Upgrading laptop HDD to SSD - Halp plz.

Shift518 Automotive Shift518 Off Topic
1

Ok, so I want to switch to a SSD for my laptop since prices have come down significantly as we all know. So I have a few questions:

  1. How do I know if my laptop will accept a HDD. It is a Lenovo Thinkpad Edge that was manufactured 02/11 if that helps. I’m using Windows 7 Pro 64 right now.
    It also has an AMD Phenom II P840 triple-core 1.9GHz processor, 4GB RAM, etc…

  2. What are some good options for SSDs for laptops?

  3. Who would like to do the install? Ideally, I’d switch everything I have on this current HDD to the SSD.

2

  1. As long as your hard drive is SATA (which I almost guarantee it is being that is was built in 2011) you should be fine. SSD’s are all SATA. There is two types of SATA now…SATA 3.0 and SATA 6.0 (Gb/s)…you can use a 6.0 drive in a 3.0 computer and vise versus (speeds will vary though…ex: you won’t get 6.0 speed on a motherboard that only handles 3.0). I assume yours is SATA 3.0 (aka SATA II).

  2. I prefer Intel (I had a Corsair which died and got replaced by Corsair - now I’m running an Intel 320 Series which has been working flawlessly for more than a year), but they are the most expensive usually. Go to NewEgg and find the size you want for a SATA SSD and then sort by best reviews and pick. Seems like Crucial and Intel have the best results. I use OCZ ones at work with good luck (company won’t spend the money on Intel).

  3. I can do it. I’ll image your current drive and deploy said image to new SSD. Bada boom, bada bing. Archie and Dave (Love4Boost) can vouch for my ability…and well, as you know, I do this crap in my sleep for a living :lol.

3

NewEgg has deals right now on Samsung MLC SATA 3 128GB drives right now, will one of those work?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147192

Also, what else would I need for this? And when would you be able to and how long would it take?

4

That’s not a bad deal for that drive. That is all you need. The drive fits in the existing drive bay and uses the existing screws (although it’ll likely come with new ones).

As for the imaging process…depends on how much stuff your drive has on it. If it’s 20GB, about 15 minutes to image and another 15 minutes to deploy image. More data = more time.

Let me know when you’re available/get the drive and we can work it out.

5

Id’ just get an INtel Drive cossey, everyone I know who has owned an intel drive including myself has had good luckk with them, mines a little over a year old now…

I know people who have had other brands such as OCZ, Corsair etc that have died within that year, maybe 2 times over.

6

Yeah, my Corsair died after 6 months or so. Have me like one warning (BSoD) and then died on the next bootup. Intel SSD’s FTW.