How to choose an SSD drive for a laptop: Basic rules. How to connect an SSD drive to a computer with a motherboard? Connecting ssd via usb
Before choosing an SSD drive for a laptop, the buyer should find out their main features that they should pay attention to.
First of all, this is the disk capacity and its price - facts that influence the choice of any drive.
However, SSDs have their own characteristics that require taking into account other factors, approaching the purchase more responsibly than purchasing other computer elements.
Moreover, the price of such a device will be perhaps the most expensive among all laptop components.
Benefits of purchasing
Buying an SSD drive for a laptop is one of the most important steps to increase system performance and data processing speed.
On such a drive, access to information occurs much faster.
Replacing an outdated HDD with a more modern version will bring a greater increase in power than even increasing the memory or installing a new processor.
Advantages of a solid state drive for a laptop:
- increasing the speed of data access, which will speed up the launch of programs several times;
- compact sizes of most devices (except for portable options), making it easy to select an SSD for both a large 17-inch laptop and a small netbook with a 10-inch display;
- light weight, especially important when used on a laptop computer;
- reduced energy consumption, which should increase the average battery life of your laptop;
- high level of reliability of SSD operation.
Among the disadvantages that are noted in solid-state drives, attention is paid to its relatively small resource: 3000–5000 cycles.
For normal home use, this time is roughly equivalent to 7-8 years of work, more than the average user works with the same drive.
The comparative fragility of the SSD in this case does not matter much - it is also undesirable to drop the laptop itself.
At the same time, the relatively high price of the device is compensated by increased operating speed.
Features of choice
You should start choosing the right solid-state drive for you with the main indicator that immediately catches your eye when viewing various options in online stores.
This is the cost of the equipment, which today still exceeds the same parameter for conventional HDDs several times; it depends on the volume and manufacturer of the disk.
Price and volume
The cost of an SSD can seriously influence the choice of a user with limited financial resources.
The only available options today are 60–120 GB drives, the price of which is in the range of 2–4 thousand rubles, almost the same as a 500–1000 GB HDD costs.
However, if the laptop is used only for work and not for games, a 120 GB disk will be quite enough to accommodate the system and documents, and perhaps enough for backup.
When choosing an option for storing a large amount of information, you should consider budget SSDs with a capacity of 512 GB.
The cost of a gigabyte is lower than that of other devices – at 20–30 rubles. instead of 40–80 rubles. for smaller or, conversely, new and larger drives.
It is worth paying attention to the 512 GB variants because of the increased data exchange speed.
Drives of this size (it can be not only 512 GB, some manufacturers produce 480 and 525 GB drives) work twice as fast as their 128 GB counterparts.
Size
When looking at SSD drives, you will notice that their sizes differ from each other.
And, if it is acceptable to buy a 3.5" drive for a desktop PC, for a laptop you should choose 2.5 and even 1.8-inch models.
Some of the most popular options today are the mSATA and M2 form factors, which are boards for SATA and PCI-E slots, respectively.
The dimensions of such disks are even smaller - the width can reach only 12 mm, the length can range from 16 to 110 mm.
The only drawback of mSATA and M2 drives can appear if there are no corresponding slots on the laptop motherboard.
But such outdated motherboards have not been produced for several years.
It is unlikely that you can significantly increase the performance of an old (before 2010-2011) laptop even with the help of an SSD drive.
Interface
Standard interfaces for connecting SSDs are PCI-E or SATA.
In terms of price/quality ratio, the best options are drives connected via the SATA III connector.
This interface will provide data transfer speeds of up to 6 Gb/s - more than any solid-state drive available today.
Speed
Reading and writing speed are parameters that will affect the speed of working with information.
Most SSDs read faster than write.
When the cache is full, the actual speed of the drive may drop - although not as noticeably as with older-style hard drives.
However, even inexpensive SSD drives operate 3–4 times faster than high-performance HDDs.
Therefore, when choosing a budget solid-state drive model (for example, a 512 GB option for 10 thousand rubles), you will still get a noticeable increase in performance.
Buying an analogue that costs 25–30 thousand rubles is not always justified for the average user, even with increased speed.
A compromise solution is to choose an option with less capacity but greater data transfer capabilities.
Resource
For a conventional solid-state drive, the number of rewrite cycles reaches 5000–10000. The higher this value, the longer the disk will last.
So, for example, for a frequently used small 60 GB SSD, the resource may decrease by 2-3 cycles during the workday.
A productive 512–1024 GB drive will last you approximately the same number of days as the number of cycles indicated in its technical specifications – 3000 (more than 8 years) or 5000 (13 years).
