How to Know What Drives Can Fit in a Laptop

geekyd00d

Estimable
Jun 22, 2015
4
0
4,510
Hi guys, I have a quick question concerning an acer laptop I'm going to get soon. This is it here: Acer i5, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD

My question is, given this laptop, is there any way to know if it can fit two drives inside? I can't find a spec sheet for it anywhere using its model number. It doesn't have an optical drive, like some other laptops in the same family, so I was wondering if there was simply a void inside where the optical drive should be that I could put another HDD into.

If I do get this laptop, I'd like to install an SSD, although only if I can fit both the SSD and HDD into it at the same time. If I can't, the SSD was only an ideal anyway, so I can live without it.

Thank you,
geekyd00d
 
Solution


Laptops don't have real manuals anymore and store clerks with a clue are very uncommon. If you found a reasonable clerk, they may let you unscrew and pop open the memory upgrade slot to check for an M.2...

Calculagator

Estimable
Nov 18, 2014
201
0
5,110
There is no way to know for sure unless you can find someone who's taken one apart.
You may be able to find a similar model to get an idea of what is inside.
This looks very similar http://laptopmedia.com/highlights/inside-acer-aspire-e-15-e5-575g-disassembly-internal-photos-and-upgrade-options/
Unless they specifically advertise the specs, however, you can't be sure of what you will get. They usually use the same motherboard and layout in similar laptop models, but they don't have to. The model I linked to above would have both an extra SATA port from the drive bay and a SATA M.2 slot next to the RAM. Either one could hold an SSD. Of course they could have left out the connectors necessary on your particular model.
 

geekyd00d

Estimable
Jun 22, 2015
4
0
4,510


Thanks for the quick answer! That was exactly what I was thinking, and what I'm hoping for - that the similar laptops in the same family use the same motherboard. If I went in store, do you think I'd be able to ask about the motherboard in the laptop? It's a very specific question, but would the store clerks be able to show me the manual, in case it mentioned the motherboard model? I could just buy the laptop, open it up, and check what ports it has, but I'm aiming to get both it and the SSD on the same day if possible.
 

Calculagator

Estimable
Nov 18, 2014
201
0
5,110


Laptops don't have real manuals anymore and store clerks with a clue are very uncommon. If you found a reasonable clerk, they may let you unscrew and pop open the memory upgrade slot to check for an M.2 port, but I wouldn't count on it.
 
Solution

geekyd00d

Estimable
Jun 22, 2015
4
0
4,510
Thank you Calculagator. I'll probably just have to get the two things separately. I want to have lots of internal storage, and so the last thing I want to do is spend lots of money on a relatively small SSD I won't be able to use! I'll get the laptop first and then open the panel and see what my options are. It would be really nice (and this is only a small thing too; I see no reason why it can't be done) if it was easier to find out what components a laptop used besides simply buying the thing and then opening it up! Thanks anyway for the help, it's greatly appreciated.
geekyd00d