Noiseless, smaller, less power-consuming, and super-fast, solid-state drives (SSD) are the preferred hard drive type by manufacturers and PC users alike today. But you don’t have to change your PC for a new, more expensive modern SSD one just because you have an HDD laptop. You can install an SSD on your laptop. But one of the first questions you should ask is will an SSD work on my laptop?
The answer is yes, since the SSDs come with the same connection. The only thing we have to keep in mind is that mechanical drives are bigger. So you will need to see how to fit it on your laptop since SSDs are smaller.
There is also a program called “Crucial System Scanner,” which lets you know if your computer is compatible with an SSD. In the rest of the article, we’ll show you the steps to check compatibility and why you should consider changing to a solid-state.
What is an SSD?
Known fully as a solid-state drive, an SSD is a non-mechanical hard drive that saves and stores data on chips. Thanks to the speed it provides to the PC, it is used by many people. However, if you have ever seen this hard drive, you will have noticed that it does not have rotating parts like the mechanical hard disk drives (HDD).
The storage capacity it contains is usually 2 TB, so the price is much higher than that of a standard hard drive. But it’s a lot smaller.
How to know the type of hard drive my laptop uses
There are several ways to determine if your laptop uses a hard drive or an SSD.
Via device manager
- To access the device manager, press the Win + X key, and in the menu that is displayed, select “device manager.”
- Look for the “disk drives” option in the new pop-up window, usually located at the end.
- When you have already selected “disk drives,” all the hard drives that your computer has will appear. In any of them, right-click with the mouse and select “properties.”
- Once in properties, another small window will open where you will have to select the details tab.
- Within the details tab, click on the property drop-down menu, and in it, select “Hardware ID,” which is the first option.
- You will see different hard drive values, which is the model name.
- You can copy this model name and enter it into Google to get more information about this drive.
Using the MSinfo32 tool
You can also use the MSinfo32 tool to find your hard drive’s manufacturer and model number. Enter MSinfo32 in the search bar located at the bottom left of the Windows 10 interface, and select “system information.”
In this new pop-up window, select “components” from the left, then “storage,” and finally “drives and disks” to find the type of your hard drive.
Using PowerShell
To access PowerShell, use the Win + X shortcut again in the drop-down menu that appears and select “Windows PowerShell.”
In the pop-up window that opens, enter the Get-PhysicalDisk command.
Now the information regarding the hard drives you have installed should appear. In one of the columns, it will tell you if it is SSD or HDD.
Using third-party tools
In principle, it would not be necessary for you to use any third-party tool because the ones offered by Windows 10 are more than enough. Applications such as Crystal Disk Info, Free PC Audit, or HDD Scan can also give you information about your hard drive.
How to Know if My PC Is Compatible With an SSD?
Download the Crucial System Scanner program. This program will let you know if your PC is compatible with the hard drive.
After downloading and installing this program, run it to scan.
After it has finished scanning, you will be able to view the hard drive information on your computer. Finally, you will see if your PC can support an SSD disk in the middle of all this information.
Alternatively, since most laptops come with a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive, which is the standard, you only need to get an SSD of the same inches.
If you want to be sure, you can take out the original hard drive and take it to a computer parts or accessories store and request an SSD with the same dimensions as your sample.
How Can I Install An SSD Disk on My PC?
Installing an SSD is pretty easy so that you won’t need a lot of computer experience. For some laptops, it’s usually under the keyboard.
You’ll take out a few screws to lift the cover off, remove the hard drive, and replace it with the SSD.
Some SSDs can be connected via a USB cable, so you won’t have to do any disassembly procedures. Just plug it into the port, and voila, you have your new and best hard drive installed.
Advantages of an SSD
There are many advantages of having this type of disk, and now we will show you how wonderful this hard disk is and why it is better than conventional hard disks.
- It has excellent performance and high speed.
- Quick access to all kinds of information you need to see.
- Its size is smaller than normal hard drives.
- Easy and simple to install
- It has a high storage capacity that reaches up to 2TB.
Disadvantages of an SSD
Like all things in life, an SSD has its disadvantages. And this does not mean that it is not recommended, but for you to know what you’re getting, here are the few downsides of an SSD:
- Data recovery is more difficult because of its flash storage memory.
- The price is higher than a normal hard drive.
Which hard drive is better, SSD or HDD?
Without a doubt, SSDs are the best. They are the latest technology as far as hard drive systems are concerned. They’re faster, smaller, lighter, cooler, and don’t make any noise like HDDs because there are no moving parts.
On the other hand, HDDs offer a larger storage capacity, but this increases the weight of the computer. In addition, they consume more energy and heat up more quickly. Thus, SSDs are more recommended.
Conclusion
Many want to upgrade from a normal hard drive to an SSD, but they have several doubts about it since they do not know if their computers are compatible with this HDD technology.
The best way to know is by installing the Crucial System Scanner system, which will let you know if the PC is compatible with SSD hard drives and even the size it supports.
