A Beginners Guide: Upgrade Your PC Storage - How to install M.2 SSD, 2.5" SSD & 3.5" Hard Drive

I know saving files (i.e. pictures, videos, music, etc.) to the cloud is all the rage these days but sometimes you need, or just want, more local storage at home on your PC. Maybe you're wanting to speed up your computer by upgrading your old mechanical HDD (hard drive) to a snappy new SSD (Solid State Drive)? Or you want more storage space for your favorite games? In this video I go over the things you need to know to install, initialize and format the 3 most common storage drives on the market today. First you'll see how to install a M.2 NVME SSD (which is super easy by the way) then a 2.5 inch SATA SSD and finally a 3.5 inch SATA Hard Drive. After installing your new drive before it will even show up in Windows Explorer and allow you to save anything to it you'll need to initialize and format your new drive and I show you how to do that as well. Get ready to enjoy your new drive because you're going to have it up and running in no time. :)
Upgrading your HDD (Hard Disk Drive) to an SSD and want to Clone/Copy your OS (Operating System, aka Windows) to your new SSD? Check out my tutorial on how to do this at the following link - • How to Clone/Copy Wind...
Interested in learning more about ESD (Electro Static Discharge)? This playlist from JayzTwoCents has a lot of great information - • JayzTwoCents ESD Videos
Need help uninstalling your Graphics card to get at your M.2 slot? Check this video out - • How to Install a Graph...
Wanting to copy your current OS drive to a SSD? Here's a tutorial on how to Clone your existing hard drive using Acronis True Image - • How to Clone/Copy Wind...
Like my videos? Want to help support the channel? Leave a comment, click the "Like" button, subscribe and share my videos with your friends. You can also purchase items I feature in my videos by shopping at my Amazon store here -
United States - www.amazon.com/shop/maraksot78
United Kingdom - www.amazon.co.uk/shop/maraksot78
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Wanna skip to a particular part of the video? Use the Time Stamps. :)
Time Stamps
0:00 - Getting started
1:23 - 1st steps
3:02 - How to install a M.2 NVME SSD
6:00 - How to initialize new drive
7:05 - How to format your new drive
8:11 - How to install a 2.5" hard drive or SSD
10:26 - How to install a 3.5" hard drive
12:35 - Shameless plug for my next video
12:52 - Thanks for Watching! Like, Share, Comment & Subscribe! :)
Music in this video -
"Finding Me" by Eveningland from the KZbin Creator Studio Music Library
#SSD, #Mdot2, #HDD, #Upgrade

[@Maraksot78]

Wanna skip to a particular part of the video? Use the Time Stamps. :) Time Stamps 0:00 - Getting started 1:23 - 1st steps 3:02 - How to install a M.2 NVME SSD 6:00 - How to initialize new drive 7:05 - How to format your new drive 8:11 - How to install a 2.5" hard drive or SSD 10:26 - How to install a 3.5" hard drive 12:35 - Shameless plug for my next video 12:52 - Thanks for Watching! Like, Share, Comment & Subscribe! :)

[@its_natoosh9315]

I need help!!!!! I’m trying to upgrade and add an additional storage device (the m.2) and I turn it on after installing the ssd and in the BIOS the only boot option is the ssd and not my hdd where my windows boot is at, how do I switch the boot so I could boot using my hdd

[@henrynguyen6799]

thanks for the video! I'm planning on upgrading my pc to have more storage space soon so I can buy more, and download more games :D

[@JeanSDM]

Thanks

[@maumbu]

That's why I haven't been able to install the hard drive, I never bought it. Good thing I looked up this video.

[@phaserx3294]

This is what I call *comedy*

[@maumbu]

@@phaserx3294 thanks buddy!

[@DARK_AMBIGUOUS]

You can just download a hard drive? 😒

[@grtxuploads236]

@@DARK_AMBIGUOUS how? is it where i find my cookies?

[@axeladdict1955]

@@grtxuploads236 how do you get your computer to give you cookies?

[@t-chan4640]

This helped a lot

[@user-dc1dk7qj1q]

Same I had to uninstall games recently to enable other game updates. I have a 500gb SSD.

[@diegovillegas4108]

I've been stuck with 240gb bought a prebuilt and never checked the storage capacity

[@Darbocky]

@@diegovillegas4108 lmao unlucky, rn I'm stuck with a 500g built

[@myestre8008]

@@Darbocky i have 100gb :(

[@lpsluckykitty9443]

…I have 4gb

[@hunter13dotexe]

Was stuck at the software portion here at home. Your video helped out a lot. Easy and straight forward. Thank you.

[@fowl3799]

Thank you for making this! I've successfully installed my new 2TB SSD, despite me being a complete novice - thanks to this video I managed to not bugger it up! Thank for for making such a comprehensive and easy to understand video, it is especially appreciated the quality put in to make it so concise!

