How To Install 2 Ssd Drives
A difficult bulldoze upgrade is one of the easiest means to improve your PC, whether yous're looking for more storage or the speed heave an SSD provides. Here's how to choose and install your new drive.
Footstep One: Choosing Your New Bulldoze
Choosing a drive that fits your budgets and does what you demand is the first step. These days, your most important option is betwixt a traditional hard drive or a solid state drive (SSD). But there are few other things to retrieve about, too.
Should You Get Regular Drive, an SSD, or Both?
Here'south the question to ask yourself: do y'all want more than speed or more than storage?
RELATED: What Is a Solid Land Drive (SSD), and Practice I Demand 1?
Modern SSDs are amazing, and are a worthy upgrade to just well-nigh whatsoever system. Moving from a regular bulldoze to an SSD improves speed across your system. You lot PC volition start faster, load apps and large files faster, and decrease load times in about games. The trouble is, once you become by a terabyte of storage infinite, SSDs beginning to get prohibitively expensive.
Alternately, conventional hard drives are slower, but offer huge amounts of storage relatively cheaply. You tin can detect desktop drives that hold 4 terabytes—enough to satisfy all but the most demanding of media hoarders—for nether $100 USD.
Yous can also combine the strengths of SSDs and hard drives. If your desktop can handle more one bulldoze (and most of them can), you can install your operating system on the main SSD for speedy access to programs and essential files, and utilise a large capacity traditional drive for storing files. This makes an SSD an especially attractive upgrade if you already have a hard drive, since you can motion the operating system over and "demote" the hard bulldoze to storage duties.
If money is no object—or if yous're limited to a unmarried drive connection in your laptop—you can spend quite a lot to go a multi-terabyte SSD. But for most people, a smaller SSD combined with a larger difficult drive is a smashing compromise.
What Concrete Size Should the Drive Be?
Difficult drives typically come in two sizes: 2.5″ and 3.5″. The 3.5″ drives are besides known every bit "full size" or "desktop drives." Pretty much every desktop PC out there has room for at least one (and sometimes many) 3.5″ drives. The possible exception to this are the super-small course factor PCs that tin only handle a 2.5″ drive.
ii.5″ drives are traditionally meant for laptops, but will too fit merely fine in a desktop PC. Some desktop PCs have built in mounting points for 2.5″ drives. If yours doesn't, y'all'll need a mounting bracket like this one. Note that these are usually labelled every bit "SSD mounting brackets." This is considering all SSDs in the traditional hard drive form are 2.5″ drives. That'southward what size you lot'll use whether y'all're mounting it in a desktop or laptop.
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And speaking of SSDs, there is ane more grade factor to talk about: the One thousand.2 standard. These drives really look more like a stick of RAM than a hard drive. Instead of connecting to your motherboard via a SATA cable the way regular drives do, M.ii drives get plugged into a specialized slot. If you lot're interested in the Chiliad.ii drives, yous'll take to make up one's mind whether your PC supports them.
I other note nearly laptops. As they've gotten smaller and sleeker, laptops have also gotten harder to upgrade. Most laptops that aren't super-tiny yet employ 2.five″ drives, but they may or may non take a user-accessible drive bay for upgrades. Cheaper, bulkier laptops, and few business organisation-class designs like Lenovo'due south ThinkPads or Dell's Latitudes, notwithstanding permit admission fairly hands. Other models might need some all-encompassing work to get to the drive bay, or may not have admission at all, specially if they've moved to the expensive Thousand.2 standard. Upgrading those drives volition probably void your warranty, and you lot'll need to expect for a model-specific guide, like this one on iFixIt.
What Connection Practise I Need?
All modern 3.v″ and 2.5″ drives apply a SATA connection for power and information.
If you're installing the drive into a desktop PC, the SATA power cable is a xv-pin cable that runs from your PC's power supply. If your PC merely offers the older four-pin Molex cables, you tin can buy adapters that work just fine.
The SATA information cable requires that your motherboard back up a SATA connexion (all mod PCs do). You lot'll notice them in slightly unlike configurations. Some (like the one pictured below) have a direct plug on one cease and an Fifty-shaped plug on the other end. The L-shaped plug makes it easier to fit into jacks that are closer to other components. Some SATA cables take straight plugs or Fifty-shaped plugs on both ends. You should become SATA cables with your hard drive, but if y'all're working in a peculiarly tight space, exist aware that these other options exist.
If you're installing into a laptop that allows user access, things are easier. Yous'll usually exist able to plug the drive right into a slot that already has the power and data connections prepare—no cables to connect.
