Installing new hard drive

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danielwilloughby313

Member
I am posting to ask if this is a good idea and if there's anything to watch out for. Current PC I bought 3 years ago is usually fine but sometimes struggles. I am going to get a new hard drive (1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD) and fresh install windows 10.

Current:

CaseCORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
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Processor (CPU)AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Six Core CPU (3.4GHz-3.9GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
MotherboardASUS® PRIME A320M-K: Micro-ATX, AM4, USB 3.0, 6GB/s
Memory (RAM)
16GB PCS PRO DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 - HDMI
1st Storage Drive2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY DriveNOT REQUIRED
Power SupplyCORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor CoolingSTANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal PasteSTANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
 
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Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
What exactly is it struggling with, hard to diagnose without any details mate. Upgrading storage isn't going to help if it's another component that is holding the machine back

It's a little long in the tooth now and will start to show it's age in some applications but knowing exactly what those applications are we can help prolong it's life or tell you if it's worth investing into
 
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danielwilloughby313

Member
Steveyg said:
What exactly is it struggling with, hard to diagnose without any details mate. Upgrading storage isn't going to help if it's another component that is holding the machine back

It's a little long in the tooth now and will start to show it's age in some applications but knowing exactly what those applications are we can help prolong it's life or tell you if it's worth investing into
Click to expand...
I've already decided to upgrade the main storage drive and fresh install windows regardless of if it will help or not.

Roughly once a week, browsers and programs stop responding or slow down a lot for between a few minutes to an hour. Apart from that it's fine.
 
B4zookaw

B4zookaw

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
I'd do the fresh install of windows first, see if that cures the issue. I'm not convinced that adding the M.2 would fix issue alone. IF the windows fresh install resolves the issue, you can consider the M.2 upgrade. But if after the fresh install you still have issues, I'd spend more time trying to confirm if it was related to storage, rather than anything else.
 
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danielwilloughby313

Member
I opened up the PC to put in an m.2 SSD upgrade that I purchased and can't figure out how to remove the HDD.
Alternatively, would it be OK to just unplug the 2 cables on the back of the HDD and then boot via USB and install windows onto the SSD?
I also need to remove the GPU to be able to insert the SSD as the m.2 slot is under the GPU but this seems not a problem.

Pictures and specs below:
CaseCORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Promotional ItemGet 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
down_right_arrow.gif

Promotional Code
Processor (CPU)AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Six Core CPU (3.4GHz-3.9GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
MotherboardASUS® PRIME A320M-K: Micro-ATX, AM4, USB 3.0, 6GB/s
Memory (RAM)
16GB PCS PRO DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 - HDMI
1st Storage Drive2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY DriveNOT REQUIRED
Power SupplyCORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor CoolingSTANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal PasteSTANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
 

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SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

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danielwilloughby313 said:
I opened up the PC to put in an m.2 SSD upgrade that I purchased and can't figure out how to remove the HDD.
Alternatively, would it be OK to just unplug the 2 cables on the back of the HDD and then boot via USB and install windows onto the SSD?
I also need to remove the GPU to be able to insert the SSD as the m.2 slot is under the GPU but this seems not a problem.

Pictures and specs below:
CaseCORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Promotional ItemGet 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
down_right_arrow.gif

Promotional Code
Processor (CPU)AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Six Core CPU (3.4GHz-3.9GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
MotherboardASUS® PRIME A320M-K: Micro-ATX, AM4, USB 3.0, 6GB/s
Memory (RAM)
16GB PCS PRO DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 - HDMI
1st Storage Drive2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY DriveNOT REQUIRED
Power SupplyCORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor CoolingSTANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal PasteSTANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Click to expand...
Firstly why do you need to remove the HDD? It would be very handy as a storage drive almost storage doesn't benefit from being on an SSD and HDDs don't fail instantly, they degrade over time so are much more reliable for long term storage.
 
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danielwilloughby313

Member
SpyderTracks said:
Firstly why do you need to remove the HDD? It would be very handy as a storage drive almost storage doesn't benefit from being on an SSD and HDDs don't fail instantly, they degrade over time so are much more reliable for long term storage.
Click to expand...
Because I watched this:
"for safety, make sure the SSD is the only drive connected to the motherboard". Maybe I misunderstood it though or maybe it does not matter?
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

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danielwilloughby313 said:
Because I watched this:
"for safety, make sure the SSD is the only drive connected to the motherboard". Maybe I misunderstood it though or maybe it does not matter?
Click to expand...
You're misunderstanding, it simply means remove the càbles wilhich you've done. It doesn't mean you have to physically remove it.
 
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danielwilloughby313

Member
OK now I can't find the screw for the SSD in the m.2 slot. Where can I get one? None in the pcs box fit.
 

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