Changing out HDD to SSD

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

I have a Dell XPS 630i desktop from 2008 and would like to speed up my boot up time with Win 7 by changing my old hard drive to a new SSD. I will keep the old drive as add. storage, but will need to put the OS and necessary files on the new SSD. Am I looking at a very difficult situation trying to do this? Right now, after taking out about all startup apps out except for Avast and CCPort for Cisco, this machine takes 1:11 min to boot to PW stage, and an add. 3 min to become functional. Any help or advice is welcomed, thank you

mbreslin1954 · Mar 16, 2014

I highly doubt your old laptop from 2008 (six years old now) has a SATA III hard drive controller. This means that it is most likely a SATA II controller, which means you will get at least twice the speed of your old HDD instead of five times the speed. You'll still like the difference, it just won't be as nice as having a newer laptop with a faster SATA controller.

The best way to work would be to have an external hard drive and make an image backup of your system drive (C). I've used Acronis True Image for years, and it works very well but it's not free. I understand Easus works well and is free. Also, Windows 7 has the the ability to also make an image of your "C" drive, but you will need a Windows 7 boot disk in order to restore it to the SSD.

So make the image backup to an external HDD, then take out the old HDD and put the SSD in the laptop. Boot with whatever boot disk you are going to use for the Restore (Windows 7, Acronis True Image, Easus, etc.) and do the restore from the external HDD to the new SSD in your laptop.

That should do it. I've done it a number of times, it's not too hard.

terry4536 · Mar 16, 2014

Sure, if you have available SATA ports , it is a relatively easy update. You would need to move your OS and programs to the SSD to see an improvement in boot time.

dustinhunt78 · Mar 16, 2014

The difference in performance is absolutely INSANE! With any system, the performance “bottleneck” is almost always in the I/O. This is solved by having a solid SSD. The two best models available right now are the Samsung 840 EVO or the Samsung 840 Pro. The Pro is slightly faster (and slightly more expensive). You'll ask, “Is it worth the extra money to go with an SSD?” My answer, “UNDOUBTEDLY YES!” Here are links to the Evo and Pro:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-7TE250BW/dp/B00E3W1726/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1394944316&sr=1-1&keywords=samsung+840

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-2-5-Inch-Solid-MZ-7PD256BW/dp/B009NB8WRU/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1394944316&sr=1-3&keywords=samsung+840

These two are the middle sizes. You can go bigger or smaller.

I run the 840 Pro. You won't believe the speed you get. I boot in like 12-15 seconds.

IDontUnderstand · Mar 16, 2014

Do it, you will love the new speed.
1. Purchase the SSD
2. Unplug the HDD
3. Plug the SSD (only SSD should be plugged in at this moment)
4. Install Windows 7 (using the OEM license, if you don't know the key. There are software out there that would find it for you)
5. Format and partition the SSD (if you want to partition, I just leave the entire space there)
6. Update and get all the drivers
7. Turn off PC and plug the HDD back
8. Move the personal data on HDD to elsewhere for backup
9. Format the HDD so there's no more Windows file on there
10. Put the personal data back on HDD

Steps 8-10 are optional, but I recommend it unless you are OK with leftover files on there, or if you think you can clean up all the unless junks.

mbreslin1954 · Mar 16, 2014

My bad, I assumed you had a Dell laptop. But the process is still the same.

You guys, you're misleading him! With his old SATA controller he will only get at MOST 200 MB/s out of his new SSD. That's at most 3 times as fast as he has now, maybe only twice as fast, depending on what HDD he has currently (I get 113 MB/s out of 1 TB HDDs, less out of smaller ones).

In order to get INSANE speeds he would need a SATA III controller, which will allow him to get up to 500 MB/s from an SSD. He ain't gonna get anywhere near those speeds with his old system. Ain't gonna happen.

dustinhunt78 · Mar 16, 2014

If you get one of those Samsung drives, they will come with the "Magician" software for making an exact clone of your current disk. I used it and it worked great!

terry4536 · Mar 16, 2014

I like the Samsung 840 SSD as well.

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

mbreslin1954 :

I highly doubt your old laptop from 2008 (six years old now) has a SATA III hard drive controller. This means that it is most likely a SATA II controller, which means you will get at least twice the speed of your old HDD instead of five times the speed. You'll still like the difference, it just won't be as nice as having a newer laptop with a faster SATA controller.

The best way to work would be to have an external hard drive and make an image backup of your system drive (C). I've used Acronis True Image for years, and it works very well but it's not free. I understand Easus works well and is free. Also, Windows 7 has the the ability to also make an image of your "C" drive, but you will need a Windows 7 boot disk in order to restore it to the SSD.