Although improper handling of the disk can reduce the resource much faster.
Manufacturer
Many manufacturers produce SSD drives, from Intel to SanDisk. Choosing a drive by brand is quite difficult.
But, if you need an inexpensive option, you should give preference to Crucial brands. Intel products provide high reliability.
And the fastest, although most expensive, are SSDs from Samsung, Western Digital and Corsair.
Controller
The type of controller affects disk performance. Budget options use Phison models.
Expensive and fast drives are equipped with Marvell controllers, which provide a noticeable increase in performance.
Drives from the lower and middle price categories may have a SandForce SSD controller, which reduces data processing speed when the cache is full and disk space is reduced, but at the same time quickly records information.
Installing the disc
After the SSD drive has already been selected and purchased, all that remains is to install it correctly in the laptop.
If there is not enough space, you can replace the HDD already installed on the laptop with a solid-state drive (which can then be inserted instead of the drive using a special adapter).
Another option suitable when choosing a solid-state drive with the M2 form factor is installing the drive together with the HDD; There is enough space inside the laptop for this.
In this case, overpaying for a drive with smaller dimensions becomes justified.
The third option is to buy a special case to make the SSD external. Although you can buy such a drive in a design that is already suitable for connecting via a USB connector.
True, the second option will be more expensive and will not allow, if the opportunity arises, to install the disk inside the laptop.
Advice: External SSD should only be connected via USB 3.0 or 3.1 ports. The outdated interface 2.0 will not only not provide any increase in speed compared to the HDD, but may even reduce it.
Once the drive is connected, it must be optimized by installing software from the official manufacturer or other suitable applications.
For example, the Intel SSD Toolbox program will ensure that the disk firmware is constantly updated and its partitions are aligned. The AS SSD utility performs approximately the same task.
The interface of such optimization programs does not require much time to master - it is quite intuitive.
Green means the SSD is working normally.
Red warns of possible problems and you need to download the utility not to check, but to correct errors.
One of these applications is Parted Magic, whose task is to restore lost SSD settings and return their values to factory settings.
SSD Operation
Immediately after installing the SSD, it is advisable to split it into several partitions (just like a regular HDD).
One partition will be used for the operating system and system files, the rest will be used to store other information.
Another option is to store the bulk of the files on a regular hard drive, and give the solid-state drive to the OS and most frequently launched programs.
This optimization of SSD space will extend its service life.
If the drive is small (an economical purchase option), ranging from 60–128 GB, it is recommended to periodically empty it of unused files.
The disk should not be allowed to operate at the limit of its capacity - this affects both the speed of operation and the service life.
To remove unnecessary information, you should use the CCleaner program.
When using solid-state drives, it is worth knowing about the features of deleting information from it.
It is advisable not only to delete an unnecessary file using the system’s built-in tools, but also to additionally clean the disk with a special utility - for example, Eraser, which can be called up from the Windows context menu after installation.
Another way to extend the life of an SSD, preventing premature failure of expensive equipment and loss of information, is to ensure uninterruptible power supply.
To do this, you need to ensure that your laptop battery has a sufficient charge level.
When connecting the device to the mains (for charging or in case of problems with the battery), it is advisable to use a UPS.
An unexpected power outage can erase information on an SSD, and a short circuit in the electrical network in 80% of cases damages the drive itself.
Increase the service life and effective cooling of the SSD - using special laptop stands and periodic cleaning of the case.
Firstly, it will not increase the speed, unlike HDD.
Secondly, by defragmenting the disk, you reduce the number of remaining rewrite cycles.
conclusions
Today's best choice for users looking to improve performance while saving money is the 60-128GB 2.5-inch SSD, suitable for most workloads.
If you have the financial means, the best option for your laptop is a disk with the M2 form factor and a capacity of 512 GB.
Often, when working with a PC, we encounter problems that we did not expect. For example, we don't know how to connect an SSD drive to a computer. It would seem that the matter is not at all difficult, but it requires care and correct actions. Therefore, if you decide to carry components or assemble a PC yourself, then you will need to know everything about such minor difficulties.
For what?
Upgrading your computer is always a responsible matter. Not all users are ready to do this. Firstly, you need to have a good understanding of components, understand the compatibility of different devices, and understand new products. Secondly, in addition to this, significant financial investments are needed, since the better the product, the more expensive it is, respectively.
In this case, everyone will need to learn how to connect an SSD drive to a computer. This is also necessary for those who decided to assemble a PC themselves, or for those whose hard drive “passed away.” There are a lot of instructions on this issue on the Internet, so let’s get started.
