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    Connecting external hard disk with laptop

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by blacklight186, Aug 5, 2009.

  1. blacklight186

    blacklight186 Notebook Consultant

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    Hi guys

    My laptop has a 250 GB 5400 RPM laptop. It's a bit slow when loading games and big files cos of the 5400 RPM. The other specs are fine. I want to either:

    1) replace it completely with a 7200/10000 rpm hard disk.
    2) connect a new hard disk externally (preferred!)

    Anyone know a good website where it's shown how to do either of them?

    Thanks in advance.

    blacklight186
     
    blacklight186, Aug 5, 2009
    #1
  2. goofball

    goofball Notebook Deity

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    1) no 10000 RPM hard disk unless you can find a way to cool a velociraptor down to install it.
    2) Unless you're using e-sata, it will be slower to load from USB 2.0 than internal SATA.

    It is pretty easy to change the HDD on most laptops. You should get an external enclosure for your current 250GB so you can just do a disk-copy of your current installation.
    If budget allows and you want access speed, get a good SSD.
     
    goofball, Aug 5, 2009
    #2
  3. blacklight186

    blacklight186 Notebook Consultant

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    hi goofball.. thanks for the reply...

    yeah I already have two external USB HDD's so they're slower.. yup..

    Actually i had posted on a UT3 forum b4 where I complained that it takes between 1-2 mins to load my UT3 game. One of the replies suggested that I get a 10000 rpm HDD, keep it in an external enclosure and connect it with a particular cable to my laptop (I forgot which.. maybe e-sata?). Is this feasable?

    I guess either I need to have 2 HDD "ports" in my laptop internally or I will have to remove the 540rpm drive from inside, mount a 10000 rpm in an external enclosure and connect via (e-sata?)

    I'm not really familiar with e-sata...

    thanks again...
     
    blacklight186, Aug 5, 2009
    #3
  4. User Retired 2

    User Retired 2 Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Two ways of using a 2nd HDD in your system with good performance. Personally I'd go option (1), since the caddy is only US$14-28 delivered:

    1/ Consider an optical bay caddy as shown here. So can hotswap in the HDD in caddy OR optical drive as needed.

    2/ Use an e-sata enclosure, so you'd need an e-sata port OR if don't have one, an e-sata card. There's a nice delock e-sata enclosure shown here.
     
    User Retired 2, Aug 5, 2009
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