Should I install an extra SSD or upgrade the current SSD of my Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-88YE?

Hi you all,

I just want to begin with saying that I am a bit of a newbie to all of this, so go easy on me if I ask obvious or stupid questions :-).

So recently the storage space on my Acer Aspire A515-51G is starting to fill up, cause I am using more storage demanding programs like ArcGIS and FME. As I don't want to be deleting/moving files all the time, I decided that I want to upgrade my internal storage space. Due to the more demanding programs I am running, I prefer a SSD upgrade. After a bit of research and removing the back panel of my laptop, I discovered the following. Currently my laptop has the SATA 256gb HFS256G39TND-N210A SSD and it has a open spot for a 2.5 inch SSD/HDD, there is no connecting cable for this SSD though.

So now my question is, what is the best option for me?

1. Should I upgrade my current SSD, so change the current SATA 256gb for a SATA SSD M.2 1TB for example?
- If so, could I also install a PCIe instead of a SATA? (they look a bit different, 2 vs 3 ending bits)
- How would I then transfer all my stuff between SSD's and is this a lot of work?
- A 1TB M.2 SSD will cost me around 100-120 euros, if I don't need anything else for installation and transfer of files and stuff

2. Or should I place an extra 2.5 inch SSD in my laptop?
- If so, which connecting cable would I need for that? Are there even differences in 2.5 inch connecting cables for different devices?
- Could I just install this new SSD en leave my current SSD as it is, without issues?
- For installation I would need a connecting cable and mounting bracket, besides a 1TB 2.5" SSD, which would cost me around 120-140 euros

I feel like both have it pros and cons and the total price for the same amount of bytes differs not to much. As my laptop is around 3.5 years old, I would ideally like to buy a SSD that I could use in future laptops. But I am not sure what is the most future proof option?

I provided images of the open 2.5'' SSD spot and current M.2 SSD to make it more clear. I hope someone can help me with these questions, I will be very grateful!

Image: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/523630704509190171/977316035503980554/IMG_20220520_204215.jpg

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JackE

Easiest is to drop in a 2.5' WesternDigital blues series 1 or 2TB SSD, about the best SSD deals on the planet right now, All you'd need is the 2.5" ribbon cable part no. 50.GP4N2.004, less than about $20usd. Google it for vendors who ship to your location. The SSD can be sufficiently immobilized and protected inside the case with a few small pieces of foam. No brackets or screws needed in an already crowded interior. No cloning, no nothing needed as it'll just show up as the D : \ drive on your system. Replacing the m.2 SATA card with a bigger m.2 NVME card will just be a hassle involving migrating/cloning the operating system and won't yield a noticeable speed difference on your machine anyway.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/ab/ff0b7crc61i5.jpg

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@IamNoobPlsHelp

It is good that you have attached a photo of the M.2 slot. From there, I can tell it can use "M" key PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD.
Some Acer laptop models shipped with extra mounting bracket and cable for mounting extra 2.5" SATA3 SSD, please double check your original shipping package for the parts, if any.

If it was my laptop, I probably will do the follwing:

Replace the current 256 GB M.2 SATA SSD( 550MB/s read) with a PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD (3,400 MB/s read) with capacity that you want (probably 2 TB, if budget allows). You can see NVMe type is 5 times faster than SATA type.

Buy an external USB 3.0 HDD of 1 TB-5TB capacitiy (USD $40-$130), connect to the laptop.
In windows 10,
Control Panel>System and Securiy>Backup and Restore(Windows7), from left pane select Create a System Image, specify to store the system image to this USB 3.0 external HDD.

Replace the old 256GB M.2 SATA SSD with the new, higher capacity M.2 NVMe SSD.
When bootup, hold down the ALT key and keep tapping the F10 key until you see the Restore Menu.
Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>System Image Recovery, select to recover system image from the USB 3.0 external HDD

This process will take a while, maybe up to one hour, so be patience.

If your laptop did not come with the mounting bracket and cable then I'll suggest to ignore adding another 2.5" SATA3 SSD to the laptop as the parts alone excluding the SSD maybe more than USD $30. I'll probably apply that money to the USB 3.0 external HDD for higher capacity there.

In the future, when you retire this current laptop, it is most likely you still can take out this M.2 NVMe SSD and use an external adapter with it for use with your future PC, probably through a type-C port.

Up to you!

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