Peculiarities
Before we begin to understand this issue, we need to tell those who do not know anything about SSDs.
It is a solid state drive, which is a non-mechanical storage device. It is based on a memory chip. The device replaced the HDD. Although it is impossible to say so unequivocally, since many experienced users prefer to install both a hard drive and a solid-state drive in their PC.
As a result, sometimes this device becomes the main one, replacing the place of the hard drive, sometimes auxiliary. In the second case, the system is loaded onto it, and personal information is stored on the hard drive.
Advantages
Now, not everyone needs to learn how to connect an SSD drive to a SATA computer, since most users still use this device in compact devices: tablets, etc.
However, it can also be installed in desktop computers because it brings additional benefits. Most importantly, it improves system performance. Compared to traditional hard drives, it is smaller in size and weight and has increased performance. Moreover, the speed turned out to be 6-7 times greater. Hence the high price for SSDs.
In addition, solid-state drives have begun to be integrated in pairs with HDDs to form hybrid hard drives. In this case, the flash memory became occupied by a buffer. Although, as mentioned earlier, sometimes it is used as a separate free space.
In addition, noiselessness has been added to the main advantages, since the device is non-mechanical and has no moving elements. Hence the high mechanical resistance. Files are read stably, without interruptions or jumps. Reading speed is close to the throughput of the interfaces.
Connection
So, how to connect an SSD to a computer? Installed using approximately the same method. Therefore, if you have ever encountered the work of a hard drive, then there will be no problems with a solid-state drive. The only difference is the dimensions. You will need to fit the smaller device into the correct slot.
Start
To start the procedure, of course, you need to turn off your PC. To be on the safe side, it is better to do it completely unplugged. Don't forget to turn off the power supply as well. Usually the button to turn it off is located on the back, on the case.
Now you need to do the following operation: press and hold the PC power button for several seconds. This is necessary so that all the current that remains on the board and in general in the entire case disappears. This way you will de-energize all circuits and ensure your safety.
Depending on your goals, the next steps may vary. But in general, the connection principle is always the same.
Let's act
To understand where to connect the SSD drive to the computer, you need to get to the case. First you need to open it. Usually it all depends on its design. But there are always small screws to remove the left panel and get to the “insides” of the PC. There are cases that may have access to the ports from the other side, so here you need to act according to the situation.
If you are new to computer chassis design, you may have problems. But if you at least know what a hard drive looks like and can find it in a metal box, then half the battle is done.
Usually the hard drive is placed in a special compartment. There may be several of them in the case. Made specifically for 3.5 inch HDD size. This is where you need to place the SSD.
Because the dimensions are a little different, being 2.5 inches, you'll have to bolt it down pretty well. They usually come with the device. Recently, slots in cases for SSDs have become increasingly common. Therefore, perhaps the task will be simplified.
When the drive is secured and well fixed, you will need to figure out how to connect the SSD drive to the computer, to the motherboard. Here the matter is somewhat more complicated, since you will have to google it or figure out the interfaces.
Compound
Next you need to take the cable that came with the drive. You will find an L-shaped port on it. This is SATA. In addition to this, you must have a power cable. It usually looks like a bunch of wires.
First you need to connect the power cable to the connector from the power supply. Then we take the SATA cable and look for the right place on the motherboard. Usually there are few options. If the board has SATA III, then it is better to use this port. If this option is not available, connect to SATA II.
Now these two wires will need to be connected directly to the SSD. A power cable is placed in the wider connector, and a SATA cable is placed in the narrow connector.
Other options
Not everyone knows, but they have been releasing SSDs of the M.2 form factor for a couple of years now. Now these models are not uncommon. Many people prefer them. In addition, newfangled motherboard models began to be equipped with a special connector specifically for this form factor.
As a result, the situation led to the fact that we need to know how to connect an SSD M2 drive to a computer. It must be said right away that this model has many variations. Therefore, the connection may be slightly different. But the main point is that, unlike the previous option, we connect the solid-state drive to the “motherboard” not with wires, but with the device itself.
When you see the M.2 SSD in the photo, you will understand what the point is. It is not presented in a case, like the model described above. It is made of a small board containing memory chips. This board has special slots for installing them on the motherboard.
It is impossible to describe the connection for all cases, since there are really many options. But when you buy an M.2 SSD drive, you will have instructions that will tell you how to do it correctly.
Settings
Once you have assembled and connected everything, you can turn on the PC. While loading it, you need to call up the BIOS. Here you should look for the AHCI mode, which is responsible for the operation of the solid-state drive.
