On budget computers, even with a good processor and other components, manufacturers sacrifice speed to save money hard drive, betting 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 transfer important files to a 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 a new laptop with a valid warranty, then after opening the laptop yourself you will lose it.
How to save a copy of Windows
When replacing an old HDD with a new SSD in a laptop, many users think about how to transfer the system to a 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;
- Asus has a "Backtracker" program;
- 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 replacing a hard drive with 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 on the motherboard with a screwdriver or your hands; even the slightest scratch can damage it.
Let's start work:
If you decide to install a new system after replacement, then use Windows 7 and higher; Windows xp and Vista are not designed to work on an SSD drive and you may experience a drop in write speed. 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 of the disk drive depend on the thickness of the laptop itself. Also, the width of the adapter can also be different. The discrepancy between the dimensions will not interfere with the operation of the hard drive, but if you are a perfectionist, then this drawback will get on your nerves.
Connecting a hard drive instead of a drive is not difficult; usually the adapter comes with instructions and the 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.
Detailed video lesson
I'll show you how to change a HDD hard drive to a high-speed SSD drive. I bought a 250 GB Samsung 850 Evo SSD. and installed it on my laptop. Then I installed Windows and all programs on the new SSD drive.
I bought my SSD drive Samsung 850 SSD EVO 120 GB SATA III on AliExpress . At first I wanted to order this Samsung 750 SSD EVO 120 GB SATA III (it is 120 GB and cheaper), but in the end I ordered 250 GB, although I could have done with 120 GB. The Samsung 850 EVO SSD arrived after about 12 days (the fastest product that came from AliExpress).
The parcel is well packed and sealed with polystyrene foam. Inside the box is plastic, and in it is an SSD drive.
Here are the specifications of this SSD drive. My reading speed tests, notes at the bottom of the page.
1. Copy all the information you need from your disk
If you, like me, have only one hard drive space in your laptop, then first copy all the information from your hard drive to your external drive or to another computer. Or buy . So that you can then connect your removed HDD drive via USB and download everything you need from it to your new SSD drive.
Here is a visual video of this adapter.
2. Remove the hard drive and install the SSD
Turn off the laptop, unplug the laptop from all wires, turn it over and remove the laptop battery. Now on back cover laptop, look for the inscription HDD - this is the place where your hard drive is installed. On my Samsung NP-R560 laptop it is on the bottom left. The hard drive is closed with a cover with two screws.
We unscrew these two screws securing the laptop hard drive.
Remove the cover covering the hard drive. There should be arrows on it showing in which direction you need to pull to move the cover.
Here is the hard drive of my laptop. It has an aluminum lid to help dissipate heat and has a pull tab to make it easier to remove. Simply grab this tab and pull it to the left to disconnect the hard drive from the connector.
Done, the hard drive is disconnected from the laptop and connectors. We lift it and put it aside.
This is what a laptop looks like without a disk.
Now insert the SSD disk in place of the HDD disk.
Carefully insert it in place of the old HDD drive. I also installed an aluminum plate from the old HDD on the new SSD.
Close the hard drive cover.
Tighten the screws of the lid.
Ready. Now we turn the laptop over, insert all the wires into it, put the battery back and turn on the laptop.
3. Install Windows on the new SSD
There is nothing on the new SSD drive and there is no OS (Windows) either, so now you need to install Windows on it. You will receive this error when you try to boot from a new SSD disk that does not yet have a Windows operating system.
Partition table invalid or corrupted. Press any key to continue…
You need to insert your bootable USB flash drive and boot from it.
If you don’t have a bootable USB flash drive yet, it’s time to make one.
Here is a video on how to configure the BIOS to install Windows from a bootable USB flash drive.
Now that there is bootable flash drive and loading occurs from it, then install Windows on the new SSD. We select our SSD, it will be marked as “Unallocated space on disk 0” and click “Next” and install Windows.
The copying of Windows files will begin, then preparation for installation, installation of components, installation of updates, completion. The computer will restart several times. After the first reboot, you can remove the bootable USB flash drive.
If you have never installed Windows via BIOS, then you will find a video on this topic.
After installing Windows on a new SSD drive, change the boot priority in the BIOS so that the Windows bootloader is first looked for on the SSD drive. Although if everything loads and works, then you don’t have to change anything. I'll go to BIOS, Boot - Boot Device priority.
