[SOLVED] Upgrade from HDD to SSD on older Dell XPS8100

[TheNit]

I have a 2014 vintage Dell Studio XPS8100. It has a 1TB HDD and I have a 1TB external HDD connected via by Esata for backups (much faster than USB 2.0). I am considering upgrading to a SDD (Crucial MX500) and am wondering about disk sizing. My total usage on the HDD is only 260 GB of which about 120 GB is music, photos and documents. I was thinking that I either get a 1TB SSD or move the 1TB HDD into the second slot to be used as a data disk and replace it (the system disk) with a 500GB SSD. Price isn't that much of an issue but I guess my main concern is backups where I would have to worry about backing up both disks.

 

[USAFRet]

I have a 2014 vintage Dell Studio XPS8100. It has a 1TB HDD and I have a 1TB external HDD connected via by Esata for backups (much faster than USB 2.0). I am considering upgrading to a SDD (Crucial MX500) and am wondering about disk sizing. My total usage on the HDD is only 260 GB of which about 120 GB is music, photos and documents. I was thinking that I either get a 1TB SSD or move the 1TB HDD into the second slot to be used as a data disk and replace it (the system disk) with a 500GB SSD. Price isn't that much of an issue but I guess my main concern is backups where I would have to worry about backing up both disks.

I'd go with a single 1TB MX500.
Move ALL data to that, and use the external HDD for backups.

Clone procedure available if desired.

 

[TheNit]

Just seems a waste to get rid of HDD.

Already have Macrium Reflect for cloning.

 

[USAFRet]

Just seems a waste to get rid of HDD.

Already have Macrium Reflect for cloning.

You can keep the existing HDD if desired.
But I would move ALL operations to an SSD. HDD for backups and long term rarely used data storage.

All personal preference.

 

[USAFRet]

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Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
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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)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
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

If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specifiy the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing

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.
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