Will upgrading my laptop's 1 TB 5400 RPM HDD to an SSD make a difference in performance

[Jacky791]

I bought an Intel Core i5 3230M, 8 GB DDR3 1600 Mhz, Intel HD 4000 (don't game on laptops), 1 TB 5400 RPM HDD Samsung laptop on sale last year at Best Buy (looks nice too with a silver color) and it is really slow and sluggish when starting up Windows 8.1 and at opening programs however it gets better once I actually turn it on and use it for a while.

I was wondering if the HDD would be the reason why the laptop is slow and sluggish at the beginning? I was thinking of buying an SSD (120 gb or 240 GB) to install the OS and all the programs I need and put the files into an external storage. Would this improve performance?

 

[Lukey_AMD]

YES. I have just build a PC with an SSD.. it takes 15 seconds to be up and loaded after POST. It makes a HUGE improvement. Also files open almost instantly, especially internet, no more waiting for your screen do get busy

 

[USAFRet]

Yes. The only thing you have to watch is overall space. Currently, you have a 1TB drive. A 1TB SSD isn't cheap.

How much space do you estimate using?

 

[velo3100]

It only impacts boot times and program starts. The only problem is the space. To get the same amount of space it will cost quite a bit so look how much you need then buy.

 

[RCguitarist]

Oh yeah. You can pick up a 256GB Crucial MX-100 for around $95. With my 7 install, a bunch of music editing programs and 2 games on mine, I am only using about 40% of it.