And using the F5 or F6 key I will move the SSD disk to the very top, so that the boot sector on the SSD disk is first searched, and then on the other disks, if it is not found on the SSD.
4. Comparison of SSD speed with HDD and USB drives
Using the CrystalDiskMark 3 program, I measured the writing and reading speed of my HDD drive even before removing it and replacing it with an SSD. The reading speed from it was approximately 100 MB/sec. when reading and writing sequentially.
Having once decided to buy a laptop, you probably foresaw that its active “life” would not be more than 3 years. Then your “pet” will slowly but surely begin to turn into an “electronic turtle”. But we don’t agree to put up with this, right?
There are not too many opportunities to rejuvenate a mobile computer, but they exist. you already know. Today we’ll talk about how to replace a hard drive on a laptop.
Why change it? And for what?
There are usually two reasons why laptop owners decide to replace the factory hard drive with a new one: the desire to increase the performance of the computer, increase the amount of disk space (upgrade) or restore functionality if the original hard drive has failed.For those who want to increase the performance of their “electronic friend,” it is better to install a good solid-state drive (SSD) instead of a hard drive (HDD). Fortunately, they are no longer as expensive as they were a few years ago. By the way, in addition to speed, SSDs have a couple of other valuable properties - low power consumption, noiselessness and resistance to mechanical influences (shocks, shaking, vibrations) from which classic hard drives often “die for a long time”.
But! Replacing a hard drive with a solid-state drive is unlikely to give a noticeable increase in performance if the slowest device in the laptop is not the disk, but, for example, the processor. How using Windows, our site has already told.
If the main thing for you is storage capacity, choose a regular hard drive. Yes, they are 1-2 orders of magnitude slower than SSDs, but they are 10 times cheaper: a 2 TB HDD can be bought for 6,500-7,000 rubles, and an SSD of the same capacity can be purchased for 55,000-70,000 rubles. In addition, hard drives are more reliable than solid-state drives in terms of data safety. Data recovery from a faulty HDD is almost always possible if the magnetic carrier layer is not damaged. And with SSD - almost never.
Sometimes you hear that SSDs are better than HDDs because they fail much less often. In fact, this belief is not supported by anything. It’s just that out of all the drives used, SSDs account for no more than 15%. And they break less often because there are fewer of them.
If both speed and capacity are important to you, you can opt for a hybrid drive – SSHD. This type of device is a hard drive with an additional solid-state flash buffer (memory module from which SSDs are made), designed to store frequently used operating system and application data. In theory, this speeds up their launch, but... The volume of the flash buffer is not large enough (8-16 Gb) to accommodate many files, so most of the time you work at the computer you will not notice a difference in the performance of an SSHD and a regular HDD.
Some users even claim that the hybrid is slower than simple ones hard drives. How could it be otherwise if its rotation speed is only 5400 rpm, while the individual “screws” are 7200?
In short, I wouldn’t recommend such devices to everyone, but if it’s important for you to speed up Windows startup and several basic programs, buy. The cost of hybrids and conventional hard drives of the same capacity differs by about 1000 rubles - the former are more expensive, the latter are cheaper.
To make it easier for you to understand, I have collected the main criteria for choosing the type of drive for laptops in one table.
SSD | HDD | SSHD | |
Performance | High | Low | Average, closer to low |
Capacity of the bulk of models | 120-500 Gb | 256-3000 Gb | 500-2000 Gb |
Noise during operation | Absent | Eat | Eat |
Impact resistance | High | Medium or low | Medium or low |
Preferred Use | Operating system, applications, frequently opened files | Storing large amounts of data that does not require constant access | Operating system, applications, user files, if this is the only drive |
Ability to restore information in case of breakdown | More often than not | More often there is | More often there is |
Approximate price of most models | 3,800-17,000 rubles | 2,500-9,000 rubles | 3,500-8,000 rubles |
How to choose HDD and SSHD
Interface
And the interfaces for connecting the new and old drives should ideally be the same.Almost all laptops released in the last ten years support connecting drives via the SATA interface. The exception is some ultrabooks and netbooks with integrated flash memory - like on smartphones and tablets, or with support only for thin SSD standards mSATA and M.2, but we won’t talk about them now.
This is what the SATA connector looks like:
If your old drive has the same one, finding a replacement will not be a problem.
