Options for upgrading 1.8' zif PATA to SSD (in 2014)??

Hi there... really a newbie here -be gentle

Got an old LG C1 Express Dual which has a slow 1.8' zif PATA Toshiba drive ( http://illpod.com/media/catalog/pro...8eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/img_3967.jpg)

I do love the laptop but I need to speed it up a notch and I was thinking whether it'd be possible to replace the 1.8' zif PATA with an SSD without having to manipulate the inside of the laptop too much (no soldering, no open heart surgery to the laptop.. I'm too clumsy for this, LOL!). I've contacted LG but they say they don't support this computer anymore so there's no technical advice on this.

Anyone dare to advice? is this possible/doable? which SSD shouldI be looking for? would it be as straight forward as replacing the hard disk and booting up the laptop and installing the OS)??

I thank you all in advance

Summary: upgrading hard disk 1.8' zif PATA to SSD

 

While it's possible and yes, there will be performance increased vs. a 1.8" HDD - I would suggest that this is in the realm of 'not worth it' for the time, frustration (sourcing required parts and up to installing O/S and programs) and performance improvements expected.

If it is a straight forward swap; the 'performance' will be abysmal vs. what current SSD's and most latest gen HDD's are capable of.


If you do attempt this, Win8.1 is the only O/S I would be attempting to install...


Good luck.

 

Possible it is.

Whether it's worth one's time and effort is a whole another matter.

You'll need to source a ZIF SSD in the proper format - 1.8" or smaller - and possibly build an adapter for it so it doesn't move within the laptop itself.

I went through a similar operation on a ThinkPad X40 years ago and swore never to do it again.

Do bear in mind that most of the ZIF SSDs are nowhere near their "standard" counterparts when it comes to performance, and are likely to be more expensive as well.

You could also look into a mSATA to 1.8" PATA adapter and try to follow that route.

Wishing you the very best of luck in upgrading that interesting old machine, because you'll need it.

 

wow... thank you both for your quick response.

Your replies are indeed discouraging me a bit ... still, accepting that I won't be able to squeeze all the performance current technology has to offer today, I assume an SDD -even a ZIF-SSD- will still be much faster than an old ZIF-PATA 100Mb/s brick, won't it? My laptop has 2.5gb (RAM) and although the CPU is a mono-core one I believe the sum of SDD+RAM would make the overall experience 'reasonably acceptable' to run basic stuff under W7, yeah? This is my 'portable' office so to speak, only used when travelling.

@ajkula66, am I to understand that there's no standard size for a ZIF-SDD? In any case, if I buy a ZIF-SDD would I be able to just plug it in and turn on the laptop to configure it -without having to fiddle much? And lastly... any recommendation on a possible candidate for me to look at?... 64gb-80gb would suffice for me.

Thank a lot guys, this is a great forum!

 

• Crucial C300 1.8" (64GB, 128GB & 256GB)
• Crucial C400 1.8" (64GB, 128GB, 256GB & 512GB)
• Intel 320 1.8" (80GB, 160GB & 300GB)
• Intel DC S3500 (80GB, 240GB, 400GB, 800GB)
• Intel DC S3700 (200GB, 400GB)
• Intel X18-M G1 & G2 (80GB & 160GB)
• Kingston SSDNow KC380 (60GB, 120GB)
• Kingston SSDNow V+ 180 (64GB, 128GB, 256GB)
• OCZ Vertex 2 1,8" (40GB, 60GB, 90GB, 120GB, 180GB & 240GB)
• OWC Aura Pro (240GB, 480GB)
• OCZ Deneva 2 C 1.8" (80GB, 180GB, 360GB)
• Micron C400v 1.8" (64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB)
• Micron P400e 1.8" (50GB, 100GB, 200GB, 400GB)
• Transcend SSD18S (16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB)
• IBM SG9XCS1F (50GB, 200GB)
• Mushkin Chronos Go Deluxe 1.8" (60GB, 90GB, 120GB, 180GB, 240GB, 480GB)
• Toshiba THNS128GG4BAAA (128GB)
• KingSpec SSD mSPK-SF12 (4GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB)
• Mach Xtreme Technology MXSSD2MMSK (16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB)
• Super Talent Master Drive KX3 (32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB)

 

A long read, but will give you some pointers and ideas...

forum.thinkpads.com • View topic - Has anyone tried an SSD in the X41? *PICS*

Good luck.

 

You're missing the ZIF aspect of the whole story. None of these drives will work in OP's machine.

 

oh sorry, totally missed that, my bad

 

Single core cpu, 2.5GB RAM and Win7...

~$100+ for the zif adaptor plus SSD...

Plus hours and hours and hours of install/setup time...




You're already halfway to a brand new system (and at possibly 100x faster than what you're now used to).

See:
AnandTech | ASUS EeeBook X205: The $199 Windows Alternative to Chromebooks


Sure, there are compromises to get to that low price point, but I think the compromises are much less than trying to upgrade a single core platform from ~2007.


Good luck.

 

Offtopic but... that $199 Asus EeeBook X205 isn't yet available... this is.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/437498/TW100_101_Tablet_-_Black

Winbook TW100 10.1 Tablet - Black $199.99 - Available Right Now!

Widescreen IPS Multi-Touch Touchscreen 16:10 10.1" 1280x800 Display
Intel Baytrail-T Z3735D 1.33GHz Quad-Core CPU
2GB RAM & 32GB eMMC Flash Storage
Windows 8.1 + Bing

Might be a better option for a traveling light duty machine? Sorry, back to topic.