So I'm looking at laptops from MSY's price list but most of them only show either an HDD or SSD not both, what should I be looking for when researching laptops that would show their ability to be upgraded with an SSD?
How to tell which laptops have the option of adding an SSD in addition to HDD?
jikijiki on 05/07/2016 - 00:43
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You have to look at the original manufacturer description, and if it is still unclear: as the previous poster said. Note also that there is a mixture of standards: for example so called "M.2" (they come with different connections as well) are very popular, and you may have a laptop accepting a mix of 2.5" SSD, M.2, one of them only, etc, etc. Some models would be ready for future expansion, and may have, in addition to a disk pre-installed, some connectors and room left empty for future expansion.
Business-grade laptops have a much higher chance of supporting SSD / HDD combinations.
E.g HP Probook and Dell Latitude series.
But you should consult the laptop manual first.
Nearly all laptops can have their hard drive replaced with an SSD, but it's quite rare to have a spare HDD slot amongst consumer laptops, especially the cheap ones. It's much more common among the more expensive business-grade and enthusiast/gaming laptops.
If you can supply a budget and an outline of the features you're after, we might be able to help find something suitable.
I'm looking at something like this: http://www.msy.com.au/nsw/kingsford/notebooks/16880-gigabyte…
A 15'' screen + portability + ability to add an SSD + primarily used for Excel and light browsing, no gaming. Would this do the trick?
Yes, it would be more than capable for Excel and browsing, and with an SSD to replace the HDD it would be nice and snappy. But it's fairly bulky and heavy at just over 2.5kg - do you really need the quad-core for those applications? And the screen is 1366x768, which is sub-optimal for Excel. There are dual-core alternatives with 1080p screens that would be 20% lighter.
A high end processor isn't something you need to consider for your type of use… Excel and Light browsing doesn't require a Core i7-MQ quad core.
You also don't need Geforce / AMD graphics, as it will end up doing nothing but suck power from your battery.
Focus more on the build quality, battery size (6 cells or 48 watt hours is highly preferable) the display resolution and storage options.
if you can live without the optical drive consider one of these or similar
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/161992576536?lpid=107&chn=psLook for one with a mSATA slot (usually in the form a secondary mPCI-E slot) or a M.2 slot with standard 2.5" HDD bay.
If you can fit a 2.5" HDD then most likley yes.
But research on the manufacture website first.
Look for a service manual if you can. Otherwise guides and videos or teardowns.
All laptop HDDs are 2.5" and can be replaced, but some manufacturers glue the cases shut or otherwise make them hard to access.