SSD Compatibility Questions, Urgent!

[StealthTaco]

i am looking to buy an SSD and was wondering if my PC is compatible.
I need an answer ASAP as i am trying to by a limited black Friday deal.

Specs:
I5 3570K
Gigabyte windforce GTX 770 2GB
ThermalTake TR2 600W
Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H LGA 1155
8GB DDR3

 

[avjguy2362]

It's not a problem. IF you want to run your system off it, you can 1) "clone" your old HD to the SSD. 2) Use back up software ( the Windows version works fine ) to install your OS and restore it back to the way it is now, or 3) Install the OS and all your programs fresh. Either way, yes, you can add an SSD! ( Most people go with cloning, fast and easy )

 

[StealthTaco]

It's not a problem. IF you want to run your system off it, you can 1) "clone" your old HD to the SSD. 2) Use back up software ( the Windows version works fine ) to install your OS and restore it back to the way it is now, or 3) Install the OS and all your programs fresh. Either way, yes, you can add an SSD! ( Most people go with cloning, fast and easy )

How would i go about "cloning"? Is it just copying the windows folder over?

 

[avjguy2362]

No! I use Macrium Reflect (free edition!) and simply put the new SSD in your system, or in an external enclocure (you don't have to format it first), the software will "see" the new drive. Chose your old drive and then the SSD as the destination drive and the software will recognize that you are cloning an OS and copy everything, verbatim, including all the hidden folders and the most importantly the hidden boot partition. Don't let it sound complicated, because the software is very cool, you don't have to understand what it is doing, just choose to clone, pick the original and destination drives and click start, it knows what to to do!!!!
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

 

[qingmui]

It's not a problem. IF you want to run your system off it, you can 1) "clone" your old HD to the SSD. 2) Use back up software ( the Windows version works fine ) to install your OS and restore it back to the way it is now, or 3) Install the OS and all your programs fresh. Either way, yes, you can add an SSD! ( Most people go with cloning, fast and easy )

How would i go about "cloning"? Is it just copying the windows folder over?

remember, clone or ghost from HDD will need 4k alignment, which take lots of time. If you forget to do so, and found out after you copyed then, Ha ha, if your storage is big, then, it will take ........................LOTS LOTS LOTS of time.

If not very much data, I prefer you just copy important files and re-install the system(if you have the windows key and backup your windows key) Some old games require to de-activate first otherwise, you cannot play anymore! (Origin and steam is fine)


Link1: us.hardware.info/reviews/4583/6/how-to-copy-hdd-to-ssd-with-correct-4k-alignment-correcting-alignment
Link2 if you SSD 4k is not 4k aligned: www.paragon-software.com/home/partition-alignment/
Link 2 Free Trial Request: paragon-downloads.com/product-trial-downloads/paragon-alignment-tool-pat-3
=====
For Cloning, there are many paid software with free trial: Easeus, Acronis, Paragon.
Or even using comand line in Windows 7 or up. (dism command, google it. or reply me for more info)

 

[avjguy2362]

After you are done cloning, you should remove the old drive. It may work perfectly without doing anything since it will be your new "C" drive. However, when you restart, you should go directly to the BIOS. There is a section called "Boot Order". Set the optical drive first , then the new SSD. IF the old HD is still in the list, de-select or remove it.
The reason you put the optical drive in front of the SSD ( in boot order ), is on the rare occasion you have a boot problem with the main OS, the system will automatically check first to see if you have the Windows rescue disk or OS disk in the optical drive for repair.
If this makes you uncomfortable, you can "restart" now and keep pressing the "delete" key , once a second ( a slow tapping ) until the BIOS comes up. You can explore the BIOS without making any changes, just find the Boot Order section and check it out without actually doing anything. Even if you accidentally make a change it will always ask you if you want to save the changes. Use the "Esc" key to back out of anything in the BIOS. It's not that scary!

 

[qingmui]

No! I use Macrium Reflect (free edition!) and simply put the new SSD in your system, or in an external enclocure (you don't have to format it first), the software will "see" the new drive. Chose your old drive and then the SSD as the destination drive and the software will recognize that you are cloning an OS and copy everything, verbatim, including all the hidden folders and the most importantly the hidden boot partition. Don't let it sound complicated, because the software is very cool, you don't have to understand what it is doing, just choose to clone, pick the original and destination drives and click start, it knows what to to do!!!!
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

After you are done cloning, you should remove the old drive. It may work perfectly without doing anything since it will be your new "C" drive. However, when you restart, you should go directly to the BIOS. There is a section called "Boot Order". Set the optical drive first , then the new SSD. IF the old HD is still in the list, de-select or remove it.
The reason you put the optical drive in front of the SSD ( in boot order ), is on the rare occasion you have a boot problem with the main OS, the system will automatically check first to see if you have the Windows rescue disk or OS disk in the optical drive for repair.
If this makes you uncomfortable, you can "restart" now and keep pressing the "delete" key , once a second ( a slow tapping ) until the BIOS comes up. You can explore the BIOS without making any changes, just find the Boot Order section and check it out without actually doing anything. Even if you accidentally make a change it will always ask you if you want to save the changes. Use the "Esc" key to back out of anything in the BIOS. It's not that scary!

Oh, wow!!!! free cloning for noob!!! great software..... Thx, marked...

 

[avjguy2362]

qingmui, I mean no disrespect, and I find this software interesting, but I have cloned three of my own systems with Macrium and they have worked flawlessly and without problem for years, both with HD's and SSD's. In fact, I haven't even heard of anyone else even mentioning 4k alignment for basic windows cloning. Why isn't it mentioned in consumer versions of cloning software? Is this more along the lines of cloning many partitions all at once from a very large drive to another in a large server environment? I am getting the feeling that this is simply unnecessary for typical home computer users!

 

[qingmui]

qingmui, I mean no disrespect, and I find this software interesting, but I have cloned three of my own systems with Macrium and they have worked flawlessly and without problem for years, both with HD's and SSD's. In fact, I haven't even heard of anyone else even mentioning 4k alignment for basic windows cloning. Why isn't it mentioned in consumer versions of cloning software? Is this more along the lines of cloning many partitions all at once from a very large drive to another in a large server environment? I am getting the feeling that this is simply unnecessary for typical home computer users!

same to me, sorry for my bad english. Few yrs ago, i use ghost backup, then end up require 4k alignment. (4k willl have better preformance) So I re-install it instead of using sofware 4k moving the data likes forever...
When I say marked. means the software website is saved in browser.
I guess nowadays, the software have done 4k alignment first then to copy the file. So thx for the software advise, probably i will use it sometime.

 

[qingmui]

i am looking to buy an SSD and was wondering if my PC is compatible.
I need an answer ASAP as i am trying to by a limited black Friday deal.

Specs:
I5 3570K
Gigabyte windforce GTX 770 2GB
ThermalTake TR2 600W
Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H LGA 1155
8GB DDR3

In case you dont know SSD much.
Top: Intel 530

Good: Crucial M4, M500; Intel 330; Kingston SSDnow or HyperX 3K; SanDisk
Sumsang 840 is ok, but only1000 P/E

Never: OC*; ADAT* (I guess you know this brand even if I put a star)