To improve the performance and speed of a laptop PC, you can change the disk and add RAM; let’s see how to do it
Laptops are not as easy to upgrade as desktop PCs because many internal components are soldered to the motherboard; the latter, even if technically replaceable, are not within the reach of a beginner or a user who is not familiar with electronic components.This does not mean that we cannot update and change some internal parts of our laptop, in particular the RAM memory and the internal disk, which are simple to replace and assemble. These hardware changes they will improve the overall speed of your laptopeven with a few years behind it, in order to quickly start any version of Windows and open programs quickly.
If we have to disassemble the lower part of the PC, we carry out all disassembly operations with the notebook turned off and without the battery inserted (remove it where possible), to avoid getting an electric shock!
READ ALSO: How to add or replace PC RAM
1) Add RAM memory
Most laptops have due slot so-DIMM per la RAM, arranged one above the other; therefore, you usually have to remove the upper so-DIMM module to access the lower one.
Since there are only two slots, they are usually both occupied, so you will need to upgrade your RAM by purchasing two new, larger capacity modules. We always update both modulesso as to maintain compatibility between the two memories.
To remove the banks of RAM, we turn the laptop upside down, unscrew the security screw near the door for accessing the RAM modules, press on the tabs on each side of the slot and push outwards on both sides at the same time so as to raise it by about 30 degrees and remove it.
Once the old RAM banks have been removed, we install the new ones by repeating the procedure in reverse: we place the first RAM bank in an oblique position, push the raised part until we hear a click; now we repeat with the second bank of RAM and close the door to be able to immediately test the new banks.
To properly upgrade the RAMs, we will have to identify the type of memory and frequency supported by the notebook; we can learn more about this topic by reading our guides on Types of computer RAM: DDR, shape and speed.
After recovered the RAM type and operating frequency It’s worth checking Amazon for RAM banks to buy. Based on compatibility we can choose the following three types of RAM:
- DDR3L
- DDR4
- DDR5
On new laptops (DDR4 and DDR5) it may be very difficult to replace the RAM without disassembling everything; in case of difficulty it is best to contact an IT technician, so that you can dismantle everything and change the RAM without risking finding yourself with an unusable PC.
2) Add new disk
To replace the mechanical disc we will have to first of all clone the old disk to the new SSDso as not to have to reinstall Windows and the programs we use every day on the laptop.
To do this operation on a laptop we connect the new SSD to a USB socket with a SATA-USB adapter cable or with a disk case (we talk about this in depth in the article on how to connect disks to your PC via USB), then we follow all the steps described in our guide on how move Windows to SSD without reinstalling everything.
The only precaution concerns the space occupied: we need to make sure that the space of the old disk is less than or equal to the total space of the new disk that we are going to add (from 500 GB to 1TB is fine, but also from 1 TB to 1 TB; from 1 TB to 500 GB we cannot proceed).
Once the cloning on the new SSD has been carried out, we turn the laptop upside down and identify it the hard disk panel and let’s unscrew it; after unscrewing the panel, pull it up to access the disk compartment. To be able to remove it you usually need to unscrew the fixing screw, so that you can lift it using the tab and pull it away to the side.
Now we remove the old disk from the metal support, place the new disk in its place and repeat all the steps backwards, so that we can install the new disk on the laptop.
The best SSD disks that we can connect to notebooks are available below:
- Ediloca ES106 3D SSD NAND TLC da 1 TB
- Verbatim SSD Vi550 S3 2.5″ SATAIII 1TB Nero
- Silicon Power SSD 1TB 3D NAND A55 SLC
- Crucial BX500 1TB 3D NAND SATA
- Samsung SSD 870 EVO, 1 TB
Other SSDs on sale can be viewed in our ai guide Best PC SSD disks to buy for fast uploads.
If, however, we have a laptop with M.2 NVMe, it is worth taking a look at the article at best M.2 SSD hard drives for PC.
We can use the old mechanical disk or SSD as an external USB diskas described in our how-to guide Transform internal disk into portable external drive.
If instead we want to keep the mechanical disk inside the notebook and place the SSD instead of the DVD drive (an operation that is decidedly more complex to perform), we can read our guide forSSD on the Laptop, instead of the hard disk or DVD player.
Conclusions
Replacing the RAM banks and disk with new internal componentsand we will improve the performance of the operating system and programs (which will boot much faster), extending the life of the laptop by at least another 3 years.
If we are looking for repairs and replacements on our PC, we recommend that you read our guide DIY computer repairs: change RAM, power supply and hard disk.
If, however, we notice that the drop in performance is linked to Windows, you should read the suggestions in the guide on how improve Windows PC performanceso you can make the most of your upgraded computer hardware.