Installing an SSD: The preparation
- Power supply: The power supply must have a connector for powering the SSD on board.
- Mainboard connection: If you want to install a 2.5-inch SSD, the PC needs a SATA connection. But don’t worry, it’s standard even on ten-year-old computers. If an SSD the size of chewing gum strips is to get the PC moving, it needs an M.2 slot. However, this connection does not exist in computers that are more than three years old.
- inset: A 2.5-inch SSD requires a suitable slot. In some cases, a frame must provide a secure hold.
- The Windows reinstallation: There is no need to set up the operating system from scratch by transferring the data from the old mass storage device to the new one. For this you need a USB housing – or you can install the new memory in addition to the old one for cloning, if possible. The Minitool Partition Wizard, for example, is suitable for this – a freeware partitioner with HDD-SSD migration. The process is not limited to drive models from specific manufacturers. Once Windows and personal files have been transferred (or you want to reinstall Windows), the new memory needs to be installed.
This is how the SSD installation works
Once you get used to the speed of an SSD, you never want to be without it again. COMPUTER BILD explains the installation in a 2.5-inch slot in a few steps.
- Before you open the PC case, be sure to pull the power cord out of the socket. On most PCs, you then remove the screws on the case and remove the side panel. Lay the PC open-side up on the table and locate the SATA connector and the power connector, which has five wires leading to it. On the other hand, only a visible ribbon cable leads to the SATA connection.
- Use the built-in hard drive as a guide if you can’t find the connections right away. For installation in a hard disk mount, you usually need a frame that securely fixes the SSD in the computer. It is included with some SSDs, but it only costs a few euros individually. However, some PCs also have a holder for 2.5-inch SSDs under the slot with the DVD drive – this means that installation works without a frame.
- Once the power and data cables are connected, you can move your programs, for example with PC-Trans. If you then reinstall Windows on the SSD, change the boot order in the BIOS so that the PC starts from the SSD in the future.
The power connector is on the left and the SATA connector is on the right. If both cables are plugged into the sockets, screw the SSD into the PC case or frame.
Installing the M.2 SSD is even easier. Open the PC as described above and look for the M.2 SSD slot, which is usually next to the CPU. For installation, first remove one screw on the M.2 slot. Sometimes you also have to remove a cooling screen. Slide the M.2 SSD into the slot at a slight angle (about 30 degrees) until you feel the tip click into place. Then press the SSD down and fix it with the previously removed spacer screw.
The M.2 SSD is installed in no time at all.
- Quietly: Because they have no mechanical components, SSDs work completely silently.
- Robust: On top of that, SSDs are more robust than hard drives with their rapidly jumping read and write heads.
- Light and economical: SSDs are lighter and require less energy, but notebooks in particular benefit from this.
Large collections of photos, movies, or music require a lot of storage, and with an SSD, it’s expensive. Therefore, simply use the old hard drive as a data store. You don’t need a fast SSD for this. And when it’s full, plug in an external hard drive. It is also cheaper than an SSD and can also dock with other computers if required.