{"id":2111,"date":"2021-08-27T17:24:08","date_gmt":"2021-08-27T15:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.batteriedeportable.com\/guides-et-conseils\/boost-laptop-performance-with-ssd\/"},"modified":"2021-08-27T17:24:08","modified_gmt":"2021-08-27T15:24:08","slug":"boost-laptop-performance-with-ssd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/boost-laptop-performance-with-ssd\/","title":{"rendered":"Boosting your laptop\u2019s performance with an SSD"},"content":{"rendered":"

The mechanical hard drive<\/strong> (HDD) is ageing technology that is still used in entry-level laptops<\/strong>. However, its lack of performance is a real drawback for the way the device<\/strong> runs. Installing programmes and transferring data are noticeably slower with this older-generation component.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Accessing information stored on the HDD<\/strong> also comes with noticeable latency. By replacing the hard drive<\/strong> with a solid-state drive<\/strong> (SSD), your laptop<\/strong> will gain a big boost in performance<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is an SSD?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

An SSD<\/strong> (Solid-State Drive) is a data storage<\/strong> device that uses flash memory chips. In practical terms, this component does the same job as a traditional hard drive, but it has no moving mechanical parts. Its biggest difference from an HDD<\/strong> lies in its much higher performance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First, an SSD offers<\/strong> a much shorter<\/strong> data access time and delivers<\/strong> higher throughput. Its transfer speed<\/strong> is up to 5 times<\/strong> faster than that of an HDD<\/strong>. This is a major advantage if, for example, you work<\/strong> in e-commerce<\/strong>. An SSD greatly speeds up exporting large product databases and heavy CSV<\/strong> files<\/strong>. This type of storage<\/strong> is also highly recommended for gaming<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second, an SSD is very fast<\/strong> to start up<\/strong>. Because there are no mechanical parts, it runs silently<\/strong>, generates less heat and produces no vibration. On top of that, it uses less power<\/strong> (0.15 W per read<\/strong> versus 2.5 to 5 W for an HDD<\/strong>). Finally, an SSD is highly durable<\/strong> and offers a long service life<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to install an SSD to boost your laptop\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A quick reminder before you start<\/strong>: SSDs come with either a SATA<\/strong> port or an mSATA<\/strong> port. So make sure you buy an SSD whose connection<\/strong> is compatible<\/strong> with the one in your laptop<\/strong>. Then check that you have all the tools<\/strong> you need to complete the installation<\/strong> successfully.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You will need an appropriate enclosure<\/strong> or caddy<\/strong> to transfer<\/strong> your data to the SSD<\/strong>. You will also need cloning software to transfer<\/strong> all the files from your HDD<\/strong> to the SSD<\/strong>. As for tools, have a small screwdriver<\/strong> to hand.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1: clone your operating system\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Place the SSD in the enclosure<\/strong> and then connect<\/strong> it to the laptop<\/strong>. Start copying the system<\/strong> using the cloning software<\/strong> by clicking \u201cClone<\/strong>\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Tick \u201cHard disk 0<\/strong>\u201d so that the entire operating system is copied at 100%<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • For the target disk, select the SSD<\/strong> and tick Hard disk 1<\/strong> to transfer the entire operating system<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • <\/li>\n
  • Confirm the copy and be <\/span><\/b>patient<\/strong>, as the cloning process<\/strong> can take over an hour<\/strong>. <\/span><\/b>Remove<\/span> the SSD from the enclosure<\/strong> once the <\/span><\/b>data transfer<\/span> has <\/span><\/b>finished<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Step 2: power down the laptop\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Unplug the power lead<\/strong> and remove the battery<\/strong> (if it is removable).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Press and hold the laptop\u2019s power button for 5 seconds<\/strong> to discharge any residual electricity<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    • If you have one, put on an anti-static wrist strap to avoid static electricity<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Step 3: install the SSD<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      You first need to remove<\/strong> the bottom cover of the laptop<\/strong> to access the internal components. If that is not enough, you may also need to take off the keyboard<\/strong>. Make notes or take photos of each step<\/strong> so you can reassemble your device correctly<\/strong> once the installation is complete.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      It is a good idea to keep the user manual<\/strong> handy so you can identify all the components<\/strong> in your machine<\/strong>. Once you have access to them, remove the hard drive<\/strong> by unscrewing<\/strong> it and then disconnecting<\/strong> it. Install the SSD by connecting<\/strong> it in place and then screwing<\/strong> it down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Carefully reassemble your laptop<\/strong>, switch it on<\/strong>, and you can immediately enjoy much faster start-up times<\/strong> and quicker loading<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The mechanical hard drive (HDD) is ageing technology that is still used in entry-level laptops. However, its lack of performance is a real drawback for the way the device runs. Installing programmes and transferring data are noticeably slower with this…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":509,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[242],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-laptop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2111"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2111\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterylaptop.co.uk\/guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}