One other discussion on SATA drives. The latest revision to the SATA standard is SATA 3.3, and drives and cables are backwards compatible with older versions. On desktops, you'll want to make sure that the drive yous're buying is every bit fast or faster than the connection that your motherboard accepts—most motherboard SATA connections from the last five years have at to the lowest degree 3.0 support. The aforementioned goes for the SATA cable you buy. Laptops don't utilise SATA cables, so just make sure that the bulldoze yous're upgrading to uses the same SATA revision or newer than the bulldoze it's replacing.
How Much Storage Do I Need?
This i'due south easy: whatever fits your budget. More than storage costs more money, no thing what blazon of drive yous're looking at.
How Fast Does My Drive Need To Be?
The default answer here is "as fast as you can afford." That said, if you lot're upgrading from a hard drive to an SSD, you're going to exist diddled abroad by the speed increase no thing what. So you might non want to splurge on the fastest SSD you can go. Getting more storage on an SSD will exist more of import to most people than getting more speed.
If yous're ownership a regular drive, speed is generally expressed in RPM—the revolutions per infinitesimal of the spinning data platters. 5400 RPM is a typical speed for inexpensive drives (especially in 2.v″ course factors), with 7200 RPM drives too being quite common. Some high-operation hard drives are offered at x,000 RPM, but these have been mostly superseded by faster SSDs.
In that location's another selection here, if your choice is express to a conventional hard drive. "Hybrid" drives combine a large, standard hard drive with a pocket-size cache of wink storage. This won't magically make your hard drive every bit fast as an SSD, but the file caching tin brand a considerable improvement if yous're constantly accessing mostly the same programs and files. It might be worth the small price premium versus a standard difficult drive.
Step Two: Make up one's mind Whether to Transfer Your Operating System or Perform a Clean Installation
Y'all've purchased your new drive, and you lot're prepare to install it. Your next step is to decide whether you want to transfer your operating system to the new drive or just do a make clean installation and first fresh. There are pros and cons for each.
Transferring Your Operating Arrangement
Transferring your operating organization (and all your data and installed apps) means non having to worry about reinstalling Windows, setting information technology up the way you like it again, and then reinstalling each of your apps. The downside is that information technology's a pretty slow and boring process.
RELATED: How to Upgrade to a Larger Hard Drive Without Reinstalling Windows
If yous're upgrading from only 1 bulldoze to another (as opposed to simply installing an boosted drive in a desktop), y'all'll probably want to transfer your operating system to the new bulldoze instead of installing fresh. The bad news is that this is a slow and tedious process. The proficient news is that it isn't too difficult to do. Most new drives come up with tools to go far happen. And if you didn't become a free tool, there are other means to upgrade to a larger hard drive without reinstalling Windows.
If you use a laptop, you'll demand to use a USB-based SATA adapter or enclosure so that yous can have both drives hooked up at once. You can get that fashion with a desktop, likewise, but it may exist easier just to install the new drive, exercise the transfer, and so decide whether to leave the old drive in identify for extra storage or uninstall it.
Performing a Clean Installation
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In that location are besides advantages to just performing a make clean installation of your operating system on your new bulldoze. The large 1 is that you get to start fresh. No sometime program installations hanging effectually; information technology's a fresh copy of your Os without the ataxia. You get to prepare it the way you desire, and merely install what yous want.
The downside, of course, is that y'all have to do all that. While it typically goes faster than transferring your Bone to the new drive, doing a clean installation does mean that yous'll have reinstall the apps and games you desire, and restore your personal files from backup (or copy them from the new drive). You'll also demand make sure you lot have access to your applications for reinstallation. If y'all installed them from DVD or downloaded the installation files, y'all'll demand to find those—forth with any necessary activation keys.
Step 3: Install Your New Drive
The steps for installing (or replacing) a drive differ a scrap, depending on whether yous're installing the drive in a laptop or desktop PC.
Installing Your New Drive In a Laptop
Dissimilar laptops have different methods for accessing the storage bulldoze compartment, if they let easy access at all. Some business concern-grade designs let yous swap out a drive by removing a single screw, others might demand you to completely remove the bottom of the machine or even take out the keyboard. Yous can usually notice specific instructions by searching the spider web for your laptop manufacturer and model.
For this example, we're swapping the drive in a ThinkPad T450s. The pattern is a few years old now, but it'south small plenty that it requires the entire bottom to be removed, which is adequately typical among designs that allow a hard drive upgrade.
To access the drive, I take to remove the battery, and and then take out viii different screws.
That loosens the metal body plate plenty to let me pull information technology off the computer. Y'all tin run across the hard drive in the lower-left corner.
To pull the drive itself out, I demand to remove another screw, pull the drive upward a chip, and then slide it off of the integrated SATA connection.
For this model, the drive caddy is but a sparse piece of aluminum with a condom bumper. I pulled it off, and so placed it on the new drive.
Then, I reverse the process, slipping the new drive onto the SATA connection in the laptop, screwing the caddy back downward to the frame, and replacing the body panel.