[@jhustle1980]

any recommendatiosn on which 2tb ssd?? im about to do the same thing, my currrent tb is about full, im lil confused about how to take this stuff and put it on my new ssd

[@fowl3799]

​@@jhustle1980 I went with the 'Transcend SSD230S 2 TB', which is about £210 on Amazon. There are cheaper ones available with discount down from £200 to ~£150, but Transcend 230S was the only one which specified it had a DRAM cache. -If your current SSD is already fast you can keep your Operating System on it without moving anything. Just install your 2nd SSD (you will need another SATA data cable and SATA power cable, also check if your PC case has another SSD tray) then download all your games onto the newer SSD (this is what I did). -If you want to completely replace your old SSD, when buying a new SSD the manufacturer sometimes includes a licence for cloning software. Otherwise there are plenty of options for cloning your drive to another SSD, you just might have to pay for it.

[@nate3955]

I have a question can any pc have that amount of space or it depends on what kind I’m new to this

[@nate3955]

I’m other words can you add any amount of space to any type of pc ?

[@seeleyphoto]

@@nate3955 I cant really help you, but i know at some point it will blow up xD

[@asfandyarkakar9898]

Every time I watch your Videos, I get motivated to build my own pc. It is due to the fact that I learned so much from watching your beginners guides. Though where I am from Amazon is unavailable, and offline markets lacks the components which I need(they have pc parts but prices go over my budget).

[@USMCarter]

My man, you were thorough yet broke it all down Barney style. Excellent video without to much added fluff but still the right amount. Thanks for this!

[@avanzero]

Gosh, this was so helpful! Thank you very much for your clear instructions and information! Saved me a lot of headache. I've been trying to find instructions precisely like this for a while.

[@rattlynanimations7694]

I've been trying to install my 2.5inch ssd with the cable and I can't describe I've been through dozens of videos that haven't explained it as clearly and thoroughly as you have. I appreciate your guidance with this video and the knowledge you helped me gain

[@marcusteodoro1121]

That was the kind of tutorial I was looking for! Thank you!

[@lordpickle8424]

Woohoo, I bought a new 500 gig ssd today but wasn't sure how to install it. Watched this, followed your instructions and it worked. Many thanks.

[@kropzu2935]

FINALLY! A person who explained everything in a clear way! Thank you so much :)

[@Peepypipe]

This was extremely helpful, I bought the WD 1TB ssd a while ago and was nervous about install. This video made install and setup extremely easy! Thank you for your time and help

[@KaratCat]

I used this walkthrough a few months ago and it was so useful that I shared it with my sister so she could upgrade too!

[@goshiby9613]

You are great at explaining things my friend. You understand that not everyone knows all the terms about computers. Thank you friend for taking the time to teach us!! This helped me a lot.

[@Hypercoreriper]

Helped a lot. No nonsense, easy to follow. Definitely gonna recommend this to anyone needing the info.

[@onewayprd]

Thank you so much! I luckily didn’t need a stand-off for my m.2 ssd because of the size of my m.2 slot!!!! You helped so much and saved me a lot of time!!!!

[@mezi5860]

Omg! 2years later this video is still relevant! Amazing! Thank You!

[@sharifismailmohsin2284]

Thank you very much for the tutorial! It was very simple to understand. I use this as help to install my 2.5 SSD storage on my PC by myself, and it went smoothly with no problems at all.

[@garryeverett8820]

Dude you're the man, just installed WD-SN770 using your video with no issues. Subscribed for sure. Keep up the good work

[@miner4life628]

well done! very easy to follow, explaining things clearly 👍🏼

[@kaliorify]

Great video. Nice pace. No fluff. Good angles. It is just pleasant to watch and follow.

[@Maraksot78]

Thank you very much! Happy to hear you enjoyed the video.

[@themanfrommars2614]

Successfully installed my first hard drive all thanks to this video 👍

[@mrcircle6353]

Please never stop making content. You help a lot of people. We alll love u

[@gorillaz_fanj.r286]

I just bought a pre-build PC and it came with a 500 gig SSD. I plan using the computer to play video games, so I'm gonna buy a 2tb WD Black 3'5. This video was straight forward and included everything, Thanks so much!

[@puskamuha9000]

Thank you so much i was worried i wasnt gonna find a video

[@HiiPANDA_]

Tha k you for this video and every video you recommend. I just installed a M.2. and I held my breath throughout the process.

[@icenico25]

Thanks! Very simple video with a bit of explanation. As a visual learner, this really helped me a lot!

[@matthewgore4109]

This man literally tells you and I’m dyslexic and I understand it thank you

[@foxhound7135]

i was afraid to work on my pc then i saw your vid this is so helpful thanks!

[@ZELATEUR]

Hello there, me again. I finished my all time first Pc build thanks to you and your tips and tools(Fixit) . So I'm kind of happy that we are using the same. I did too install my nvme ssd drive and woow the speed is just too much also I did the xmp profile and again...i dunno if it's the pc or me but I'm crushing in my games now. Wakanda Forever.

[@Maraksot78]

Congratulations on your first PC build! :) It's fun huh? I'm glad my videos helped you learn what you needed to know to successfully build your PC yourself. I'm also happy to hear that iFixIt took kit is getting some use too. Cheers, enjoy! Wakanda Forever! :)

[@BlueThrones]

was worried about moving windows to the new m.2 but since you have a link to do that too i really appreciate it!! Helped a ton thank you

[@xladbetr8097]

I always needed to make choice between what files to keep and what file to delete. Now, thank to you, I don’t need to make this kind of choices.

