[SOLVED] Will a ssd make any difference?

[KiAaron]

While being in the attic of my parents, I've found a laptop. Specs:
Core 2 Duo t5500
1gb ddr2
80gb hdd 5400rpm (pata/ide idk really)
I thought of seeing what this machine can do but the loading times are incredibly slow. I thought of getting Lubuntu running on this machine but I still think it will be slow. Do you think getting a ssd for this will make it better? And yes I know that 64gb ssd pata is like 70 euroes but I still want to try it out.

 

[Koekieezz]

While being in the attic of my parents, I've found a laptop. Specs:
Core 2 Duo t5500
1gb ddr2
80gb hdd 5400rpm (pata/ide idk really)
I thought of seeing what this machine can do but the loading times are incredibly slow. I thought of getting Lubuntu running on this machine but I still think it will be slow. Do you think getting a ssd for this will make it better? And yes I know that 64gb ssd pata is like 70 euroes but I still want to try it out.

Maybe buying a PATA to SATA will help, then buy a 120gb ssd. you'll see more responsive performance but not as much as your specs is already slow for todays OS unless you're using windows XP.

 

[Bob.B]

While being in the attic of my parents, I've found a laptop. Specs:
Core 2 Duo t5500
1gb ddr2
80gb hdd 5400rpm (pata/ide idk really)
I thought of seeing what this machine can do but the loading times are incredibly slow. I thought of getting Lubuntu running on this machine but I still think it will be slow. Do you think getting a ssd for this will make it better? And yes I know that 64gb ssd pata is like 70 euroes but I still want to try it out.

Better.....yes.
Is it worth the cost.....your call.

 

[Howardohyea]

I also found an ancient laptop, very similar to this one, and after tinkering with it for a few hours and installed Windows 10, I sold it for 5 bucks to my local hardware shop

Personally I don't think it's worth buying components to make that laptop faster, not to mention time. But if you really want to improve this laptop, I agree with everyone else who posted above

 

[rakibfahadgts]

SSD will do night and day difference. Once you are used to it (even the SATA ones) you wouldn't want to get back. Not sure about pata though

 

[Howardohyea]

SSD will do night and day difference. Once you are used to it (even the SATA ones) you wouldn't want to get back. Not sure about pata though

SSDs isn't about the sequential speed, it's the random read/write that makes it better. The interface (SATA, PATA, or something else) won't help the hard drive with random performance, but switching to an SSD would make random way faster

 

[Krotow]

Laptops with PATA/IDE HDD came with only PATA/IDE drive interface socket internally. There is no extra space for other drive nor SATA connector on motherboard. Unfortunately it mean that you only can stick to with PATA drives at this laptop. You may only replace existing HDD to another PATA/IDE HDD with larger capacity and 7200 RPM rotation speed. Battery certainly is dead too. I would even not bother about upgrade of this. If you want, you can still use it for some non-critical background tasks - as monitoring station or similar.

 

[KiAaron]

Laptops with PATA/IDE HDD came with only PATA/IDE drive interface socket internally. There is no extra space for other drive nor SATA connector on motherboard. Unfortunately it mean that you only can stick to with PATA drives at this laptop. You may only replace existing HDD to another PATA/IDE HDD with larger capacity and 7200 RPM rotation speed. Battery certainly is dead too. I would even not bother about upgrade of this. If you want, you can still use it for some non-critical background tasks - as monitoring station or similar.

Well the battery ain't dead. I was surprised myself. What I was planning to do with it was just check out windows xp and how it used to be. Though I used this laptop as a kid, I only played games and nothing else. Now the loading times are unbearably slow.

 

[geofelt]

In the past, I had occasion to fix a similar laptop.
It was sata, not PATA, but the ssd replacement of the hdd made a world of difference.

I might add that 1gb of ram is not likely to be sufficient.
You likely can add a second 1g ram module which will also make a lot of difference.
I would certainly try to add ram.

The result was a useable laptop for an elderly woman who only wanted to do email and browse the internet.

 

[Krotow]

What I was planning to do with it was just check out windows xp and how it used to be. Though I used this laptop as a kid, I only played games and nothing else. Now the loading times are unbearably slow.

Windows XP should run on your laptop just fine. But avoid going online with it. Newer Windows will be slow due to memory constraints, HDD, only 2 CPU cores, PATA limitations and way how decent operating systems are working. You may try to make this machine as light Linux client with Lubuntu or similar distro. Though try to add at least another 1 GB RAM to it. Newer web browsers and GUI web clients are memory hungry beasts.

 

[Krotow]

The ssd will make a huge difference in how the system feel for speed. files load and save much faster and can you feel it.

Correct. Except it have no use in laptops with PATA/IDE drive interface only like OP have. Because that junk doesn't have SATA anywhere on motherboard.

 

[Bob.B]

Correct. Except it have no use in laptops with PATA/IDE drive interface only like OP have. Because that junk doesn't have SATA anywhere on motherboard.

Even a pata ssd will be a bump in perf compared to a pata hdd.

 

[Krotow]

Even a pata ssd will be a bump in perf compared to a pata hdd.

Try to get one at first. And then pray are it is supported in ancient BIOS, Windows XP or other museum exhibit.

IDE SSD is very uncommon thing. Web search here bring in only something so Chinese about which I doubt that it will work at all. There is better choice IMHO - mIDE to mSATA adapter and mSATA SSD drive. Still OP's mileage may vary which depends from BIOS in laptop.

 

[Bob.B]

Try to get one at first. And then pray are it is supported in ancient BIOS, Windows XP or other museum exhibit.

IDE SSD is very uncommon thing. Web search here bring in only something so Chinese about which I doubt that it will work at all. There is better choice IMHO - mIDE to mSATA adapter and mSATA SSD drive. Still OP's mileage may vary which depends from BIOS in laptop.

A ssd in any flavor is a bump in perf over a hdd.

 

[USAFRet]

A ssd in any flavor is a bump in perf over a hdd.

Yes, but.....

What will this system be used for?
1GB RAM, a Core 2 Duo .....

"While being in the attic of my parents, I've found a laptop "
AKA - "Boot it up twice for nostalgia, then put away again..."