Again, this procedure is going to vary quite a lot depending upon which laptop you take. If you lot demand a pace-by-stride breakdown for your model, Google is your friend—you'll generally discover at least a few users who want to do the same thing, and mayhap an article or video if you're lucky.
Installing Your New Drive in a Desktop PC
This process is a scrap more involved than on a laptop, just the expert news is that getting the case off and accessing the bulldoze is typically a lot easier than on nearly laptops.
You lot'll need a standard Philips-head screwdriver and a SATA cable. If you're completely replacing a single drive, you can utilise the SATA cable that'due south already in place. Your power supply probably has a free SATA power connectedness—multiple plugs are frequently bachelor—just if not, you'll need an adapter cable. If you're working in an expanse that's especially prone to static electricity, you'll want to use an anti-static bracelet as well. If yous congenital your own PC, the screws needed to install your new bulldoze should have come with the instance—I hope yous kept the box of accessories. If not, you'll need to go some replacement screws. Finally, you'll want a basin or a cup to hold screws.
Power down your machine and remove all cables, then motility it to your work area. This should be a cool, dry spot that's easy to admission, preferably without carpet below yous. If you know the configuration of your reckoner's internal parts, experience costless to identify information technology at the most attainable angle. If y'all don't, but get out it upright—you may have to take multiple panels off for a total installation.
Remove the access panel from the primary side of the case—that's the one on your left if yous're looking at your figurer from the front. Almost designs crave you to remove ii to three screws from the back side earlier information technology volition slide or swing out. Set the access panel aside. Some desktops require that y'all take the whole case cover off rather than simply an access console. If y'all're unsure, expect up your desktop model or case on the web. Instructions should exist easy to discover.
Take a moment to orient yourself. If you lot're working on a conventional desktop you're probably looking at the motherboard, with the boxy power supply either at the top or the bottom of the case. You lot should be able to run into your computer'due south storage bulldoze or drives mounted towards the front of the case. A SATA data cable should exist running from the motherboard to the drive. A SATA ability cable should be running from the power supply to the drive.
Annotation: If you tin can't see either a larger 3.five-inch drive or a smaller ii.v-inch drive, information technology might be mounted in an alternate spot. In newer designs this is often backside the motherboard itself—remove the opposite access console to cheque.
If yous're not keeping your old drive in your system for extra storage, now's the time to accept it out. You lot can too leave the cables attached to the motherboard and power supply and then simply connect them to the new bulldoze after installing information technology.
Kickoff, unplug the information and ability cables from the back of the old drive. In that location's cipher too complex near this: only pull information technology out. Some cables have a little tab locking machinery you'll have to clasp get-go.
If the drive is on a sliding caddy, remove it (and note that some sliding caddies are screwed into identify). At present, merely use your screwdriver to remove the screws from the drive, whether information technology'southward in a caddy or affixed directly to the instance. The screws come up in many sizes and lengths—some including silicone spacers for sound damping—and might be mounted to the bottom of the drive or the side, depending on your case's pattern. It doesn't really matter: but remove them, set up them aside in a spot where y'all won't lose them.
Your quondam drive is now free! Set information technology aside. Be careful with information technology, but don't worry too much—they're pretty sturdy.
To install the new drive in place of the old one, you'll merely reverse the process. Put the new drive into the caddie, and then slide information technology into place on the case (and secure it if necessary).
Now, plug the cables into the new drive. It'south like shooting fish in a barrel to effigy out—they merely fit one manner.
If y'all're adding a new hard drive and leaving the old 1 in place, it'southward a bit more complicated. You'll need to mount the new drive to the case (sliding it into an extra caddy that should have come with your case, if necessary). And, you'll need to plug in boosted cables.
Plug one terminate of the SATA data cable into the back of the new hard drive and the other end into your motherboard. The motherboard slots are more often than not on the side closest to the front of the PC, normally in a cluster of 2 to six. Information technology doesn't particularly matter which plug you employ, though y'all might want to plug it into the top-left one (which is the "0" drive) or the closest i in sequence, just for the sake of organization.
At present plug the SATA power connection from the ability supply into the new bulldoze. If you lot already had a drive installed, check the power cablecoming out of information technology, because they generally have more than ane plug and can exist used for multiple drives. If your power supply doesn't have whatsoever free SATA power connections, you'll need to use an adapter or a splitter.
After that, your bulldoze should exist ready to go! Double check your connections, make sure the cables aren't touching any heatsinks or bumping up against cooling fan blades, and and so supervene upon the access panel on the example. Move your PC dorsum to its original position, reconnect all your accessories and power cables, and fire information technology upward!
Image source: Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, Newegg, iFixIt, Lenovo
Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/345988/how-to-upgrade-and-install-a-new-hard-drive-or-ssd-in-your-pc/
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