$175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

For general computer discussion & help, come here

Moderators: Bakhtosh, EvilHomer3k

Post Reply
User avatar
ImLawBoy
Forum Admin
Posts: 14950
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:49 pm
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

$175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by ImLawBoy »

I suspect I know what this crowd will say, but I'll put it out there anyway.

My laptop (Alienware M15, few years old) got thirsty last week and wanted to try my beer. The good news is that just about everything was working fine. The bad thing is that the keyboard was totally gunked up. After doing some preliminary investigation into cleaning things myself (I opened it up and everything), I decided I was in over my head. I called a local guy with good reviews and he quoted me a reasonable cost for a new keyboard with installation. He now says it's ready to go, but he's telling me he could swap out my old school hard drive for a 500 GB SSD for $175 to make things "blazing fast".

Keeping in mind that I have zero desire to take on a project like this myself, I have two questions. First, will going to SSD really make a big difference. The laptop does take forever to boot up, but I figure that's mostly a result of age and clutter. Second, if it will make a big difference, is $175 a reasonable price? Obviously the drive itself is much lower than that, so I'm really thinking about the value add of adding and configuring the drive.

Thanks!
That's my purse! I don't know you!
User avatar
Smoove_B
Posts: 54567
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:58 am
Location: Kaer Morhen

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by Smoove_B »

I say this honestly - I can't think of something I've done to both a laptop and my desktop PC in the last 10 years that was more transformative than installing a SSD to boot from.

It was like when I used TiVo for the first time - it changed everything.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
User avatar
Anonymous Bosch
Posts: 10512
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:09 pm
Location: Northern California [originally from the UK]

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

I would certainly agree with Smoove that upgrading from a spinner hard drive to an SSD is absolutely worthwhile. Doing so will make a HUGE difference to your overall experience, e.g. improved boot time, start time, restart time, application loading time, and file access time etc.

However, the price you were quoted does seem excessive (all the moreso if additional costs for labour get tacked on to the final bill). According to HomeGuide.com's How much does computer repair services cost? write-up, it ought to cost about $30 for the addition of a laptop hard drive/SSD. Looking on PCPartPicker.com, a decent-quality 500GB SSD like the Western Digital Blue 3D NAND 500GB is available from NewEgg for $59.99. So a pricetag of $175 seems rather unreasonable, given that he'd likely not be paying full retail for the SSD itself.

Keep in mind, it's surprisingly easy to fully clone Windows and data from one drive to another, as shown here:

Last edited by Anonymous Bosch on Wed Jul 29, 2020 1:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." — P. J. O'Rourke
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43493
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by Blackhawk »

Do yourself a favor: search for your laptop model and 'install SSD' and at least watch one how-to.

I recently installed an SSD in an Alienware laptop. It was the first time I've ever tinkered with a laptop. The how-to video was three minutes, and the process was about as complicated as putting a stick of RAM in a desktop.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
hitbyambulance
Posts: 10233
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:51 am
Location: Map Ref 47.6°N 122.35°W
Contact:

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by hitbyambulance »

laptop HDD/SSD installation (and usually RAM) is usually pretty easy. newer slim/thin laptops make the process much more difficult (especially in the case of Apple products and Apple-wannabe designs)
dfs
Posts: 2170
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:48 am
Location: Top of the bass clef.

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by dfs »

I'll go the other way. If $175 is the out the door price and you don't have to lift a screwdriver or fool with configurations or copying your data?
Heck yeah. Do it.

I'm a build your own kind of guy, but I have no problem paying other people for expertise.
User avatar
ImLawBoy
Forum Admin
Posts: 14950
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:49 pm
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by ImLawBoy »

Thanks for the thoughts. I confirmed with the guy that this was more than just sticking the new SSD in the machine leaving the rest of the work to me. It's basically turnkey for me. I told him to do it (knowing I probably could have handled it myself, but I'm willing to pay to have the expert do it).
That's my purse! I don't know you!
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 70100
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by LordMortis »

First, will going to SSD really make a big difference.
More than any other feature in Windows 10 unless you running 8 gigs of RAM or less.

Just make sure you back up data regularly. Recovering data from a FUBAR SSD is... um difficult. I am also to by forensics specialists (whom were hoping to make a lot of money) that recovering an encrypted SSD (be that due to negligence or malfeasance) is impossible for most circumstances.

There are different grades of SSD (M.2, SATA, etc...) and the value of a $175 unit is outside of my expertise.

