Lenovo y410p HDD->SSD upgrade

Hey guys,

Im looking to upgrade my HDD to an SSD and i just need some advice/confirmation that i have everything that i need to do this correctly.

I have 3 questions.

1. I need to know if the SSD im buying is compatible with my laptop.

The SSD i have in mind is : http://www.amazon.ca/Samsung-Electr...ersion+Internal+Solid+State+Drive+MZ-7TE250LW

I saw it from this video ( ) but apprently some laptops of the same model have different configuration(?) so I just want to be sure my laptop is compatible (if thats even possible from just looking at the picture)

2. From the amazon link above, does that include everything i need to do this upgrade? or do i need to buy something not included in that kit?

3. Should i move the HDD to the ultrabay or just use a 3.0 usb storage?

picture : http://imgur.com/lkzNbBE

I appreciate all your help!

 

Next time, check out the Lenovo sub-forums here on NBR.

You just need the spacer which is included with the SSD. This will compensate for the reduced height of the SSD in your laptop's hard drive caddy. That's really the only accessory you'll be needing to replace your HDD with that SSD.

To use your original hard drive in the ultra bay is a good idea but you may need to buy an additional caddy.

 

You can even use two pieces of corrugated cardboard taped together for a spacer if the SSD doesn't include one (Although it's not at all ideal).

You can either use it in a USB enclosure or in an internal caddy... Internal makes your machine a little heavier due to having a second HDD inside but it also means you can access it at any time... I had to sacrifice my optical drive to fit a second HDD but I consider it a worthwhile compromise to gain more storage.

 

I would recommend to buy a big enough capacity SSD that will allow you to have ~30% OP'ing in addition to 150GB capacity for the C:\Drive (with at least 50GB free space) and enough left over for the D:\Drive to store your DATA.

And... do not leave the HDD installed at all. An external USB 3.1 enclosure is recommended instead.

Whatever you decide to buy, make sure it is 100% returnable with no restocking fee as you may find that your particular model/configuration may not be applicable to what was shipped.

 

Sorry about posting on the wrong forum, but thanks for all your answers,

it sounds like i have everything ill need from that SSD kit (im assuming the data transfer software cable is included in the ssd kit as well as the spacer from kosti's comment)

When i do the data transfer, doesnt that automatically uninstall the HDD? otherwise, how would i go about doing that? and should i do it after or before i replace it with the SSD?

thanks

 

The 'data transfer' (i.e. cloning) simply copies all files across to the new drive. It doesn't change anything else.

I recommend to physically remove all the old drives, physically install the SSD and do a clean install instead of the 'cloning' you are contemplating to do.

This will setup your new SSD in an optimal state with regards to the O/S in addition to starting with no accumulated debris and other possible issues from installing/removing/updating software on the old HDD...

If you do a clean install; do not leave the old drive(s) installed as they may be used to boot the system with (and when/if you remove them and/or they die, you will not be able to boot into the O/S).

Good luck.

 

wouldnt that require me to have a windows installation cd? so other than removing the old HDD, what other drives do i need to remove?

 

I disagree. If the ultra bay is not utilized, why not put it to use with the spare hard drive? Why lug an external usb drive around when you can have that storage available inside the laptop. I've been doing this for years on my M15X by removing the optical drive and using a HDD in its place. My SSD is in the HDD slot and is used for the OS and applications. The HDD is used for files.

I also recommend a clean install of the OS as well.

Also, check out this tweaking guide after the SSD is installed. You probably don't need to perform all these tweaks (especially if you are using Win8 or 10), but have a look anyway:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/ssd-tweaks-and-tips.533819

If you do not have the installation media, Lenovo should provide you with a CD. If you are running Windows 10 and it has been activated, you can download it from Microsoft and put the installation files on a usb thumb drive and boot from that. Once Windows 10 has been activated, it can be reinstalled on the same device and it will activate automatically.

As far as the drives removal. He meant not to leave the original HDD in the laptop because the system may try to boot from that drive instead of the newly installed SSD. This however is not possible because there is only one hard drive slot in that laptop, and to use the original drive in the ultra bay slot you will need to get an adapter. The system boot order can always be specified in the BIOS settings so it won't be an issue if two drives are eventually installed in the laptop.

 

Two points;

Using an HDD alongside an SSD gives me a slower system. And on a mobile platform you still need to be extra careful of the running system in case the HDD is being accessed and the platter can be damaged by excess movement. We have the choice to buy the capacity we require for the required amount of DATA, O/S and Programs we require to be with us at all times.

The external HDD enclosure is/should be best used as a backup media. Not as a DATA drive that you would access constantly.

Secondly, whenever you want to install an O/S - remove all installed drives except for the drive you want the O/S installed on.

What happens is that in some/most circumstances, the Windows installer will put the boot files (or other boot partitions) on other than the drive that you point it to install the O/S on. So in the future, if that secondary drive gets damaged, dies or is removed, the O/S won't be able to load.


The only time I would use the ultra bay is to put another SSD on the system.

HDD's (today) are for a NAS or a desktop or any other immobile installation where the drives can't be damaged by accidental movement and you also want cheap and high capacity for those systems.

The benefits of an SSD are diminished when they are paired with an HDD. Especially when the User folder is properly moved to the HDD so that you don't need to consciously think of where to save each and every file.

Why? Because you'll be waiting for the HDD to spin up before the system becomes responsive again... Or, if you disable the spin down of the HDD - you'll be using more power than just simply using a HDD in the first place (which will make your battery run time shorter).

 

thanks for all the input guys, i will give it a try and see how it goes, hopefully i dont screw anything up!