On ancient machines made before the advent of SATA, drives are connected via a wide cable via the IDE (PATA) interface:
Finding a new hard drive of this format today is almost impossible, so most likely you will have to connect a SATA drive instead via an adapter. For example, something like this:
But keep in mind that such a replacement is only relevant if the original hard drive breaks down. The new one, no matter how fast it is, will transmit and receive data at the same speed as the old one.
Generation SATA
The generation of the SATA interface (1, 2, 3) characterizes the throughput or theoretically achievable data exchange rate between the drive and motherboard. The current generation of SATA, the third, supports transfer speeds of 6 Gbit/s. The previous – second – 3 Gbit/s, and the first – 1.5 Gbit/s.Boards and drives of different generations are compatible, but the exchange between them will occur at the speed of the slower device. For example, if the laptop platform belongs to the SATA-2 generation, and the hard drive belongs to SATA-3, data will be transferred no faster than 3 Gbit/s. However, even if the computer is old, it’s not worth buying SATA-1 and 2 hard drives. After all, you may someday want to move the disk to another machine, and it will be its weak point.
Form factor and thickness (height)
The dimensions of the hard drive determine whether it will fit inside the computer. Standard hard drives for laptops are available in two form factors - 2.5" (regular) and 1.8" (small - for netbooks and ultrabooks).2.5-inch rims come in 9.5mm, 7mm and 5mm heights. The latter are rare.
A disk of a similar form factor and the same or less thickness will be suitable to replace the old one. But in the latter case, you will have to put seals under it, otherwise it will dangle.
Capacity
The capacity of the new hard drive can be anything, the main thing is that it is enough for you. However, for older generation laptops – based on BIOS (i.e. without UEFI support) there is no point in buying disks with a capacity larger than 2 TB, since the system will not see anything larger than that.Speed characteristics of the disk itself: spindle rotation, buffer volume, IOPS
With standard mobile hard drives rotate at 5400 or 7200 RpM(rpm). The higher the speed, the faster access to data, but high-speed drives get hotter and make louder noise. In addition, large heat production with insufficient cooling in a cramped laptop case can lead to the sudden death of the hard drive, so devices with a speed of 7200 RpM are less reliable.Capacities memory buffer, where information read from the plates is temporarily stored, there is never too much. The bigger, the better. Hybrid hard drives - SSHD, as I already said, have another buffer - flash, like an SSD. When choosing, its volume (larger) and type are important: optimally - MLC, as durable, fast and inexpensive.
IOPS. This indicator determines the speed of random (random) reading and writing in blocks of 4-8 Kb - the main type of disk operation during normal computer use. This is the most informative indicator of a drive's performance, but, unfortunately, it is not always indicated in the specifications. The higher it is, the better.
Manufacturer
What you shouldn’t do is choose a hard drive based on brand recognition. I advise you not to take it into account at all, since today all hard drive manufacturers have taken a course not on quality, but on flooding the market with their products. It is more profitable for them to return money for defective devices after sale than to reject them in production.Guarantee
Unfortunately, none of the parameters of the hard drive allows you to predict how long it will last, so be sure to look at its warranty period. Those whose warranty is less than 3 years are definitely not worth buying.How to choose an SSD
Interface, form factor, capacity, IOPS, manufacturer, warranty
When choosing solid-state drives, the same factors are relevant as for HDDs, but with minor adjustments. When determining the appropriate SSD capacity, keep in mind that it is best to always leave 25-30% of its space free. Otherwise, it will work slower than it can.If your SSD is connected via the M.2 interface, pay attention to the location of the key - on type “B” modules it is on the left, 6 pins from the edge. On “M” – on the right, after 5 pins. These two types of devices are not interchangeable.
B&M type drives have both keys. They can be installed in both connector “B” and “M”.
Controller brand
Experts consider the best brands of SSD controllers to be SandForce, Marvell, Indilinx, MDX, LAMD (Hynix), Samsung (especially effective on devices with their own memory) and Intel. On budget drives– Jmicron and Phison.Flash memory type
SSDs use 3 types of memory: SLC, MLC and TLC. Without going into details, the main thing that distinguishes them is the number of bits of information that fit in one cell. SLC stores 1 bit in it, MLC – 2, and TLC – 3. SLC memory is the fastest, most durable (withstands up to 100,000 rewrite cycles), but also quite expensive. Drives based on it usually have a small capacity. Today they have practically disappeared from free sale and continue to be produced only by order of server equipment manufacturers.MLS is the most common type. In terms of speed, durability and price, it occupies an average position. Designed for 4-5 years of intensive use - withstands up to 3000-5000 rewrite cycles. Today this is the best choice.
