Replacing disk drive with SSD - What should I be aware of?

[relztrah]

I have an old Toshiba Satellite model C855D-S5320 that I'm trying to revive. I stuck in 8GB of memory which helps and I don't think another 8GB will really make any difference. The one thing that would speed up is a solid state hard drive. Can I purchase pretty much any SSD that's the same size and install it or are there other specifications I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[britechguy]

For a machine "of a certain age" it's not likely that any SSD would be a bottleneck in comparison to a HDD.

Whatever your choice ends up being, you should use the software the maker supplies to transfer the contents of your HDD to the SSD. It saves a lot of potential headaches, and virtually all of the major SSD makers have a downloadable transfer program.

 

[relztrah]

Will pretty much any 2.5" internal SSD be compatible? I see that most of the cheaper SSDs are SATA III. Do they all have the same pin configuration?

 

[xrobwx71]

Yes, they use a SATA cable to connect to the motherboard.

The short connector on the left is the SATA to Motherboard connection and the longer connection on the right is the power connection from the Power Supply.

 

[x BlueRobot]

I see that most of the cheaper SSDs are SATA III

Of course, you'll also need to make sure that the motherboard is compatible with SATA III.

 

[relztrah]

Hmmm. I'm quickly getting to the limit of my understanding of such matters. Here's the magnetic drive currently installed.



And here is the pin configuration.



I didn't see anything in the user guide or spec sheet about whether or not the motherboard is compatible with SATA III. Thanks again for your help. As a token of my appreciation I'm making a donation.

 

[britechguy]

You've got, unsurprisingly, a SATA HDD in the machine and a similar SSD should be, after having the system image put on it, plug n' play.

 

[FreeBooter]

When installed Windows on an SSD drive, Windows not only boots and shuts down quicker, but applications load faster, and the computer generally feels more responsive. Here's how to install an SSD on your PC.

Just about every PC case has internal bays for adding extra hard disks, which are 3.5inc wide. SSDs tend to be 2.5inc wide, though, so it’s likely you’ll need a mounting bracket to fit one in your computer. Before installing, you’ll need to know if your desktop has 2.5” drive bay inside it. It will simply be a small, think bracket 2.5 inches in width. Don’t be surprised if there isn’t one. Even new desktops often lack this feature.


To install a solid state drive in a case without a 2.5” drive bay, an mounting bracket is required.

Precautions

• Static electricity discharge can damage the components in your system. To protect your system's components from static electricity damage during the installation process, touch any of the unpainted metal surfaces on your computer's frame or wear an ESD wrist strap before touching or handling internal components. Either method will safely discharge static electricity that's naturally present in your body.
  
• To protect your new SSD, do not touch the connectors on the drive.

How to install an SSD in your PC

1. Make sure you're working in a static-safe environment. Remove any plastic bags or papers from your work space.

2. Shut down your system. Once your system has been powered off, unplug the power cable.

3. Hold down the power button for 3-5 seconds to discharge residual electricity.

4. Remove the case cover from your desktop.

5. To protect your drive and components from static damage during the installation process, touch any of the unpainted metal surfaces on your computer's frame or wear an ESD wrist strap before handling internal components.

6. Place the SSD into its mounting bracket or a removable bay, line it up with the holes underneath, then screw it in. Position the mounting bracket into a spare 3.5-inch hard disk bay and secure it using holes at the side.

7. Connect the L-shaped end of a SATA cable to the SSD, and the other end to a spare SATA port.

_{Sata Data Cable}

_{Sata Ports}

8. Connect a SATA power cable to the SSD.

_{Sata Power Connector}

9. Insert a USB or DVD stick ready with Windows and switch the PC on. Press F12 or whatever the key is to see the boot menu and select the USB or DVD. Now follow the instructions to install Windows on to SSD.