So make the image backup to an external HDD, then take out the old HDD and put the SSD in the laptop. Boot with whatever boot disk you are going to use for the Restore (Windows 7, Acronis True Image, Easus, etc.) and do the restore from the external HDD to the new SSD in your laptop.

That should do it. I've done it a number of times, it's not too hard.

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

Thanks guys. Too bad there isn't a way to change out the controller. I have a Samsung EV 240gb coming in on Monday. You are saying I will get about twice the speed as now. Will that be on boot time? (I hope) Once the system is booted and loads it's stuff it seems pretty good for an older system. If I only had about 5-6k laying around, I could get that Origin model I have been drooling over, lol.

IDontUnderstand · Mar 16, 2014

mbreslin1954 :

It's not all about the actual number, it's about the feel of the new drive. My laptop uses SATA II and I swapped out to a SSD. Boy I was the happiest person in the world. It just feels so much faster, and yes it might be twice or three times faster, but think about what happens in 5 seconds, the difference of total data throughput is multiplied.

terry4536 · Mar 16, 2014

There is. Just install a current motherboard, CPU, ect.

dustinhunt78 · Mar 16, 2014

SSD = one of the best ways to boost performance. One wouldn't believe it, but it truly is.

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

terry4536 :

I have considered a new build, but last time I did that was in the early 80's I think. A powerhouse with a 386 and 4 megs of RAM, Vram vga and a 330 meg scsi drive.

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

dustinhunt78 :

I agree, my new Acer laptop has one, it is lightning fast. I would never consider buying a new system today if it didn't have at least one SSD.

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

dustinhunt78 :

Even if the disks are different capacities?

terry4536 · Mar 16, 2014

I remember those (286 as well). I can remember being pleased with the increased speed. They are just paperweights now.

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

terry4536 :

Good ole days of ms-dos, batch files, hardware and software never working well together. How things have changed!! I still keep the oldies around, don't quite know why.......

terry4536 · Mar 16, 2014

I still have a Dell XPS T500 from 1999 that still chugs along. Too slow to do much, but it still works.

dustinhunt78 · Mar 16, 2014

LTVETTE2 :

The contents of the disk of course have to fit on the new drive, but yes, I used the "Magician" software on different capacity disks and it worked to perfection.

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

mbreslin1954 :

My bad, I assumed you had a Dell laptop. But the process is still the same.

You guys, you're misleading him! With his old SATA controller he will only get at MOST 200 MB/s out of his new SSD. That's at most 3 times as fast as he has now, maybe only twice as fast, depending on what HDD he has currently (I get 113 MB/s out of 1 TB HDDs, less out of smaller ones).

In order to get INSANE speeds he would need a SATA III controller, which will allow him to get up to 500 MB/s from an SSD. He ain't gonna get anywhere near those speeds with his old system. Ain't gonna happen.

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

I just pulled the computer apart a little and the hard disk says SATA 3.0, can't seem to see anything else about the number on the cables or MB, do you think 3.0 is same as III ?

mbreslin1954 · Mar 16, 2014

Yes, no doubt your desktop hard drive is a SATA III/3.0 drive. However, almost all hard drives made for the past number of years have been SATA 3 drives. That doesn't mean your HDD controller is. If it's six years old, it's Sata 2.

I believe your PC is a Core 2 Duo, correct? Well, I built three different PCs with the next gen Intel CPU, i7-750 (Lynnfield), a year or two newer than yours, and their motherboards all had Sata 2 controllers. At the time you could not buy an Intel board with a SATA 3 controller on it.

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

mbreslin1954 :

Yes, no doubt your desktop hard drive is a SATA III/3.0 drive. However, almost all hard drives made for the past number of years have been SATA 3 drives. That doesn't mean your HDD controller is. If it's six years old, it's Sata 2.

I believe your PC is a Core 2 Duo, correct? Well, I built three different PCs with the next gen Intel CPU, i7-750 (Lynnfield), a year or two newer than yours, and their motherboards all had Sata 2 controllers. At the time you could not buy an Intel board with a SATA 3 controller on it.

LTVETTE2 · Mar 16, 2014

My processor is an Intel 6600q, 4 core, not sure about MB chipset.

Changing out HDD to SSD

Distinguished

Distinguished

Glorious

Distinguished

Honorable

Distinguished

Distinguished

Glorious

Distinguished

Distinguished

Honorable

Glorious

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Glorious

Distinguished

Glorious

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Share this page