For example, you are going to load an operating system onto an SSD. But in addition to the new drive, you already have hard drives connected. Then you will need to prioritize the devices. To do this, we put the solid-state drive first in the list. We install the ability to boot the OS from a disk or flash drive.
If you need an SSD as an additional tool, then it will be enough to check that the existing hard drive is first in line. Otherwise, the system may simply not boot. You might want to move your OS to an SSD. In this case, after you have learned how to connect an SSD drive to a computer, you will need to perform a very extensive operation. This is a topic for another article.
Laptops
When you try all the above operations using your own example, you will realize that you even know how to connect 2 SSD drives to a computer. The main thing is that there is enough space on your motherboard.
But speaking about PCs, we need to remember that initially solid-state drives began to be widely used in laptops because they are compact. Therefore, you can additionally learn how to connect an SSD to a laptop.
Of course, it is better to consider this issue with each device model, since the cases are different, and, accordingly, the placement of the disk slot is also different.
However, the main thing is to decide where the hard drive is located in your laptop. Usually, to do this you have to turn off the device and open the bottom cover. Sometimes it can be completely removed, sometimes you can unscrew the compartment panels. The railway station is usually located in one of them. If you can't find it, check your laptop's manual.
It must be said right away that HDDs in laptops are the same size as SSDs - 2.5 inches. In order to remove the hard drive, you need to not just pull it out, but first pull it to the side. It is thus attached to the power and SATA connector.
Then it's a small matter - just install the solid-state drive. Don't forget to secure it with screws. Since laptops usually have one place for a hard drive, you will have to think in advance about how you will transfer the operating system: by cloning or a new installation.
conclusions
You need to find out how to connect an SSD drive to a computer in advance, and not when you have unscrewed, unscrewed and disconnected everything. Sometimes you have to make additional settings and think in advance about the location of the OS.
The easiest way to do this is when you need a solid-state drive only as an auxiliary tool. Then you just need to connect it to another compartment and connector. If you want to make it your main one, then you need to read the instructions for cloning HDDs and SSDs, configure and think through everything in advance.
If you are building a PC from scratch and decide to simply install a fast “colleague” instead of a hard drive, do not forget to configure the connection in the BIOS. It is important to set the special mode and priority of the drives.
Good day.
For many users, one disk is often not enough for everyday work on a laptop. There are, of course, different options for solving the issue: buy an external hard drive, flash drive, etc. media (we will not consider this option in the article).
Or you can install a second hard drive (or SSD (solid state)) instead of the optical drive. For example, I use it very rarely (I’ve used it a couple of times over the last year, and if I didn’t have it, I probably wouldn’t remember about it).
In this article I want to look at the main questions that may arise when connecting a second drive to a laptop. So...
1. Selecting the required “adapter” (which is installed instead of the drive)
This is the first question and the most important! The fact is that many people do not suspect that the thickness of disk drives in different laptops can be different! The most common thicknesses are 12.7 mm and 9.5 mm.
To find out the thickness of your drive, there are 2 ways:
1. Open some utility, such as AIDA (free utilities: http://pcpro100.info/harakteristiki-kompyutera/#i), then find out the exact model of the drive in it, and then find its characteristics on the manufacturer’s website and look at it there sizes.
2. Measure the thickness of the drive by removing it from the laptop (this is a 100% option, I recommend it so as not to make a mistake). This option is discussed further down in the article.
By the way, please note that this “adapter” is correctly called a little differently: “Caddy for Laptop Notebook” (see Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. Adapter for a laptop for installing a second disk. 12.7mm SATA to SATA 2nd Aluminum Hard Disk Drive HDD Caddy for Laptop Notebook)
2. How to remove the drive from a laptop
This is done quite simply. Important! If your laptop is under warranty, such an operation may result in denial of warranty service. Whatever you do next, do it at your own peril and risk.
1) Turn off the laptop, disconnect all wires from it (power, mice, headphones, etc.).
2) Turn it over and remove the battery. Usually its fastening is a simple latch (sometimes there can be 2 of them).
3) To remove the drive, as a rule, it is enough to unscrew 1 screw that holds it. In a typical laptop design, this screw is located approximately in the center. When you unscrew it, it will be enough to lightly pull the drive housing (see Fig. 2) and it should easily “move out” of the laptop.
I emphasize that proceed carefully; as a rule, the drive comes out of the case very easily (without any effort).
Rice. 2. Laptop: drive mount.
