Slow Acer Aspire XC-830 - I want to add a 1TB SSD SATA III clone of the HDD - available slot?

My Acer Aspire XC-30 desktop PC is too slow, particularly since I upgraded the OS from Windows 10 to Windows 11. I want to clone my 1TB WD HDD to a faster 1TB SSD, and run the computer from the system on that SSD. (I don't want to lose several years' accumulated programs that are on the system.)

I've opened the box to look for an available port, to plug in the SSD. I'm not sure what I'm looking at. :>

I don't actually have the SSD yet. I propose to edit the BIOS to make the SSD the primary / boot drive.

My questions:

1. Is there an available, second SATA port on the XC-830 motherboard that I can use without removing the HDD, that I can plug the SSD into?

2. Do I need to connect the SSD to a power supply or does the port supply sufficient power?

3. Is there an available power cable / connector on the power supply that I can connect to the SSD, or do I need to buy one?

4. If steps 1 to 3 are a no-go, can I simply disconnect and pull out the HDD and plug in the SSD, using the same slot and power supply?

Accepted answers

All comments

Larryodie

Everything that I read is that the XC-830 has 8GB 2400MHz DDR4 Memory, 256GB NVMe M.2 SSD, 8X DVD-Writer Double-Layer Drive (DVD-RW).

Depends as to what you're running that that should be sufficient. I have a laptop with the same spec and all OK for normal processing.

Look at the performance in Task manager.

But if you have lots of pictures data. then add a external hard drive and possibly a 1 TB Sata as I did to my TC-895 for quick access to pictures.

You Tube has lots of hits on XC-830

Larryodie

What I meant by checking Task Manager performance is to check ram use age along with SSAD usage.

My 8MB Laptop runs 59% ram and very little disk use age for normal stuff

Larryodie

Also look at your disk management to see what you have installed ?

fortinbras

Thanks Larryodie, but it doesn't work for me. My Acer does not have a 256GB NVMe M.2 SSD. It runs solely on a western digital old school steam driven 1TB HDD. I want to find out whether I can run it on a much faster SSD clone of that HDD , preferably in a free slot. So I want to know whether there is a free slot, and whether I need to hook the SSD to a power supply.

AnhEZ28

@fortinbras

This model has two SATA data cable plugs and is taken by the HDD and the CD drive, but there is no second SATA power cable for another 2.5-inch drive. There is an empty M.2 SSD slot that is located between the WiFi card and the PCIe slot. You can get an M.2 NVMe and install the OS on it.

fortinbras

@AnhEZ28 I might just disable the CD drive and use that hardware.

fortinbras

@AnhEZ28 Or I could clone the HDD, then unplug it and connect the SSD.

Larryodie

To my knowledge cloning works but there are several cloners so please do some research.

Unplugging the old drive is also the correct way to let the new drive be picked up as the boot drive.

But you need to be sure that you have a slot. Disk Manager and/or a photograph may help.

Also try Crucial.

Good Luck.

billsey

Here is the motherboard on your XC-830:

The SATAP1 power connector has power for two SATA devices. Unfortunately one of those is a different size, designed for the ODD. What you can do is purchase a drive caddy to replace the ODD that will fit a 2.5" SSD. Both SATA ports are the same spec, so you don't have to worry about the ODD port being slower than the HDD port. As suggested though, an NVMe drive in the SSD1 slot will be a better choice. It supports NVMe x2 drives, though x4 will work at x2 seeds. x4 are much easier to find… An x2 NVMe drive will be about twice the speed of a SATA SSD and either will be many times the speed of the HDD that's in there now.

drjosephhas

Billsey;

I've a similar PC and it has a 258 SSD made by Kingston. I like to replace that with a 1T SSD. As you said above the SSD specs of the installed one says it is An x2 NVMe drive with PCIe interface. However, when I took it out I found it has TWO NOTCHES!!! This is strange to me since what I know about NVMe M.2 SSD is that it should have ONLY ONE NOTCH. I called both Kingston and Acer and they were not able to give me any answer, each one ask to talk to the other. Can you help me with a recommendation for a 1TB SSD that can I can use for the upgrade?? Thanks.

While on the subject matter, if such SSD upgrade is not possible, I've a room for an SSD 2.5" drive with SATA connectors, I know where to connect the data cable on the motherboard (SLOT 4 or 5), but which slot can I use for the additional SATA power cable (looking at your motherboard layout is it location 11?)

Thanks

Joe

billsey

That's normal. The two notches just is the default for an M.2 slot that supports both NVMe and SATA. It allows for installing both drive types as needed. #11 is the power connector for a SATA drive (or two of them). The normal configuration on these models when both SATA port are used is a HDD in one and an ODD in the other. Here's the cable for power:

drjosephhas

Hi again billsey

Looking at your motherboard, it seems plug # 11 designated as SATA power connector. But it has 6 pins, so I'm not sure what kind of cable is that. Molex has 4 pins, would you please advice what cable will fit this power connector?

Thanks

Joe

drjosephhas

Thanks for the quick and detailed reply. Greatly appreciated.

Joe

billsey

The six pins provide +12V, +5V and GND each for two devices. That covers the needs of all drives, even though a lot of the newer ones only need +12V and GND.

Wilkins0923

Hi @billsey does a SATA power splitter a good idea to have additional power for SSD or HDD on this device?

billsey

Not really, the onboard power connectors for the SATA ports are designed to handle two devices each, adding a splitter will pull more current through them than they are designed to handle. It would likely work, but you might end up with heating on the connectors leading to future problems.

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