How to Upgrade a Laptop HDD with Solid State Hybrid Drive (SSHD) Technology

upgradelaptopdriveDo you have a late model laptop computer that is either out of space or doesn’t seem to deliver the performance you’re looking for? You can breathe new life into your computer and increase your performance without having to purchase a brand new laptop. A relatively new and exciting storage technology has come to market which will solve space/performance issues. It’s called Solid State Hybrid Drive technology or SSHD.

What is Solid State Hybrid Drive technology (SSHD)

The ultimate solution to meeting improved storage performance and capacity needs within the budget constraints of IT organizations is a blend of solid state drive (SSD) and hard disk drive (HDD) technology. Solid state hybrid drives (SSHD) effectively merge these technologies, providing storage devices that are compatible with traditional HDD modules, while delivering one of the most compelling value propositions the storage market has seen in years: SSD–like performance and hard drive capacity.

SSD HDD = SSHD and innovation

SSHDs combine a small, fast and affordable amount of NAND flash memory with a traditional hard drive. SSHD, the best of both worlds:

  • Uses SSD for blazing speed
  • Integrates HDD high–capacity and reliability
  • Introduces Adaptive Memory™ technology, the secret sauce

High performance cost savings = SSHD

    SSHDs have been tested in comparison with both traditional HDDs and SSDs using both laptop boot times and application launches. Both approaches effectively demonstrate the linkage between retrieving data from mass storage and delivering this data to the CPU.

Solid State Hybrid Drive technology is best for laptop upgrades for faster application boot time, combining HDD capacity and SSD performance at a good value.

Three reasons to upgrade your laptop with a SSHD:

  1. Instant on, high-performance.
  2. Store more without compromise.
  3. Best value for your money.

This new hybrid storage category uses just a small amount of solid state storage and integrates it with a traditional hard drive. The result delivers exceptionally fast performance, big capacity points like a hard drive and a price that is very affordable. You can get performance you never thought possible and the extra capacity to store your digital life.

Sound complicated? It’s actually quite simple. Replacing the hard drive in your laptop computer is much easier than you might think.

Three steps to upgrading the HDD in your laptop computer:

  1. Buy the correct replacement drive to fit your computer.You will want to verify the physical size of your current HDD.
  2. Copy (or clone) all the information from your existing drive to the new model.
  3. Remove the old drive and replacement it with the new one.

Now that you know it’s relatively simple to tackle your own upgrade.

Two key tools you’ll need to upgrade your laptop drive:

  1. A cable to connect your new drive to your laptop,which enables you to make an exact duplicate of the data on your current drive.
  2. A software application that automates this data duplication process.

Laptop Upgrade Bundle

You will need to purchase: a Seagate Laptop SSHD, the appropriate cable for your laptop, and the free DiscWizard™ software application.

For Mac users, you will need the 750GB Solid State Hybrid Drive with Firewire 800 Upgrade Cable as seen on the Laptop SSHD Accessories tab.

For PC users, purchase the 750GB Solid State Hybrid Drive with USB 3.0 Upgrade Cable as seen on the Laptop SSHD Accessories tab.

Seagate provides a free download of DiscWizard software, which includes a feature to automate the data duplication process or clone your installed hard drive.

There is no need to be afraid to tackle this simple but effective way to boost the performance in your aging laptop while simultaneously getting a bunch of needed capacity. You’ll be up and running in no time. Don’t be surprised when you start to think you’ve purchased a brand new system!