4) It is advisable to measure the thickness using a caliper rod. If it is not there, you can use a ruler (as in Fig. 3). In principle, to distinguish 9.5 mm from 12.7, a ruler is more than enough.
Rice. 3. Measuring the thickness of the drive: it is clearly visible that the drive is about 9 mm thick.
Connecting a second drive to a laptop (step by step)
To begin with, I want to draw your attention to 2 nuances:
Many users complain that the laptop loses its appearance somewhat after installing such an adapter. But in most cases, the old drive socket can be carefully removed (sometimes small screws can hold it in place) and installed on the adapter (red arrow in Fig. 4);
Before installing the disk, remove the stop (green arrow in Fig. 4). Some people push the disk “from above” at an angle without removing the stop. This often leads to damage to the contacts of the disk or adapter.
Rice. 4. Type of adapter
As a rule, the disk fits into the adapter slot quite easily and there are no problems with installing the disk into the adapter itself (see Fig. 5).
Rice. 5. An SSD drive is installed in the adapter
Problems often arise when users try to install an adapter in place of the optical drive in a laptop. Most often the problems are as follows:
The adapter was chosen incorrectly; for example, it turned out to be thicker than needed. Forcing the adapter into the laptop can cause damage! In general, the adapter itself should “ride” into the laptop as if on rails, without the slightest effort;
On such adapters you can often find compensator screws. In my opinion, there is no benefit from them, I recommend removing them immediately. By the way, it often happens that it is they that rest against the laptop body, preventing the adapter from being installed in the laptop (see Fig. 6).
Rice. 6. Adjustment screw, compensator
If everything is done carefully, the laptop will have its original appearance after installing the second disk. Everyone will “think” that the laptop has an optical drive, but in fact there is another HDD or SSD (see Fig. 7) ...
Rice. 7. The adapter along with the disk is installed in the laptop
I recommend that after installing the second disk, go into the laptop’s BIOS and check whether the disk is detected there. In most cases (if the installed disk is working and there were no previous problems with the drive), the BIOS correctly detects the disk.
How to enter the BIOS (keys for different device manufacturers): http://pcpro100.info/kak-voyti-v-bios-klavishi-vhoda/
Rice. 8. BIOS recognized the installed disk
To summarize, I want to say that the installation itself is a simple matter, anyone can do it. The main thing is to take your time and act carefully. Problems often arise due to haste: first they didn’t measure the drive, then they bought the wrong adapter, then they started installing it by force - as a result, they took the laptop for repair...
That's all for me, I tried to sort out all the pitfalls that may exist when installing a second disk.
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2 in 1. Installing SSD and HDD in a laptop
With the advent of SSD drives, many users began to abandon HDD drives in favor of SSD drives. This is not surprising, because SSD has a number of advantages. The main advantage is the high read/write speed; also among the advantages it is worth noting the absence of noise and low power consumption. Among all the advantages, there is also one disadvantage - the small storage capacity. But what if you need fast operation of the system and at the same time a lot of space for information? In a PC, this is easily solved by installing an SSD disk as a system disk and an HDD as a disk for storing information. But what should laptop users do if there is only one drive bay? For laptop users, there are two solutions to this problem.
First. Install an SSD instead of a hard drive and use an external drive to store information. This method involves installing an SSD drive instead of the system drive (hard drive), and the hard drive in a USB pocket. Some manufacturers sell SSD drives in two configurations. The first and most common includes a solid-state drive, instructions, and in some cases an adapter for installing an SSD in a PC. The second package is a little more expensive and, accordingly, more advanced, it includes a drive, a USB pocket for 2.5″ drives, instructions, and an adapter for installing an SSD in a PC. SSDs that come with a USB pocket are ideal for this installation method.
This method is not always convenient for a number of reasons: - one or two USB ports are occupied (depending on the removable drive) - when transporting a laptop, you also need to remember about the external drive - the external drive is more prone to mechanical damage
I would like to demonstrate and describe the second solution using the example of the ASUS K55Vm laptop.
Test configuration: Processor: Mobile QuadCore Intel Core i7-3610QM Memory: 2x4GB Hynix HMT351S6CFR8C-PB DDR3-1600 Video adapter: NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M (2048 MB) This method is characterized by the fact that the SSD drive is installed in the main bay intended for the hard drive. The second disk is installed instead of a CD-ROM.
