How To Set Up My Ssd

Installing an Chiliad.2 or SATA SSD in your desktop is an essential part of every PC build, or an easy upgrade to brand your PC experience faster. Luckily, installing an SSD is easier than finding the best one (we take a roundup for that!) or fifty-fifty agreement how they work. I'1000 not going to cover any of that here, merely I'll walk through installing both kinds.

The steps below should employ to almost any model. I'll start with the M.2 SSD considering information technology's a chip more than tricky to install, and there are some things to research earlier you do it. Click this link to spring to the section on SATA SSDs.

How to install an M.2 SSD in a desktop PC

An Grand.two SSD looks like a stick of chewing mucilage with chips on one side, a label on the other, and gold contacts at 1 stop. Some will install just like that. Some will come up with their own heat sinks and look more similar a pack of gum than a stick of glue. Some motherboards will take a shield for the M.two slot, and you'll have to shimmy the drive underneath it. We'll cover all the forms below.

Footstep ane: Detect the M.two slot

install ssd in pc identify m2 slots resized — Earlier installing an M.2 SSD, identify the Yard.2 slots on your motherboard. They may exist in different locations: On this lath, there'due south a black ane at the left, and a chrome-plated 1 on the correct. Each slot'south specs will be in the motherboard manual.

The starting time thing yous want to practice is notice where the M.2 slot is on your motherboard. Look for a slot about i inch wide that protrudes from the motherboard about a quarter of an inch. Every motherboard is dissimilar, but the most mutual locations are below the CPU and around the PCIe slots in the lower half of the board. Check the manual if y'all have trouble finding it.

Some motherboards take a pre-installed shield in identify that serves as a oestrus spreader but also tin can provide a nice slice of visual flair. This will patently take to be removed before you admission the M.ii slot.

If your motherboard supports two M.2 SSDs you'll demand to consult your manual to see which slot is the recommended one for installing your kicking bulldoze. Each slot might offer dissimilar functioning levels, while others might turn off a PCIe slot if used. In short, read the manual offset!

Step two: Find the 1000.2 Mounting System

install ssd in pc find the mounting system standoff screw — The Thou.2 slot will accept a mounting system, such as the standoff with a screw shown here (encounter orangish circumvolve we're pointing to, higher up), which keeps the SSD directly when it's installed on the motherboard.

One time you've found the right slot, find the spiral about three inches to the left that is inserted into a standoff. The standoff is there because when the drive is inserted, in that location will be a gap between the SSD and the motherboard. The standoff plays the crucial role of keeping the bulldoze flat.

If your motherboard doesn't have the screw or standoff, look in the box—it might exist in a small-scale plastic bag. If your motherboard features an M.two shield, you'll need to discover two screws that mountain it to the motherboard.

Stride 3: Prep for M.2 SSD installation

Now it's time to bear on something metallic, like a metallic piece of furniture leg, in lodge to ground yourself, and then grab a screwdriver. Unscrew the screw from the standoff and place it somewhere safe—you do not desire to lose a screw, or have it gyre around on your motherboard.

For those of you with a shield, unscrew it from the motherboard but take note of the underside, where there should be a thermal pad with a piece of plastic over information technology. Do not remove the plastic yet—simply place the shield somewhere condom.

install ssd in pc m2 shield thermal paste plastic cover sheet — If your M.ii slot has a shield, cheque the back for a layer of thermal paste, covered past a small sheet of plastic. Leave that alone for now, and set aside the shield in a safety place for subsequently use.

The well-nigh mutual M.2 size is 80 millimeters, merely in any example y'all need to brand sure the collision is positioned correctly for your size of drive. Hover the drive over the slot and accept notation of the length. If necessary, utilize pliers to loosen the collision and motility information technology to the advisable length position. Make sure the standoff is screwed in fully–not too tight, but snug. You don't want it spinning while we are trying to install the spiral.

For those of y'all with shields, you most likely don't have a collision. Instead there should be a squarish brace of some sort for the drive to rest on while the shield holds it in place.

Step 4: Grand.2 SSD installation

install ssd in pc 11 screw notch left contacts right — The acme of the M.two SSD is the side with the label on it. At the left, you tin come across the semi-circular notch for the motherboard screw. At right, you see the golden contacts for the K.2 slot.

