Solved Upgrade to SSD on Lenovo G500 laptop

[gregrocker]

Would this PNY XLR8 120GB Internal Serial ATA III Solid State Drive for Laptops SSD9SC120GMDF-RB - Best Buy

work in the Lenovo G500 using this HD replacement method: How to upgrade memory ram and hard drive in lenovo g500 2013 latest diy do it yourself - YouTube

Better yet, is it possible this internal DVD drive can be easily replaced with the SSD? Is there a better conversion kit than Lenovo G500 HDD Caddy ?

Specs: Lenovo G500 Laptop | Entry-Level Laptop from Lenovo | Lenovo (US)

Thanks!

 

[Brink]

Hey Greg,

Since the SSD would be the same standard 2.5" size of the HDD in the laptop, you shouldn't have any issues swapping them.

The metal tray that holds the hard drive will have side screws that will work with the SSD as well. Just make sure that the SATA connection lines up before screwing the SSD on the tray though to avoid having to flip it afterwards. LOL

 

[gregrocker]

Thanks, Shawn. I'm thinking I don't want to lose the internal 1tb storage capacity if at all possible.

I found this adapter to mount the SSD in place of DVD drive: Lenovo G500 HDD Caddy.
It's a little pricey and from overseas. Maybe someone knows of a better model?

Is this a good idea? Would it be better to install SSD to HD bay and put the internal 1tb HD in caddy? Are their known problems with doing this?

 

[Brink]

That Lenovo caddy should work to replace the DVD drive with the SSD.

If you are using the SSD for Windows, then I'd swap the HDD with the SSD, and replace the DVD with the HDD. This way the SSD would be Disk 0.

 

[Torah Lishmah]

Would it be better to install SSD to HD bay and put the internal 1tb HD in caddy?

Absolutely, if the BIOS is set to boot from that particular SATA controller. However, many BIOS's allow you to choose witch SATA controller to boot from, in which case their position is irrelevant.

 

[gregrocker]

Thanks.

That PNY 120gb SSD is priced so low it makes me wonder if there's a quality compromise. Yet I've never heard anything bad about PNY. PNY XLR8 120GB Internal Serial ATA III Solid State Drive for Laptops SSD9SC120GMDF-RB - Best Buy

I also found this much less expensive caddy on eBay which says its for G500: 2nd SATA Hard Drive HDD Caddy Adapter for for Lenovo G500 Replace DS8A9SH DVD | eBay

What do you guys think?

 

[whs]

I would not put it into the CD Rom bay because that is an IDE connection. Some people have reported problems with that. But I would use a bigger SSD for a laptop, e.g. this one:

Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR240GB 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - Newegg.com

You will also need an external enclosure to transfer the OS. Later you can use it for the recovered HDD as a normal external drive.

 

[gregrocker]

This laptop has a SATA OD driven by a SATA controller.

I see no IDE on this PC at all, even for a BIOS settings choice.

What makes you think it's IDE, Wolfgang?

 

[whs]

I just go by what people reported. Maybe I am wrong here. But why would you want to lose your Optical drive. If you need more storage, use the HDD that you recover and attach it to USB or eSata - whatever ports you have. You can also get a fast 128GB USB2 stick for $47.

 

[essenbe]

Greg, in that video about the caddy, watch closely and stop it full screen when he shows the caddy with the hard drive in it. It is a WD3200BEKT which is a Western Digital Scorpio Black Sata hard drive.

What WHS is saying is another option for you to consider. It probably would depend on how much you use an optical drive. Some people use them often, others rarely. I use a USB external DVD and just plug it in when I am 'forced' to use a DVD. I try to put everything I can on USB flash drives. But, what WHS is saying is a viable alternative.

 

[gregrocker]

I'd like to have the storage onboard and don't care about a disk drive since I use flash for boot media. In fact I had in mind converting the OD when I bought it.

So I'd be moving the internal 1tb Seagate stock HDD into the OD bay converter, then install the SSD in the HD bay per Shawn's suggestion.

 

[whs]

I call that an accomodation. I use my optical drives a lot. And be it only to watch DVDs or rip music from CDs.

 

[gregrocker]

I should have said up front that I never use disks, would have bought a laptop without OD if I didn't want to have the conversion option. Now that time is here with the $10 caddy (looks ok?) and a 120gb PNY SSD which after a BB gift card and 3 reward certs comes out to my favorite price of....free! with free shipping.

 

[whs]

Aha, now I see why you go for the PNY. Can't beat that deal.

 

[Britton30]

That OD/SSD converter is a handy little gadget Greg. As others have said I'd go with putting a new SSD in place of the stock HDD. 120GB would handle all my data ad programs with space left over.

I suspect a drive wouldn't boot an OS from the OD connection even though it's on the SATA bus. Being a laptop I also suspect there's little to re-set in the BIOS.

If you don't need the 1TB as storage you could skip the OD adapter and get an external USB enclosure for it and use for...whatever. It would be good for image back ups for one thing.

Edit: here's some other options. Be aware some are Chinese vendors.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7iuzxm8c70_b

 

[gregrocker]

I just realized that if I leave my storage on external and don't carry it in laptop (for convenience in backing up other PC's mainly) I am only using 55gb with OS, Programs, and User folders separated to D sync'd to Skydrive.

So I might wait to see if I really need the 1tb HD which came with laptop. It's heavy enough already. Yet it seems a lot to waste since I already have a 1tb external.

 

[Britton30]

Just send me what you don't want, I'll find a way to use stuff.

 

[essenbe]

Greg, I collect Hard drives and SSDs. Ask Gary. But, it's a 2.5" drive .a usb cable will run it. You could use it for a lot of things being portable and as small as it is. I'm not necessarily recommending this cable, but one like this would work great. I use 2 of them and they work real well. Newegg.com - StarTech USB3S2SAT3CB USB 3.0 to 2.5? SATA III Hard Drive Adapter Cable w/ UASP. 1TB that will fit in your shirt pocket is nice for on the road.

 

[gregrocker]

Thanks Steve. No need for power supply? I have a powered USB 2.0 to SATA IDE Cable Adapter Converter - Rakuten.com Shopping. But adapter's bulky so just the small drive with a cable would be nice.

 

[Britton30]

No PSU needed, USB supplies 5V which is what 2.5" drives run on. 3.5" drives need 12V.