TLC memory is the slowest and shortest-lived (1000-1500 cycles), but also the cheapest. However, coupled with controllers that support cell load optimization technologies, it can work almost as long as MLC.
TRIM support
It would be highly desirable for her to be there.TRIM technology is used to promptly release solid-state memory blocks from data that has been deleted. This ensures high performance of the device throughout the entire time of use. An SSD without TRIM support will not be freed from deleted information immediately. The longer it runs, the more unnecessary data it accumulates. And the more his productivity drops.
Let me explain the essence of the technology a little. The peculiarity of SSD is that data deleted from the file system continues to be stored in memory until the cleaning lady comes and takes it to the trash. TRIM is the same cleaning lady who takes out the trash immediately after it appears. And she looks at disks without TRIM support, figuratively speaking, once a week.
You may know that older releases of Windows (before Windows 7) do not support TRIM. To enable it, for example, in Windows XP, you will need special software.
How to remove an old hard drive from a laptop and install a new one
Replacing a drive is one of the simplest manipulations with laptop hardware. It does not require any serious disassembly - most often it is enough to remove the bottom cover of the device, unscrew a few screws that hold the hard drive, remove it and insert a new one.For many models, the disk compartment has a separate cover, such as in the photographs below. On such machines, replacing a drive is as simplified as possible and takes no more than 3-5 minutes.
To remove and install the hard drive, you only need a Phillips screwdriver and straight hands. If you've never taken your laptop apart before, for example to clean dust, make sure it's not under warranty. If you do not understand how to get to the disk, find a service manual or video instructions on disassembling your model online. The search query should look like this: “acer travelmate 5744 disassembly”, “hp pavilion dv6 service manual”, etc.
Are you prepared? Now let's proceed to the replacement itself.
- First of all, disconnect the power supply and battery from the laptop. It is important.
- Take a screwdriver, unscrew the screws of the bottom cover and remove it.
- Next, unscrew the screws holding the drive. On some devices, hard drives are not screwed down, but are simply tightly inserted into the bay. On the opposite side of the connector there may be a “tab” for ejecting the disk. If there is one, pull it to make the hard drive move back a little. After that you will be able to get it.
- The removed disk can be placed in a metal basket or rubber casing. Remove them and attach them to the new drive. Install it in place of the old one, secure it with screws and put back the removed covers.
All is ready.
If your device is equipped with an optical drive or has a compartment for it that is closed from the outside with a plug, you can install a second HDD or SSD instead of the drive. To do this, you will have to purchase an inexpensive adapter of this type:
The connection and installation procedure is shown on the stickers on the adapter itself. And even without them, I think it’s not difficult to figure it out. Once you try to replace the hard drive on your laptop with your own hands, you can easily cope with this too.
Happy experimenting!
Also on the site:
Higher speed, more space: how to replace a hard drive on a laptop updated: May 21, 2017 by: Johnny Mnemonic
HDD, like all computer components, may one day fail and then it will be needed replacement. And there can be many reasons for this. Of course, I’m not an expert in these matters, but it doesn’t require any special knowledge.
Almost any repair there comes down to a simple replacement of a failed unit. So, in order not to run around workshops and not hang up your phone in search of a mobile technician, let’s figure out how to do it yourself.
Repair or replacement? Where can I buy?
A broken disk, depending on the situation, can, of course, be repaired. Surely some workshop will provide you with something similar. But according to experts, a repaired hard drive still doesn’t work for a long time. Therefore, it is better to buy a new one and replace it.
You should buy it at a specialized computer hardware store. There you are guaranteed to be sold an original and high-quality disc. The components also have a warranty.
What to consider when choosing?
The capacity and manufacturer of the hard drive do not matter for operation motherboard and processor. Capacity is important to the user. The larger the capacity, the more information will fit.
Carefully disconnect the cords that are attached to it. There are only 2 of them. It is not necessary to remember the location. The cords are of different sizes and the connectors for them are different, so you don’t get confused and this won’t become an insurmountable obstacle when replacing:
Carefully unscrew the bolts on both sides that secure the disk. There are usually 4 or 6 bolts, depending on your luck. Try not to lose them, because it will be difficult to find the same ones later.
Step 4: Take out the old disk. You can throw it away, or you can keep it as a souvenir. Everything is ready for replacement.