The next step is to insert the drive. Consider the "acme" of the bulldoze to be the side with the brand's characterization or sticker. The edge with the semi-circumvolve notch is what's going to be held in place by the screw. The border with aureate contact points is what we insert into the M.ii slot.

In that location's a tiny notch dividing the contact points into two sections. You'll want to line up that notch with a notch inside the M.2 slot, with the elevation of the drive facing up. Insert the drive firmly at near a 15-caste bending until there's no more than give, and let go.

install ssd in pc line up contacts with slot — Line up the contacts on the SSD with the contacts on the K.2 slot. Notation the tiny notch, which also needs to line up with the slot.

If you take a screw and standoff-based system you'll desire to press down on the drive and so that it lies flat, and the semi-circlular notch lines upwardly with the standoff. While holding the drive apartment, insert the screw and tighten to a comfortable signal. Have care non to overtighten, or you run a risk harm to the drive, the screw, or the motherboard. If you've installed information technology correctly, the drive should not shift in place at all.

install ssd in pc notch and standoff screw resized — Marshal the semicircular notch on your SSD with the collision, and tighten the spiral carefully into the standoff and then the SSD doesn't move. Do not overtighten, or yous could damage something important!

For those of you with shields you'll have a chip more than to wrangle, and then accept your fourth dimension through these next steps.

Because there is no screw to go on the drive flat, yous'll take to hold information technology down while y'all place the shield over it, or get help from someone who tin hold it flat while you handle the shield. It might help to do a dry run before you remove the plastic sheet from the thermal pad—just exist sure to not leave that plastic on permanently!

install ssd in pc remove plastic cover from thermal paste on shield — Call up to remove the plastic sheet from the thermal paste earlier you install the shield over the SSD.

When you are set up, take the plastic off and lower the shield straight onto the drive. It'southward important to lower it straight onto the drive, considering the thermal pad is tacky and may cause the bulldoze to slide out of its slot if you shift it after it's adhered to the shield. If that does happen, don't panic: Carefully remove the SSD from the thermal pad and start over.

The hardest function here is lining the screws up to the standoffs. One fob is to concord the screws in place on the shield as you lower it. This allows the screws to bear on the standoffs before the thermal pad touches the bulldoze.

install ssd in pc lay ssd flat install shield — Information technology helps to have a friend hold the SSD flat while you pay attention to lowering the shield over it and carefully aligning and tightening the screws. Feel gratuitous to practice a few times earlier you expose the thermal paste and practise it for existent.

Once the screws are lined up, lower the shield into identify and tighten the screws. Over again, no need to overtighten them–it merely needs to be snug.

M.2 SSD Install: Final Notes

install ssd in pc ssd with heat sink — Some 1000.2 SSDs come with their ain heat sink.

The last matter to notation here is that some M.2 SSDs feature their own built-in heat sink. An Adata XPG Gammix S70 drive nosotros reviewed had a rut sink and then large, it fabricated the bulldoze a challenge to install. Most of the ones we've tested are less obtrusive.

If your motherboard has a shield you lot don't want to place that over the included heat sink. Just shop the shield somewhere safe in case you need to use it in the future.

Side by side, nosotros dive into installing a ii.5-inch SATA SSD.

How to install a 2.5-inch SATA SSD in a desktop PC

install sata ssd in pc — A 2.5-inch SATA SSD tin can be installed in a desktop PC in a diversity of means.

Now let'south move on to installing a two.5-inch SATA SSD. This installation is much more dependent on the PC case you are using and where you desire to identify it, and then at that place's an countless variety of possibilities.

Instead of an exact step-by-pace guide, nosotros'll cover the basics that will always employ to every installation. In one case again I'g assuming you already have a bulldoze in hand, if non check out our roundup of the best SSDs.

install sata ssd in pc drive cage 2 — If yous install a 2.five-inch SATA SSD in a drive bay, you tin normally jut slide information technology into the PC.

The ii most common options for installing the drive in a PC is either to put information technology in a drive cage or to secure information technology to the example itself. Drive cages usually have some sort of method to adhere the bulldoze to the tray, and the tray slides into a cage.

install sata ssd in pc attach drive to pc case — You can attach a SATA SSD directly to your desktop case.

Mounting it to the case can involve either screwing the drive to the metal, or putting the drive into a tray first and so attaching it. Either way take care to make sure you have enough cable length to safely road the cables within the case.

