looks like a cable with countless wires, and a SATA connection is a small wire ending in an “L” shaped adapter. In the picture below you can easily see the difference - on the left is a SATA drive, and on the right is an IDE connection. Laptop hard drives are often smaller, but the connections are the same.
By the way, about the sizes. Please consider the physical dimensions of the disk when purchasing. There are currently two popular sizes on the market – 3.5″ and 2.5″. The larger one is for desktop PCs, the smaller one is for small systems and laptops. However, many “heavy” hard drives are 2.5″ in size, regardless of the computer that is equipped with them. There is another exception to the rule: some factory all-in-one computers use the 2.5″ size.
The process of actually replacing a hard drive is one of the simplest, judging by the physical effort required. However, the hard drive is one of the most important components of the system; all your information is stored on it, from the operating system to your mail, movies and favorite songs. Therefore, a simple replacement will deprive you of all this information.
If your computer supports multiple hard drives, then this problem can be easily fixed. You simply connect a second hard drive to the system and clone the old drive to the new one using one of thousands of free utilities. You can then put the old drive away on the shelf or format it to use as a spare (check that the cloning was successful before you do this!).
It's more difficult if your computer only supports one hard drive, so you won't be able to transfer data directly. In this case, copying is only possible using a separately purchased USB-SATA adapter or external HDD. Cloning this way may take longer due to the limitations of the USB connection, but it will eventually be done.
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Desktop PCs are usually designed so that the hard drive is located in the front middle, between the CD/DVD and the bottom, with diodes and additional connectors. The process is not that complicated and only requires hands, eyes and a screwdriver.
Open both panels of the case. If you have a SATA drive, then unhook the cable and additional power, if any. If IDE, first disconnect the additional power, then the cable. Make a note of where you put them and remove the screws. Try to keep the case level to prevent it from falling and causing damage to the disc and surroundings.
Then, to connect the new hard drive, you can use the same screws - most often the connectors are universal. But if the drive comes with separate screws, use them. After that, connect - to IDE: first the cable, then the power, to SATA: first the power (if connected), then the cable.
With laptops it's a little different. For the most part, the hard drive in them is hidden behind a plastic cover at the bottom of the device, secured with a pair of screws. Having removed it, you will see, in fact, the disk, also secured with several screws. You just need to pull it out and insert a new one. All connections are built directly into the device, so you don't have to worry about cables. Please note that not every laptop can be modified in this way, so read the instructions to avoid difficulties.
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After the replacement, you will no doubt want to check that everything is working well. If you cloned the disk, then everything should be fine. Cloning programs offer to adjust the sizes of new partitions, trying to match the sizes of old ones as much as possible, and your PC will understand everything on its own. To make sure, go to Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Disk Management, here you will see which disks the system recognizes and which partitions are in use. If not all the space is used, you can increase the partition size or create a new one. Please note that some of the disk space will not be displayed, as it is used to store deleted files, information and data assigned by the manufacturer.
If you were unable to copy the old disk, this step is not necessary, since you will have to create and format a new partition during the OS installation process.
I hope this article has provided comprehensive information about installing a new hard drive. May you always have free space!
