Ugrading Toshiba Sattelite Pro C850 1H8 laptop

[crocanel]

I have a Toshiba Sattelite Pro C850 1H8 laptop for 3 years now which I use for development. Lately I have been noticing the laptop is very slow when using heavy programs like Visual Studio / Android Studio.

Will the speed of my laptop significantly improve when I upgrade my laptop with a SSD and more RAM? I would like to use the laptop for a few more years.

In case of an upgrade I would like to replace the HDD. I am interested in the Samsung 850 EVO - 500GB version. Will this SSD fit in my laptop and can I replace it easily by just putting out the HDD and putting in the Samsung SSD?

For the RAM, can I use the following for my laptop or is it for computers only: http/eu.crucial.com/eur/en/bls2cp8g3d1609ds1s00ceu
In the video: https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fUNdZ3B4gQ it is shown how the memory can be replaced. But this is just for one slot, where can I put the second one?

Hopefully somebody can help

 

[Solandri]

According to Toshiba's specs, that looks like a nice laptop. You should be able to replace the HDD no problem. Samsung includes a migration tool,* so you can simply clone the HDD to the SSD, then run the tool to modify Windows' settings to optimize it for a SSD. You might need to shrink the C: drive partition on the HDD slightly to make it fit, as not all manufacturers seem to agree on drive sizes which are not powers of 2.

The RAM you've linked is for desktops. According to the Crucial site, you want 1600 MHz DDR3 (PC3-12800) SO-DIMMs. And the laptop can only take up to 2 max.

http/www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-upgrade-for/Toshiba/satellite-pro-c850-1h8

The video shows two memory slots. The second (unused) one is slightly to the left, and will overlap (rest partly above) the first one.

* Samsung (and most SSD manufacturers) sell 3 different versions of their SSDs. Just the SSD alone, SSD + migration software, and SSD + migration software + external drive case. If you don't already have an external drive case (one which lets you easily swap the drive), then you probably want the third one. It'll cost a bit more, but it'll let you plug the SSD into the laptop via USB, then boot off a CD to clone the HDD. If you can't find the version with the external case, you can get the SSD + migration software version, and buy an external USB to 2.5" drive enclosure (costs about $10-$20).

Once you've cloned the HDD, you can swap the SSD and HDD and you should be all set. You can reformat the HDD and use it in the external case as an external data/backup drive. Or you can tuck it into a drawer as a backup (clone the SSD to the HDD once a month or so). If the SSD ever fails, you can just pop the HDD back in so you can use the laptop, then send the SSD back for a warranty replacement.

 

[crocanel]

According to Toshiba's specs, that looks like a nice laptop. You should be able to replace the HDD no problem. Samsung includes a migration tool,* so you can simply clone the HDD to the SSD, then run the tool to modify Windows' settings to optimize it for a SSD. You might need to shrink the C: drive partition on the HDD slightly to make it fit, as not all manufacturers seem to agree on drive sizes which are not powers of 2.

The RAM you've linked is for desktops. According to the Crucial site, you want 1600 MHz DDR3 (PC3-12800) SO-DIMMs. And the laptop can only take up to 2 max.

http/www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-upgrade-for/Toshiba/satellite-pro-c850-1h8

The video shows two memory slots. The second (unused) one is slightly to the left, and will overlap (rest partly above) the first one.

* Samsung (and most SSD manufacturers) sell 3 different versions of their SSDs. Just the SSD alone, SSD + migration software, and SSD + migration software + external drive case. If you don't already have an external drive case (one which lets you easily swap the drive), then you probably want the third one. It'll cost a bit more, but it'll let you plug the SSD into the laptop via USB, then boot off a CD to clone the HDD. If you can't find the version with the external case, you can get the SSD + migration software version, and buy an external USB to 2.5" drive enclosure (costs about $10-$20).

Once you've cloned the HDD, you can swap the SSD and HDD and you should be all set. You can reformat the HDD and use it in the external case as an external data/backup drive. Or you can tuck it into a drawer as a backup (clone the SSD to the HDD once a month or so). If the SSD ever fails, you can just pop the HDD back in so you can use the laptop, then send the SSD back for a warranty replacement.

Thank you for your detailed explanation! I would rather do a clean install without any migration. I already have all the data I need in the cloud.
Can I just remove the HDD, put in the SSD and than install Windows on it using a DVD or is this dangerous/not possible?

 

[ffg7]

yes you can replace hdd with ssd then install Windows using a DVD.