[SOLVED] Can I install a SSD?

Jake311202

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Hi, I have the computer vanquish centurion which has the motherboard ASUS H110M-R, currently I’ve got a 1TB hard drive but I’m planning to buy a SSD, firstly I want to know is my motherboard and PC capable of having a SSD installed. Also if so which SSD is the most worthwhile? I need a 400GB one minimum.
 
Solution
Okay so basically what I’m understanding is..
  1. connect the SSD with the cables and power up my pc
  2. download cloning software
  3. power down and make sure only my HDD and SSD are the only drives plugged in
  4. power on and open the cloning app
  5. select all data on HDD and clone it
  6. power down and power up with only the SSD plugged in
  7. go into the BIOS and make sure SSD is the boot priority #1
  8. power up and what should happen then?
If all goes well, and it should, what happens is that you boot up and it looks exactly the same as it used to, except on a much faster drive.

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used...

Jake311202

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Apr 23, 2020
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Your board supports sata 2.5" SSDs.
There is no M.2 slot onboard, so those without specific adapter can not be used.

Look for Crucial Mx500 500GB or Samsung 860 Evo 500GB - 2.5" models.
Thanks, do I need to check if these are compatible with any other parts of my PC or only the motherboard? As I know it also connects to the power supply so I was wondering if some power supplies aren’t compatible with these Ssd’s?
 
They are generally compatible.
Your PSU will need to have a free sata power connector to provide power to 2.5"sata device.

sata-power-cable-57c768d23df78c71b6565ca0.jpg
 
A standard 2.5" sata ssd attaches just like any other sata HDD.
It needs both a sata power connector to the psu as well as a sata data cable to a port on the motherboard.
You should have no problem there.

Do you plan on reinstalling windows as well as other apps?
If you do, disconnect the old HDD during the process.

If you want to preserve your apps as well as windows, drive makers will offer clone/copy utilities.
I am familiar with the samsung ssd migration app.
So long as the ssd is large enough to hold the used contents of the original C drive, the samsung ssd move app is painless.
 

Jake311202

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Apr 23, 2020
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A standard 2.5" sata ssd attaches just like any other sata HDD.
It needs both a sata power connector to the psu as well as a sata data cable to a port on the motherboard.
You should have no problem there.

Do you plan on reinstalling windows as well as other apps?
If you do, disconnect the old HDD during the process.

If you want to preserve your apps as well as windows, drive makers will offer clone/copy utilities.
I am familiar with the samsung ssd migration app.
So long as the ssd is large enough to hold the used contents of the original C drive, the samsung ssd move app is painless.
I plan on moving my windows over to the SSD and one or two of my games, in that case should I disconnect my HDD or should I use a application?
 

Jake311202

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Apr 23, 2020
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A standard 2.5" sata ssd attaches just like any other sata HDD.
It needs both a sata power connector to the psu as well as a sata data cable to a port on the motherboard.
You should have no problem there.

Do you plan on reinstalling windows as well as other apps?
If you do, disconnect the old HDD during the process.

If you want to preserve your apps as well as windows, drive makers will offer clone/copy utilities.
I am familiar with the samsung ssd migration app.
So long as the ssd is large enough to hold the used contents of the original C drive, the samsung ssd move app is painless.
Also slightly unfamiliar with how to get the SSD working, if I install the hardware correctly, do I power up the PC and go into the BIOS first to set the boot priority then install windows or do I install windows and then sort out the boot priority?
 
If you do a clean install on the ssd, have no other drives connected.
If you make a mistake and have any other drives connected, windows will put a hidden recovery partition on it and you will always need that second drive connected in order to boot.

After you install windows on the new ssd, you can reconnect the HDD and any data folders will be available to you.
Apps that were installed using the registry will not work and you will need to reinstall them.
There is a process to handle steam games.

A simple process is available if your new ssd is samsung and if it is large enough to hold the used contents of your current C drive.
 
Also slightly unfamiliar with how to get the SSD working, if I install the hardware correctly, do I power up the PC and go into the BIOS first to set the boot priority then install windows or do I install windows and then sort out the boot priority?
Clone Contents of HDD to SSD. That's way faster than full reinstall. But your SSD has to be large enough to fit all data from HDD.
Follow directions in post #7 in this topic:
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/installing-ssd.3592310/#post-21680580
 

Jake311202

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Jake311202

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Mostly, you don't. You can't pick and choose applications in this process.
Okay so basically what I’m understanding is..
  1. connect the SSD with the cables and power up my pc
  2. download cloning software
  3. power down and make sure only my HDD and SSD are the only drives plugged in
  4. power on and open the cloning app
  5. select all data on HDD and clone it
  6. power down and power up with only the SSD plugged in
  7. go into the BIOS and make sure SSD is the boot priority #1
  8. power up and what should happen then?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Okay so basically what I’m understanding is..
  1. connect the SSD with the cables and power up my pc
  2. download cloning software
  3. power down and make sure only my HDD and SSD are the only drives plugged in
  4. power on and open the cloning app
  5. select all data on HDD and clone it
  6. power down and power up with only the SSD plugged in
  7. go into the BIOS and make sure SSD is the boot priority #1
  8. power up and what should happen then?
If all goes well, and it should, what happens is that you boot up and it looks exactly the same as it used to, except on a much faster drive.

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------
 
Solution

Jake311202

Prominent
Apr 23, 2020
83
3
545
If all goes well, and it should, what happens is that you boot up and it looks exactly the same as it used to, except on a much faster drive.

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------
So at the stage of ‘Later reconnect the old drive’ if i re plug in the HDD afterwards, will I need to configure the HDD or anything or should my old drive just automatically show up alongside my SSD?
 

Jake311202

Prominent
Apr 23, 2020
83
3
545
If all goes well, and it should, what happens is that you boot up and it looks exactly the same as it used to, except on a much faster drive.

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------
Sorry one Last question about this part, so using the macrium software, when I have switched over the cables so that my SSD is the only one plugged into the old SATA cable, will my windows already be installed at this point? And also can I just plug my HDD into the new SATA cable since it says to plug the SSD into the old SATA cable which my HDD was using?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Sorry one Last question about this part, so using the macrium software, when I have switched over the cables so that my SSD is the only one plugged into the old SATA cable, will my windows already be installed at this point? And also can I just plug my HDD into the new SATA cable since it says to plug the SSD into the old SATA cable which my HDD was using?
  1. Yes.
  2. Don't reconnect the old drive until you are 100% sure the system boots up from the new drive on its own. And yes, you can use the old cable.