For this we need: 1) A laptop (it won’t work without it)
2) SSD drive. We chose KINGSTON Sh203S390G for testing
3) Hard drive. WDC WD7500BPKT
4) Special adapter for installing HDD instead of CD-ROM
Step-by-step installation: 1) Remove the HDD from the bay
2) Install the SSD into the hard drive bay
3) Fix the hard drive in the adapter
4) Remove the CD ROM from the laptop
5) Install the adapter with the hard drive into the CD ROM bay
The appearance of the laptop after replacing the optical drive with an adapter with HDD is also important. After such a replacement, the appearance will not change; visually it will look exactly the same as before installation.
If these manipulations with the laptop are done correctly, then when you boot you will see two drives in the system.
What to do with the drive left idle? You can find a lot of applications for it, but considering that the laptop has lost a drive, and sometimes you have to use optical disks, it would be advisable to make the drive external and connect it to the laptop as needed via USB. This solution can be implemented by installing the drive in a special “pocket”.
At the end of the article I would like to present the results of testing HDD and SSD. For testing, we used a program that tests drives for read and write speed - Crystal Disk Mark and AIDA64 for the linear read test.
Based on the results of linear reading, it is worth noting that SSD drives maintain a relatively stable speed throughout the entire test, which cannot be said about HDDs. At the beginning of testing, the drive showed a relatively high speed of 120MB/s, but at the end of the test the speed dropped to 54MB/s. Accordingly, SSDs exceed HDDs in reading speed by more than 5 times.
This test can be called biased, since the media worked in different modes. The SSD operates in SATA 3 data transfer mode, and the HDD drive operates in SATA 2 mode.
But what will the test results be if these drives are placed under the same SATA 2 conditions? 
For the test we took an ASUS G1Sn laptop with the following configuration:
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T9500, 2600 MHz
Memory: 2x2GB Kingston 99U5295-011 DDR2 Video adapter: NVIDIA GeForce 9500M GS (512 MB) The program Crystal Disk Mark was taken as test software.
As expected, the test results for SSDs changed downward. The reading speed decreased almost by half, while the writing speed changed slightly, by a third. Despite the reduced read speed, an SSD is almost twice as fast as a hard drive.
Information on read speed and other characteristics of solid-state drives and hard drives can be easily found on the manufacturer’s website.
In order to clearly demonstrate the superiority of SSDs over HDDs, we checked how the speed of loading, shutting down and rebooting the operating system on both types of drives would change. The ASUS K55Vm laptop mentioned above was taken for measurements. We installed the Windows 7 operating system (64-bit version) and drivers provided by the laptop manufacturer on both types of drives. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the test results.
The difference in speed is noticeable. This replacement will not only speed up booting and shutting down the computer, but also loading programs, opening or playing files, and generally speed up the operation of the laptop.
Our service center specialists will select the optimal adapter and HDD/SSD based on your wishes, taking into account the technical features of the laptop.
nfs.kiev.ua
How to install an SSD in a laptop and transfer Windows to it?
Translation of an article by Mike Clements from the Corsair blog.
When talking about computers, I like to use the term "chimprost". The best upgrade you can imagine is one that is so simple that even a chimpanzee can do it, that's when it can be called "chim-simple." The Corsair Force 3 solid-state drive with a special kit for transferring information from a laptop exactly corresponds to this ideology.
In the extended delivery package you will find an SSD, a software disk and a special SATA-USB cable for transferring information. The disk contains the necessary utility for cloning an image. In this case, The Apricorn EZ GIG IV is a simple and straightforward utility, however, we will look at some of the steps that will be required to transfer the operating system from a laptop to a new SSD.
For those users who have never upgraded a laptop, there are only three options: you can install the OS on your SSD from scratch, you can restore the partition from a backup, or take the “simple” route using the software included with the SSD. After you connect the SSD to the laptop, it may not appear in the system - this is normal, the main thing is that the cloning program will see it.
Insert the CD with the software, and if the autorun function does not work, you will have to launch the utility yourself.
After launching EZ GIG IV, you will see a utility welcome window and several options to choose from. We need the Start EZ GIG IV option.
Then you will have to accept the license agreement.
Finally, click the Let`s Get Started button.
After this, the program will prompt you to select the source drive from which the information will be transferred. In this case, this is drive “C”, located under No. 1.
Once you have selected both drives, you can continue with the default settings, or you can set a number of your own options. For example, for an SSD it is highly advisable to select the 4K equalization option. The program will first align the partition, which will be critical for the speed of the solid-state drive.
In the Data Select column you can exclude some folders from the cloning operation. For example, you can exclude the “My Music” folder (which in our case takes up 19.8 GB of information), since this will significantly reduce cloning time, and you can add it later.
