Puzzle about spare space/connectors under memory cover for Aspire 7750G-6662

Mara09

Hello! I need some help figuring out a puzzle about my laptop. An Aspire 7750G-6662. One of the main reasons I purchased this laptop is because of its portrayed ability to be upgraded and expanded. I recently purchased a 2.5 SSD card to add to it (while keeping hard drive as an internal backup) and have found out that, while there's a space available for the ssd under the memory cover and it clicks-in fine, the space for it to go in is much more shallow than the one for the original hard drive, so I can't actually put the 2.5 ssd in that space because then the memory cover won't  close. I can't figure out what that space would be used for if even a 2.5 ssd can't fit in there. Anyone have an ideas of possible solutions? I would greatly appreciate any help with this!

JackE

A nominal 7mm thick SSD should fit in there but some might be a tad thicker than others and cause issues like you're facing. It's a tight fit in there. My solution for 2.5" drives has been to get rid of the bracket, then protect/immobilize the drive inside with foam, preferrably antistat. Even if space permits, I usually don't use brackets anyway. Just foam. Brackets are a nuisance as fas as I'm concerned.  Jack E/NJ

 

Mara09

Thank you, Jack. I'm sorry I forgot to mention that I had already tried removing the brackets. It's a Samsung 2.5 EVO and states it's 7mm, but because the inlay for it is much less deep than the original hard drive space, the corner for the ssd sticks out just enough to not let the cover close. I don't get why it would be designed that way, so it's a puzzle to me 

JackE

The "inlay" ? Do you mean HDD space on one side of the laptop isn't as deep as on the other side? Jack E?NJ

Mara09

Yes, exactly. The one that the original hard drive came in is noticeably deeper, for whatever reason. 

JackE

I think it's mainly due to the assymetry of the touchpad and location of a big fat intel controller on the mainboard right under that 2nd HDD hole. While you don't get why it's designed that way, I don't think it was meant to be designed that way. In other words, a design oversight in the cover door room needed to accomodate a 7mm thick drive in that very spot. Essentially same mainboard is used in other models that don't have this door or the extra HDD slot on that side. No problem for those models. But for your model, apparently yes.

You said earlier >>> the corner for the ssd sticks out just enough to not let the cover close>>> So how much more room is needed here? Is it only one or two corners? If you drilled a nice hole or two in the plastic door near the offending SSD corners, would door close OK without the SSD corners sticking out too far beyond the plastic door? Jack E/NJ  

Mara09

I see what you mean, yeah. It's a shame I didn't try to expand it while still under warranty :-( 

In terms of drilling holes, that's not a bad idea. Although I guess it would have to be cutting a slot because it's that entire edge of the ssd that sticks out, not just the corner. Would a slot still work? Would it be too unsafe for the ssd or the computer in general? Someone in Best Buy mentioned ultra thin ssd, but they said it may not be on the consumer level, and I haven't had much luck finding them. 

Sorry it took me a while to reply, but in order to see if the hole-drilling idea would work, I needed to look under the cover again, and the laptop was always in use while I was home the last couple of days. 

Thanks again!

JackE

>>>entire edge of the ssd that sticks out>>>Would a slot still work? Would it be too unsafe>>>

If it were mine, I'd first install the 2nd SSD.  Not try to put the cover back right away. Temporarily secure the SSD with duct tape only if necessary. Turn it over. Plug it in. Fire it up. F2 into the BIOS menu. Make sure it's recognized in the info tab. Then save settings and exit. Check to see if it looks OK in FileExplorer after Windows boots.  Then go from there to decide what to do about the cover. Jack E/NJ