Installation
Step 5: Remove the packaging from the new one. Carefully insert it into place before. The connector sockets should be directed towards the motherboard. Screw the disk on both sides:
Step 6: Connect the cords according to the connectors:
Step 7: Gently wipe off any dust inside the system unit. Cleanliness has never harmed anyone, and it will be even more useful for a computer. Warning! Use soft cloths for wiping. You can brush away dust from the motherboard and video card with a soft bristle brush. You cannot use a vacuum cleaner!
Step 8: Reattach the side panels. We tighten the bolts.
Step 9: Attach all devices to the system unit. Turn on the computer.
Step 10: Since the hard drive is new and therefore completely clean, you will have to reinstall the system. Usually, when connected, the computer itself will ask for installation. Insert the system disc and then follow the instructions.
Unfortunately, if a hard drive fails, the data stored on it is almost impossible to recover. Therefore, if you are afraid of losing some important information, purchase an external hard drive.
This wonderful thing has the same properties as a regular (internal) disk. It communicates with the computer using a USB cable. The benefit of an external hard drive is that while you're trying to save your favorite movies or music, you won't get stuck with piles of CDs and DVD discs, and purchasing such a number of flash cards is unprofitable.
How to protect your hard drive from failure?
- Buy only high-quality components from well-known and trusted manufacturers. Only in specialized computer stores;
- Do not expose the hard drive to shock, high temperatures or humidity;
- If you buy a disk in winter, do not insert it immediately, wait a while before replacing it. Let it sit at room temperature for a while;
- Do not remove software from your hard drive if you are not sure what it is;
- Install a good antivirus program on your computer;
- Do not install games or games on your computer;
- It is not advisable to defragment your hard drive too often;
- To monitor the operation of the disk and eliminate possible errors or problems, use. It is very easy to download on the Internet.
If you comply with these basic conditions then replacing hard drive, it may never be necessary or will at least be postponed for a fairly decent amount of time.
Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the PenserMan blog.
When you may need to replace a hard drive and how to do it yourself. Replacing a hdd hard drive with an ssd solid state drive.290 rub. RUB
Even the most durable thing can break at any moment. This is also true for the hard drive. The hard drive may fail, or it may not be suitable for memory capacity.
Repair cost from 290 RUR.
A task that should be entrusted to professionals! We will complete it with a guarantee and in the shortest possible time!
Regardless of why you decide to replace the hard drive, you need to understand that replacing a hard drive is not the same as installing other PC parts - everything is much more complicated. On the hard drive is operating system, many important files and programs.
And if personal data can be easily transferred from one hard drive to another, then with the OS and service files everything is more complicated.
Therefore, before replacing the hard drive, you need to transfer important information from the old device to the new one using Windows. This is done through the “Backup and Restore” section in the Control Panel. You need the “Create a system image” item.
You select a disk where you save the image and archive it, and when you install a new disk, you restore the system.
How to replace a hard drive
Before you change the hard drive, of course, you need to buy a new one. You need to check that the interface of the new disk fits your computer. It is best to replace the old drive with a new one with the same controller interface, size and power connector.
If you cannot choose a disk similar to the previous one, you need to carefully compare the characteristics and choose a device that is suitable in all respects to replace the old disk.
The hard drive can have a SATA or PATA controller interface. SATA comes in three flavors, so you need to determine which interface is right for you. Additionally, a hard drive can come in different physical sizes.
Before replacing the hard drive, you need to ground yourself so as not to damage your computer components. This problem can be solved with the help of an antistatic wrist strap, or you need to constantly touch the PC case.
Next, replacing the hard drive is carried out as follows:
- The computer case is unscrewed
- The hard drive is disconnected from all cables
- The disk itself is located in the case - you need to unscrew the fasteners and remove the old disk from the case.
- We put a new one in place of the old disk, fix it with bolts and connect all the cables back.
SSD is a solid state drive. This component has a higher operating speed than an HDD, but the price is much higher and the capacity is lower.
While HDD drives can now have a capacity of up to a terabyte, solid-state drives will not be able to reach such figures any time soon. In addition, an SSD disk can be rewritten no more than 10,000 times, while for an HDD disk this figure is 1,000,000 times.
There are different ways to install an SSD drive in a PC:
As you can see, there are many nuances that need to be taken into account before replacing the HDD drive. Much depends on the model of the drive that you decide to install instead of the old drive. In addition, you have to carefully select the size of the disk and the space for it so that there are no problems in the future.