Once you have selected all the options you want and agree, click Next, in which case a window will open that will once again ask you to make sure you have selected the correct options. If you are sure you haven't forgotten anything, just click Start Copying.
The completed copying section will be displayed below. Cloning time will depend on the speed of the drives, as well as the amount of data being copied.
Once the cloning is complete, you can repeat it with different settings and options, or simply exit the program.
After exiting the program, you can replace your old drive with a new SSD, while you will still have your operating system with which you are used to working. Of course, this will require disassembling the laptop. It is almost impossible to give more detailed instructions on how to do this, since all laptops and netbooks differ in their design and location of the hard drive. In some places this will be easier to do, and in others it will be more difficult; the video shows an example of replacement on one of the Lenovo Thinkpad laptops:
Note Allssd.ru:
Most often, replacing RAM and hard drive is quite simple in large laptops and this, as a rule, does not deprive the owner of the device of the warranty. In order to find a guide on “how to open your laptop/netbook,” it is best to use Youtube, where users post a huge number of videos on a variety of models on this topic.
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Changing the DVD drive to a solid state drive
If you have long stopped using the DVD drive in your laptop, then it’s time to replace it with a brand new SSD. You didn't know this was possible? Then today we will talk in detail about how to do this and what is required for this.
How to install an SSD instead of a DVD drive in a laptop
So, after weighing all the pros and cons, we came to the conclusion that an optical drive is already an extra device and it would be nice to install an SSD instead. To do this, we need the drive itself and a special adapter (or adapter), which is a perfect size instead of a DVD drive. This way, it will not only be easier for us to connect the drive, but the laptop body itself will look more aesthetically pleasing.
Preparatory stage
Before purchasing such an adapter, you should pay attention to the size of your drive. A regular drive has a height of 12.7 mm, and there are also ultra-thin drives that are 9.5 mm in height.
Now that we have the appropriate adapter and SSD, we can begin the installation.
Disconnecting the DVD drive
The first step is to disconnect the battery. In cases where the battery is not removable, you will have to remove the laptop cover and disconnect the battery connector from the motherboard.
In most cases, in order to remove the drive, you do not need to completely disassemble the laptop. Just unscrew a few screws and the optical drive can be easily removed. If you are not entirely confident in your abilities, then it is better to look for video instructions directly for your model or contact a specialist.
Installing SSD
That's all, our drive is ready for installation.
Now all that remains is to insert the adapter with the SSD into the laptop, tighten the bolts and connect the battery. We turn on the laptop, format the new disk, and then you can transfer the operating system from the magnetic drive to it, and use the latter for storing data.
Connecting various devices to a computer is difficult for many users, especially if the device must be installed inside the system unit. In such cases, the multitude of wires and various connectors is especially intimidating. Today we will talk about how to properly connect an SSD to a computer.
So, you purchased a solid-state drive and now the task is to connect it to your computer or laptop. First, we'll talk about how to connect the drive to a computer, since there are more different nuances here, and then we'll move on to the laptop.
Connecting the SSD to the computer
Before connecting the drive to the computer, you should make sure that there is still room for it and the necessary cables. Otherwise, you will have to disconnect some of the installed devices - hard drives or disk drives (which work with the SATA interface).
Connecting the disk will take place in several stages:
- Opening the system unit;
- Consolidation;
- Connection.
At the first stage, no difficulties should arise. You just need to unscrew the bolts and remove the side cover. Depending on the housing design, it is sometimes necessary to remove both covers.
There is a special compartment for mounting hard drives in the system unit. In most cases, it is located closer to the front panel; it is almost impossible not to notice it. SSDs are usually smaller in size than magnetic disks. That is why they sometimes come with special slides that allow you to secure the SSD. If you don’t have such a sled, you can install it in the card reader compartment or come up with a more clever solution to fix the drive in the case.
Now comes the most difficult stage - directly connecting the disk to the computer. It takes some care to do it right. The fact is that modern motherboards have several SATA interfaces, which differ in data transfer speed. And if you connect your drive to the wrong SATA, it will not work at full capacity.
In order to use the full potential of solid-state drives, they must be connected to the SATA III interface, which is capable of providing data transfer rates of 600 Mbps. As a rule, such connectors (interfaces) are highlighted in color. We find such a connector and connect our drive to it.
Next, all you have to do is connect the power and that’s it, the SSD will be ready for use. If you are connecting the device for the first time, then do not be afraid of connecting it incorrectly. All connectors have a special key that will not allow you to insert it incorrectly.
Connecting an SSD to a laptop
Installing a solid state drive in a laptop is somewhat easier than in a computer. The difficulty here is usually to open the laptop lid.
