Replace hd on laptop

[odekka]

Hello,after much searching on the Dell support forum and here, I've determined that my hard drive on my Dell xps m1330 is failing.

I just need to replace it, we've already backed everything up onto another drive that matters. Now the question is: can I easily get one from newegg or some such place to replace it?
Its a Hard Drive,160GB,Serial Ata 9.5,5.4K,SA160

thanks

 

[odekka]

Also, I forgot to ask, what do all the specs and numbers mean, and how do I know if the drive is for a laptop or not. Is there a sticky some place with a table that spells it all out?
Thanks!

 

[soulbrotha80]

Yes, going to Newegg or somewhere else to get a new hard drive is fine. Here's a link to some hard drives to replace the failing one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007605%20600003453&IsNodeId=1&name=SATA%201.5Gb%2fs.

As for the specs; 160GB would be the capacity or amount of space you have to use up; Serial ATA is the type of connection the hard drive uses; 5.4k (or 5400RPM) is how fast the spindle in the hard drive spins each minute, so faster being better; 2.5" would be the physical size of the hard drive, which is the size for a laptop hard drive.

There's a little more to it, but that's pretty much it. If you want to know more, just let me know. Hope this helps.

 

[guanyu210379]

Have you considered using SSD to replace your HDD?
That will be also a significant upgrade to your laptop in term of speed.
The big downside from a SSD is the price and the capacity, but believe me, you will like the speed, and extra battery life, not to mention less heat, less noise, and less vibration.

 

[howardp6]

If you have Windows 7 create a drive image and a recovery disk. This will alow you to replace the drive without re-installing your operating system and applications. You should follow the instructions on the replacement of the drive on the Dell support site. Your drive is mounted on a bezel that has to be removed and the new drive has to be mounted on.

 

[odekka]

Best answer selected by odekka.

 

[odekka]

Wow! Thanks all for the help! No I am on Vista, but we can just install all that we need. I don't need super speed, as its just for work and not gaming or movies or anything. Thanks again. 😉

But just to see (esp about battery life) would the connections and such be the same on the solid state drive?

 

[soulbrotha80]

Yes, the connection/interface for an SSD is SATA, so it will fit in your XPS M1330 just fine, if you decide to go that route.

 

[odekka]

ty so much!