[SOLVED] Adding SSD to HP Elitebook 850 G3 - best way to go?

[Frooby]

i5 6200U 2.3GHz 8GB

Hi again.

Daughter's laptop - with a 500GB HDD - creaks along at a painful rate. Currently only has 90GB free due to loads of stupid games and stuff (which she says she still wants). Was intending to replace the HDD with an SSD, but realise it also has an M.2 NVME slot, so I guess it makes sense to chuck a 500GB card in there, clone everything, wipe the HDD and use that as a file backup?

Question is, do I clone everything across, so leaving only 90GB remaining on the lovely new SSD, or would it be better to, say, make a fresh install in Win 10 on to the M.2, along with other important stuff - Office, etc - and she can just get on and cope with the groaning HDD should she wish to play a game? She's about to head off to Uni, for pity's sakes...

Best option, please?

Thanks.

 

[USAFRet]

1TB SSD.
Given only 90GB free, that is not enough free for a replacement 500GB SSD.
Even with a fresh install on a replacement 500GB, that will fill up just as fast.

Either a SATA III, 860 EVO.
Or a NVMe 970 EVO.

Fresh install or clone....

Either way can work.

Cloning just moves ALL of it to the new drive, junk and all.
Fresh install starts fresh.


We can walk you through either way.

 

[Frooby]

Thanks USAFRet.

Ah, so a SATA card will fit as well? (It's a single-notch socket). I'm guessing that doesn't apply the other way around - a NVMe won't fit in a SATA socket?

A 1TB would be ideal, I guess, but I'm trying to find an improvement (mainly on boot-up) vs cost upgrade. Can't Win 10 and the other software she'll be using regularly at Uni (not the games...) be put on the SSD to allow fast boot-ups and loading of 'important' software, and she can struggle on with the HDD should she wish to load a game? (Which I'm hoping/expecting will become less important to her as Uni life takes over...)

Cheers.

 

[USAFRet]

A 2.5" SATA III SSD would be a direct replacement for the existing HDD. Fits in the same space.

For a non-techie, a single drive is MUCH easier to work with.
We've seen people with 2 physical drives in a factory prebuilt system....a year into use, 'Why am I running out of space?'
The second drive was totally empty, because they didn't know how to manage the two.

 

[Frooby]

Ah, thanks - I got hold of t'wrong end of t'stick in reference to the SATA. The M.2 socket on the board will only take a single-notch NVMe, yes?

I get what you are saying, but although a bit of a duffer with things PC (earlier thread this eve had me freeze up the laptop by giving it a physical clean when on...), I have had a PC I set up with two drives, just as I'm hoping to do here - added an SSD mainly for OS and software, and the old formatted HDD kept as a back-up for important files (and carp for daughter). I've used Macrium a few times.

It just seemed the obvious thing to do in this case - keep the 2.5"HDD as it's a useful 500GB physical storage, and then start afresh with the NVMe for the 'fast' bits.

No?

 

[Bob.B]

Ah, thanks - I got hold of t'wrong end of t'stick in reference to the SATA. The M.2 socket on the board will only take a single-notch NVMe, yes?

I get what you are saying, but although a bit of a duffer with things PC (earlier thread this eve had me freeze up the laptop by giving it a physical clean when on...), I have had a PC I set up with two drives, just as I'm hoping to do here - added an SSD mainly for OS and software, and the old formatted HDD kept as a back-up for important files (and carp for daughter). I've used Macrium a few times.

It just seemed the obvious thing to do in this case - keep the 2.5"HDD as it's a useful 500GB physical storage, and then start afresh with the NVMe for the 'fast' bits.

No?

Keep it simple don't confuse daughter.
Get a 1TB 2.5 ssd and a usb>sata cable.
Connect ssd with the new cable and clone hdd to ssd.
Replace hdd with ssd.
Keep nvme out of the mix.

 

[USAFRet]

Ah, thanks - I got hold of t'wrong end of t'stick in reference to the SATA. The M.2 socket on the board will only take a single-notch NVMe, yes?

I get what you are saying, but although a bit of a duffer with things PC (earlier thread this eve had me freeze up the laptop by giving it a physical clean when on...), I have had a PC I set up with two drives, just as I'm hoping to do here - added an SSD mainly for OS and software, and the old formatted HDD kept as a back-up for important files (and carp for daughter). I've used Macrium a few times.

It just seemed the obvious thing to do in this case - keep the 2.5"HDD as it's a useful 500GB physical storage, and then start afresh with the NVMe for the 'fast' bits.

No?

How opposed are you to a fresh install on this new drive?
Cloning from the old to new can be an option, but remember...you're dragging along ALL the old gunk.
Sometimes a fresh start on a new drive is better.

 

[Frooby]

Thanks Bob - I know that makes sense, but it also takes a bit more dosh. I also like the fact there's two drives - one can be used to back up important files.

Once allocated drive letters, even daughter shouldn't get confused...

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks Bob - I know that makes sense, but it also takes a bit more dosh. I also like the fact there's two drives - one can be used to back up important files.

Once allocated drive letters, even daughter shouldn't get confused...

OK then...

Add a NVMe drive to this.
Then, either a fresh install on the new drive, or clone from old to new.

Specific steps can be provided either way.

 

[Frooby]

How opposed are you to a fresh install on this new drive?
Cloning from the old to new can be an option, but remember...you're dragging along ALL the old gunk.
Sometimes a fresh start on a new drive is better.

Not opposed at all - happy to install Win 10 again on the SSD.

Totally get what you are saying about cloning - I know it's an exact copy, warts an' all. My preference would be to separate the carp from the important - and hopefully ultimately get rid of the carp...

 

[USAFRet]

Not opposed at all - happy to install Win 10 again on the SSD.

Totally get what you are saying about cloning - I know it's an exact copy, warts an' all. My preference would be to separate the carp from the important - and hopefully ultimately get rid of the carp...

OK then.

Fresh install on the new drive.


First, find ALL of the personal files you wish to keep. Save them off on some other device. Flash drive, cloud, whatever.
When putting the new NVMe in, physically disconnect the existing HDD.
Keeping it in will result in a poor dualboot situation, which you do NOT want.
Reconnect the HDD later, and wipe it clean.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Frooby]

Good points - thank you for the clarification. Much appreciated.

Now to get a drive...