In most models, the hard drive bays have their own cover, so there is no need to completely disassemble the laptop.
We find the required compartment, unscrew the bolts and carefully disconnect the hard drive and insert the SSD in its place. As a rule, all the connectors here are rigidly fixed, so to disconnect the drive, you need to move it a little to the side. To connect, on the contrary, slightly move it towards the connectors. If you feel that the disc is not inserted, then you should not use excessive force; perhaps you are simply inserting it incorrectly.
Ultimately, having installed the drive, all that remains is to securely fix it, and then tighten the laptop case.
Conclusion
Now, guided by these short instructions, you can easily figure out how to connect drives not only to a computer, but also to a laptop. As you can see, this is done quite simply, which means that almost anyone can install a solid-state drive.
You will need an SSD, a piece of wire with a USB connector, and blue electrical tape. Will this set of “ingredients” suit you for assembling an external USB SSD? I’m not here, and I offer you a solution to the problem using improvised means, but the result should be no worse than the factory one. The problem is actually minor and can easily be solved in other ways, but it does require a trip to the store or waiting for delivery.
I found an unclaimed SSD with a SATA III interface and the idea came up to use it as an external high-speed drive. What is it for? You can install a second operating system on it, you can record project files when processing video or photos, and you can use it as a high-speed flash drive if you often have to carry large files between your work and home laptops.
Selecting a connection interface
My laptop doesn't have SATA inputs, but it does have USB 3.0. Their operating speed is approximately the same - 5 Gbit/s on USB3.0 and 6 Gbit/s on SATA 3.0, but USB is much more widespread and universal, there will be no problems with finding a device to connect it to. This determined the choice of connection interface.
The theoretically achievable speed of USB 3.0 is 640Mb/s, which is higher than the declared speed of SSD. For USB 2.0, the throughput does not exceed 60Mb/s; you will not see any difference in operation between an SSD and a regular hard drive, but if necessary, you can use this interface. This is the advantage of USB's versatility and backward compatibility.
Unfortunately, SATA and USB are not compatible with each other; you cannot connect them simply by connecting the pins. An interface converter is required for connection. The speed of operation with such an adapter will be lower than with a direct connection via SATA. In any case, it is much higher than the speed of the HDD, which will never exceed 100Mb/s, and in most operating modes it will be noticeably lower.
Donor
Previously, I used Thermaltake to connect external SATA HDDs BlacX Duet 5G HDD Docking Station. It is designed to connect two 3.5″ or 2.5″ hard drives; the design is rather large, but quite convenient for home use. Carrying it with me is not part of my plans; I need to look for another way to connect the SSD.
The easiest way was to buy a USB box for 2.5″ drives, but the solution came unexpectedly. One of the external USB drives died at work, I'll try to use it as a USB box.
Disassembling a USB drive
It is better not to use metal tools for disassembly; they can easily damage the case. I use plastic spatulas from a phone repair kit.
The external HDD case consists of two halves connected to each other with latches. Carefully separate them.
Inside is the 2.5″ HDD itself, covered with protective foil. We pry it off from the side opposite the USB connector, and the disk is easily removed from the case.
We peel off the foil along with the insulating backing, under it there is a small scarf attached to the HDD, this is the converter we need.
SATA 3 to USB 3.0 converter
The board is double-sided, factory soldered, almost perfect. On one side of the board are the main components and a USB 3.0 connector. On the left of the board there is a USB 3.0 to SATA controller – JMICRON JMS577, on the right is a microcircuit responsible for power supply.
The power and SATA 3 connectors are located on the other side.
SSD connection
We connect the converter to the SSD, the contacts are completely identical.
If you need to connect different drives to your computer, changing them frequently, then you can simply insulate the cardboard (it’s not for everyone, you can use electrical tape or heat shrink) and use it without a case.
Since the SSD dimensions are the same as the 2.5″ HDD, we can use its case. We insert an SSD with a connected converter into it. It stays there quite tightly.
Close the top with a lid. If you were careful and did not break the latches, the lid will close tightly.
Operation speed
All that remains is to check the functionality of the design and test the speed. I copied several video files to the SSD, and then started copying them to another folder on the same disk. The copying speed was at 164Mb/s.
If you have any questions, you can watch the video version of this article.
You can also buy ready-made USB 3.0 converters or USB boxes for 2.5″ drives.
conclusions
I am quite pleased with the result; when I directly connected this SSD to SATA on the motherboard of another computer, the speed of its operation differed only slightly.
