Nitro an515-43 Do I have to transfer everything to a second SSD drive?

Nitro an515-43 model

Hi! After hopefully fixing everything with my computer( thanks to to help I had here) I am gonna get some more ram and a SSD since I can'tfine my plug in for my HHD(I think that's what its called) after so many years

For the SSD I was gonna go with crucial brand since I heard it's good, but I was wondering if I needed to transfer everything to the extra SSD instead of using both because everything I've googled keep talking about transferring everything and not saying If I can keep both since the SSD is an extra slot.

So can I use both the computers storage and a SSD both? Like just by registering as a drive as like an external?

[Edited the thread to add model name to the title]

Accepted answers

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/683410/nitro-an515-43-do-i-have-to-transfer-everything-to-a-second-ssd-drive

Just in addition and for your information, here is all the info you need for your Nitro 5 AN515-43 for upgrading the SSD M.2 and getting all the 2.5" HDD or SSD bracket, SATA-3 cable and all the screws that you need: If you want to upgrade the SSD and M.2 drive and RAM with Crucial products, then do the Crucial System Scan as this laptop can work with M.2 SSD PCIe 3x4 type drive and can have a max total of 32GB (into its 2x slots) of the fastest memory specs of DDR4-3200 • CL=22 • NON-ECC • SODIMM • 260-pin • 1.2V • 2Rx8/1Rx8 • PC4-25600 type ram and not only DDR4-2400MHz as shown below by Acer, see a Crucial scan of the AN515-43 as that also shows suitable M.2 SSD storage devices suitable for this laptop. The below info is all that you need, hope this helps you out and good luck.

With the Operating System and if you have an extra external HDD you can first copy all your personal Files and Folders from your old 1TB HDD onto the external drive with a software called Fast Copy that copies all files and folders really quickly and its much quicker than Copy & Paster method..

If you don’t have an external HDD then the easiest way to do a new install of an OS onto the new 1TB M.2 SSD PCIe 3x4 is to take your old 1TB mechanical HDD out and do a Clean Install of a either Win-11 (as Win-11 is compatible with your AN515-43 laptop) or do a clean install of Win-10 onto the new 1TB M.2 SSD drive.

After the new Clean Install is done. Insert the old 1TB HDD into the laptop and boot the laptop, see if it appears in File Manager with a drive letter D? If not then go to Disk Management and give the HDD a letter D, as then it will appear in File Manager so that you can copy all your personal files and folders quickly onto the M.2 SSD drive with a software called Fast Copy from the old HDD after you can format the 1TB HDD and use it as a slave and copy all your personal files and folders quickly again with Fast Copy. As these steps are the best way to do what you want to do.

Acer SG AN515-42 memory specs and combinations:

2.5" HDD Braket SATA cable & all the 2x different types of Screws that you need:

All comments

AnhEZ28

@Maxfocht your Nitro AN515-43 has two M.2 SSD slots (1 is NVMe only, 1 is SATA only). You install another M.2 SSD along with keeping the HDD as the second drive. And you will need to install Windows on the SSD for better loading time.

Maxfocht

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1194666#Comment_1194666

Gotcha, I wantes to get a SATA since I don't have a connector to get a HDD and can't find one that has everything like the screws and wire on Amazon

I was planning on keeping the original nvme as boot drive to make it easier and the sata just extra space that I need since I don't have that much.

Or Should I just get a bigger NVME, And clone it? Which would be easier?

AnhEZ28

@Maxfocht getting an M.2 SATA SSD is much easier than getting another NVMe and cloning it.

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/683410/nitro-an515-43-do-i-have-to-transfer-everything-to-a-second-ssd-drive

Just in addition and for your information, here is all the info you need for your Nitro 5 AN515-43 for upgrading the SSD M.2 and getting all the 2.5" HDD or SSD bracket, SATA-3 cable and all the screws that you need: If you want to upgrade the SSD and M.2 drive and RAM with Crucial products, then do the Crucial System Scan as this laptop can work with M.2 SSD PCIe 3x4 type drive and can have a max total of 32GB (into its 2x slots) of the fastest memory specs of DDR4-3200 • CL=22 • NON-ECC • SODIMM • 260-pin • 1.2V • 2Rx8/1Rx8 • PC4-25600 type ram and not only DDR4-2400MHz as shown below by Acer, see a Crucial scan of the AN515-43 as that also shows suitable M.2 SSD storage devices suitable for this laptop. The below info is all that you need, hope this helps you out and good luck.

With the Operating System and if you have an extra external HDD you can first copy all your personal Files and Folders from your old 1TB HDD onto the external drive with a software called Fast Copy that copies all files and folders really quickly and its much quicker than Copy & Paster method..

If you don’t have an external HDD then the easiest way to do a new install of an OS onto the new 1TB M.2 SSD PCIe 3x4 is to take your old 1TB mechanical HDD out and do a Clean Install of a either Win-11 (as Win-11 is compatible with your AN515-43 laptop) or do a clean install of Win-10 onto the new 1TB M.2 SSD drive.

After the new Clean Install is done. Insert the old 1TB HDD into the laptop and boot the laptop, see if it appears in File Manager with a drive letter D? If not then go to Disk Management and give the HDD a letter D, as then it will appear in File Manager so that you can copy all your personal files and folders quickly onto the M.2 SSD drive with a software called Fast Copy from the old HDD after you can format the 1TB HDD and use it as a slave and copy all your personal files and folders quickly again with Fast Copy. As these steps are the best way to do what you want to do.

Acer SG AN515-42 memory specs and combinations:

2.5" HDD Braket SATA cable & all the 2x different types of Screws that you need:

Maxfocht

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1194934#Comment_1194934

Hey I was just got a new nvme since I decided to get that and I'm glad I did because my sata slot is not a SATA...my nvme fits in it and isnt sperated like a SATA did I just clone a new 1tb for nothing? 😂😭 I'm gonna take the old one that I tested this one out with untill I get a response back just in case @SteveGen

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1195249#Comment_1195249

@Maxfocht, the only SATA plug that your Nitro AN515-43 has is for a 1x 2.5” SATA mechanical or SSD drive and the 2x M.2 SSD drives are all PCIe3 x4 type drives. What is this …“my sata slot is not a SATA?” don’t get mixed up, you don't have M.2 SATA slots!.

Your Nitro AN515-43 has 2x M.2 SSD slots at max PCIe3x4 read/write speeds of 3500MB/s (NOT SATA M.2 SSD slots) and the M.2 SSD slot that you have shown above with the SK HYNIX – HFM256GDJTNG – 8310A BA M.2 SSD - M.2 SSD drive installed is in the fast boot M.2 SSD slot, put your new boot 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD drive in the same slot, if that new M.2 SSD drive is a 1TB PCIe3x4 M.2 SSD then you haven't bought the wrong drive and its what you should be using and you DID NOT …"did I just clone a new 1tb for nothing".

The boot slot is a much quicker M.2 SSD slot and is for a boot M.2 SSD drive and can operate at the max PCIe3x4 speed of read/write 3500MB/s while the other M.2 SSD slot can only operate at 2500MB/s max read/write. Btw, I've got a Nitro AN515-56 and both of my M.2 SSD slots have 1TB M.2 drives of the same speeds and the M.2 drive in the boot drive is at least 1000MB/s quicker than the othe same drive in the other slot, so be aware of that.

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