For a bigtime lawyer like yourself, I'd think $175 would be a small price to pay for the productivity you'll get back. :D
User avatar
Exodor
Posts: 17196
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:10 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by Exodor »

ImLawBoy wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 11:57 am Thanks for the thoughts. I confirmed with the guy that this was more than just sticking the new SSD in the machine leaving the rest of the work to me. It's basically turnkey for me. I told him to do it (knowing I probably could have handled it myself, but I'm willing to pay to have the expert do it).
Sometimes it's worth paying to not have to hassle with things yourself. Sure, I could change the oil in my car but it's worth paying the inflated prices at Oil Can Henry's or wherever just so I don't have to mess with it.

I think you'll be surprised at the difference after going to the SSD. It will be worth every penny.
User avatar
coopasonic
Posts: 20969
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 11:43 pm
Location: Dallas-ish

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by coopasonic »

Exodor wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 4:48 pm
ImLawBoy wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 11:57 am Thanks for the thoughts. I confirmed with the guy that this was more than just sticking the new SSD in the machine leaving the rest of the work to me. It's basically turnkey for me. I told him to do it (knowing I probably could have handled it myself, but I'm willing to pay to have the expert do it).
Sometimes it's worth paying to not have to hassle with things yourself. Sure, I could change the oil in my car but it's worth paying the inflated prices at Oil Can Henry's or wherever just so I don't have to mess with it.

I think you'll be surprised at the difference after going to the SSD. It will be worth every penny.
Even better, buy a car that doesn't have oil! :D
-Coop
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
Pyperkub
Posts: 23583
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2004 5:07 pm
Location: NC- that's Northern California

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by Pyperkub »

ImLawBoy wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 11:57 am Thanks for the thoughts. I confirmed with the guy that this was more than just sticking the new SSD in the machine leaving the rest of the work to me. It's basically turnkey for me. I told him to do it (knowing I probably could have handled it myself, but I'm willing to pay to have the expert do it).
Then it's definitely worth it. I did get some 1TB SSD's for about $90/ea earlier this year, but cloning, etc. is a bitch, and if you strip one of the screws, blech.

In addition to all the speed gains listed above, you also get better battery life (not spinning disks saves a fair amount of battery).

SSD upgrade for laptop - no brainer. Spending the extra $ to have someone do it, depends on your situation and time and experience (and whether you'd rather just drink beers while it's happening and not worry about your laptop wanting another round!).

:obscene-drinkingdrunk: :obscene-drinkingdrunk: :obscene-drinkingdrunk:
Black Lives definitely Matter Lorini!

Also: There are three ways to not tell the truth: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
ManAboutNothing
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:42 am

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by ManAboutNothing »

Exodor wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 4:48 pm I think you'll be surprised at the difference after going to the SSD. It will be worth every penny.
THIS, yes! My new gaming laptop has a 1TB SSD, and my old laptop had a 512GB regular hard drive, and its literally night and day. Windows boots up cold in like 20 seconds, apps that used to take 30-40 seconds to load now take like 5-10 seconds. I could never, ever go back to a spinning drive again.
Derek
Very part-time indie developer and full time internet business tinkerer/failure/blunderer
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 70100
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by LordMortis »

Pyperkub wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 7:11 pm cloning,
Also requires purchase or acquisition of software and no fear that your OEM Windows license won't bork.
User avatar
Kasey Chang
Posts: 20750
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 4:20 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA
Contact:

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by Kasey Chang »

Given that you can get 1TB SSDs now for less than $100 (there's one now on Newegg for $82), and even a Sandisk one is like $99, probably not worth it.
My game FAQs | Playing: She Will Punish Them, Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius, The Outer Worlds
User avatar
ImLawBoy
Forum Admin
Posts: 14950
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:49 pm
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by ImLawBoy »

Kasey Chang wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 6:20 pm Given that you can get 1TB SSDs now for less than $100 (there's one now on Newegg for $82), and even a Sandisk one is like $99, probably not worth it.
Well, I'll just jump in my time machine to three weeks ago and consider again whether I want to go through with it. :P
That's my purse! I don't know you!
User avatar
Isgrimnur
Posts: 82085
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:29 am
Location: Chookity pok
Contact:

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by Isgrimnur »

If you would follow up with impressions, these things might happen less frequently.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
User avatar
ImLawBoy
Forum Admin
Posts: 14950
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:49 pm
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by ImLawBoy »

I did follow up and say that I told the guy to do it.
That's my purse! I don't know you!
User avatar
Z-Corn
Posts: 4894
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:16 pm

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by Z-Corn »

But did he do it?
User avatar
ImLawBoy
Forum Admin
Posts: 14950
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:49 pm
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by ImLawBoy »

I'm not on trial here!
That's my purse! I don't know you!
User avatar
Z-Corn
Posts: 4894
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:16 pm

Re: $175 for an installed and configured 500 GB SSD - worth it?

Post by Z-Corn »

Oh, sorry, I was talking to Kasey. This thread has moved on.
Post Reply