Replacing a laptop hard drive with a much faster SSD

Many people are unaware that the slowest device on your computer is the hard drive.  That is because it is actually a mechanical device that has a moving arm and a rotating disk that has to accurately place your data on it and retrieve it again upon request.  When your computer wants to get a piece of data the arm must move to an index to find out where the data is stored on the disk then move the arm again to exactly the right track and rotate the disk to the exact spot.  That takes an enormous amount of time in the computers world.  Well now, there is an inexpensive answer to that and it is called an SSD or Solid State Drive.  This device has no mechanics in it.  It has no moving parts, only, very very fast electronics and can speed up your computer tremendously.

Until recently SSD were very expensive.  But now, they are very cheap when you consider the dramatic difference in speed you get when you install one.  They are also very easy to install.

The Cost:

I recently installed a Transcend 512GB SSD on my laptop.  I purchased it on Amazon for $215 Canadian (it is also available for $170US on Amazon.com).  Just search for "Transcend 512GB SSD"

Installation:

You first need to copy you current hard drive to the SSD.  To do this you will need either a cable attachment shown in the picture or a SATA III enclosure which you can purchase for $10 to $30 and any compute store.  You can put your old hard drive in it later and use it as a backup device.  The Transcend comes with detailed instructions on do that copy and it is really easy.

Once the copy is complete, power off your computer and remove the current drive from the system.  Each system is different but it usually involves removing one screw from the bottom of the laptop to access it.  I have a Lenovo Thinkpad.  I simply remove the screw and cover and pull the hard drive from the system using the tab that is attached to it.

All systems are different but are just as easy.  The Thinkpad has 2 rubber bumpers that detach and a tray that the drive sits in.  The tray holds the drive with 4 small screws:
     1.  Remove the screws
     2.  Slip the drive out of the tray

     3.  Place the Transcend SSD in the tray and secure it with the screws
     4.  Replace the rubber bumpers
     5.  Place the drive back into the computer and replace the cover.

That's it!




Plug the computer back in and turn it on - you will be very impressed with the speed, not just for the first few minutes but every time you use your computer.