Installing a two.5-inch SATA SSD: Required cables

install sata ssd in pc data and power cables — A SATA SSD needs two cables: One for data (height) and one for ability (bottom).

When installing a 2.5-inch SATA SSD you lot will always need 2 things: a SATA data cable and access to a SATA power cable. Most motherboards include a SATA data cablevision, which is used for data transmission from the bulldoze to the motherboard. Look for a long, thin, and flat cable—sometimes with an L-shaped connector at the end.

The SATA ability cable, which provides power to the bulldoze, will exist included with the power supply. It usually has multiple connectors.

Installing a ii.five-inch SATA SSD: Attaching the cables

install sata ssd in pc sata connectors for data and power angle — The SATA SSD has connections for power (left) and data (right) cables.

In social club to use the SSD yous will need to have both cables fastened and secured to the bulldoze at all times. Depending on where you install the drive in the case information technology might be easier to plug the cables in earlier you lot mount the drive.

Plugging in both cables is simple: Look for the end of the drive that has the connections, and annotation there are 2. The shorter port is for the interface cablevision, and the longer port is for the power cable. If you wait closely, each port is keyed with a tiny notch that indicates the right orientation for the cable to plug into.

Because of this at that place is only one way to install the cablevision, and then line them up and insert firmly. The interface cable includes a primitive locking mechanism that gives a subtle click when inserted. The ability cable does not lock in, and so exist sure to printing it in all the fashion for a secure connection.

Installing a 2.v-inch SATA SSD: Connection to Motherboard

install sata ssd in pc read the manual identify sata 1 port — The SATA ports are detailed in the motherboard manual. You'll likely desire to plug into the SATA-i port.

The interface cable will so demand to be plugged into the motherboard. There will most likely exist multiple ports to choose from, and so now is another time you lot should consult your manual.

Y'all'll need to find where the manual refers to the SATA ports on your motherboard. To get the maximum bandwidth out of your SSD yous'll want to connect to the SATA 6Gbps ports, but the slower 3Gbps ports will piece of work fine as well.

install sata ssd in pc sata ports motherboard — Your motherboard might take a stack of SATA ports. Check your manual to confirm which i is the SATA-1 port, the one yous'd normally desire to apply for your SSD.

In this case y'all can see that this motherboard features six SATA 6G ports, and they are stacked into iii columns of 2 ports. Typically you'll want to use the ports in order, and then if the numbering starts at i, choose that and identify which port information technology is on the motherboard itself.

install sata ssd in pc attach sata cable to sata 1 port detail — This detail shows the data cable from the SSD plugged into the SATA-1 port on the motherboard.

On whatever remotely modern PC, the operation should be the aforementioned, simply on an older PC the get-go port is unremarkably the highest-performing. When the ports are stacked like this sometimes it can exist a bit disruptive knowing which number is which, so just accept your time and wait closely. This cablevision will lock into place, so later on you insert it in enough you will hear a subtle click to know yous are secure.

Installing a 2.5-inch SATA SSD: Final notes

As we close out SATA SSD installation, a few useful notes.

Some of the SATA data connectors feature an Fifty-shaped plug, shown beneath.

install sata ssd in pc l shaped data cable — When yous install a SATA SSD, y'all might demand to apply the L-shaped data cable from your motherboard to fit into a tight space. It performs identically compared to the straight cable.

The L-shaped plug is useful for situations where you demand to keep a low profile so the cable doesn't get pinned somewhere. Both the L-shaped and the straight cables offer the same performance.

The SATA ability cable volition most likely have multiple ports on information technology. This is to allow you to attach multiple drives or peripherals onto the same cable.

install sata ssd in pc power cable detail 2 — The SATA cablevision from your ability supply will likely take several ports and so you may connect multiple drives via the aforementioned cablevision.

Which plug you employ volition depend on the length you need to accomplish to plug in the drive and whether that cable too needs to reach other ports. All the plugs will work just the same.

Finally, a Windows 10 tip! If you are installing both an M.two and SATA SSD you might be dislocated as to which drive is which when it comes time to install Windows.

One way to get around that is to go along the SATA SSD unplugged while you're going through the installation process, so at that place's no option for installing Windows other than the higher-performance NVMe SSD. After you lot're up and running, plug the SATA drive dorsum in, format it, and you're set to roll.