[@cmeier360]

Thank you, you are the only one actually showing how to format the drive

[@BP1984AC]

This was easy to understand and a big help! Thanks!

[@ORO323]

In my case when initializing the new ssd, it automatically did it for me. It just needs to say "online" and you can simply allocate it. Just mentioning it for those who, like me, panicked for 2.5 seconds as to why my pc couldn't initialize it. Thanks for the vid! Helped a ton.

[@PMajc]

Didn't panic but figured someone in the comments had the solution. Thank you!

[@xaviertapez8708]

This just happened to me 😭

[@ClaudiavLucia]

saw ur video on ram and it was so helpful i only trust you now. so i looked you up specifically for the next step in my pc upgrading journey. thank you so much for this.

[@KM-yh4gh]

Very clear and step-by-step. Love it

[@SHINeeShufflers]

Super helpful and easy to understand. Thanks!!

[@rivdog2525]

Simple yet amazing video. Thank you!

[@reymilocuevas3485]

Thank you for the help with installing my m.2. I wish you the best in your endeavors

[@Maraksot78]

You're welcome. Cheers.

[@voider978]

Thanks! Very clearly explained and in an entertaining way even!

[@mikaela543]

Your site is great and informative, this really helped.

[@chitas3335]

Thank you so much for this in-depth tutorial. I'm a complete noobie whilst my brother knows some, but not everything. If it weren't for this video, I would've kept uninstalling my games to conserve storage space. Now I have free-reign and i feel incredibly happy. I also learned how to add more storage space!

[@mikkelvereshak8981]

Thanks man. I needed this!

[@Kittypopvegas]

Thank you for breaking this down for me. Ive had the same computer for so long i want to start upgrading it

[@michaelchristidis8658]

Thank you very much I just got a brand new gaming pc and had to buy a new hard drive to install more space to it since it came with only 500gb space...this video was very informative simple and straightforward

[@joemabamala4238]

Hey man, huge shoutout to you. This was a big help for me. Thank you

[@Bukavok]

thank you. i know nothing about PCs and you made this seem so simple. got everything on the first go!

[@_C_D]

this was such a great help and a video that i needed!

[@kennethaddis7420]

Earned a new subscriber for the way you explain everything.

[@Saint_Sekyuritai2849]

Thank you so much for this video your instructions are so clear and easy to follow!

[@ambientrelaxingandhealingm7552]

This was extremely helpful - thank you so much!

[@frederikbarslund601]

Was stuck on the software part, and your guide was the only one that helped. Big thanks from me ;-D

[@ryanmorgan5644]

This guy talks like he’s completely confused what he’s talking about the entire time but at the same time, knows exactly what he’s doing. But thanks for info. It worked for me.

[@Maraksot78]

ha ha ha! thanks for the comment. I got a good laugh out of it. 😂 happy to hear the video helped you out though. Cheers!

[@srefis499]

Thanks for the help! And the time stamps!

[@kpaco8]

Thanks for this vid , super simple and easy .

[@Boss2933]

Great video🙌🏼

[@matthewbrown6016]

Thanks for this video! Was really simple to add to already built PC

[@blackbeans8096]

Straight to the point! well done!

[@costakensington6599]

VERY CLEAR AND DIRECT VIDEO; NO THEATRICS; WELL DONE !!!

[@thegethconsensus393]

Your tutorial was extremely helpful. Thank you.

[@matwell83]

I watched about ten other videos on this subject as I'm a computer noob an I'm installing a m.2 nvme this weekend. this was the easiest to follow and after watching I'm convinced I got this sh#t👍. I appreciate the clear and precise instructions, thanks again ✌

[@Jordan-ng2uv]

did it end up working bro?

[@matwell83]

@DailyFlowerStyle got the job done son😎. Motherboard(asus rog strix b550f) didn't come with a second m.2 srcew or standoffs so it took a next day air delivery...but all is in and working

[@mauricesanchez6804]

Thank you so much! Helped me big time and saved me over 60 bucks!

[@angelgraceembay1268]

Thank you so much! Finally upgrading to a 1TB ssd, this video helped so much!

[@alex13614]

This video was super helpful!

[@miran289]

Thank you sooo much and the time-stamps made the video even more helpful.

[@mercurylee7899]

first time installing inside SSD to my desktop computer, got a lot help from this video. Thank you so much 😭😭😭

[@anthonygoulet3919]

Just instaled a 2.5 inch ssd on top of the one I actualy had in my pc thanks to you! Here have a like and a follow!

[@Maraksot78]

Awesome, thank you!

[@Princemarioone]

Worked like a charm

[@superal_hamstar]

This helped me to get the disc to work am so happy i can use it ☺️

[@markgojevic5833]

Thanks man! Helped a ton

[@serfox1G]

Thanks man, Great informative videos.

[@damien.digital]

Thank you so much for making that video! It helped me a lot!

[@kidaIex]

Wow thank you so much!, after looking thru so many videos. Yours is the one that actually helped me.. thank you

[@bradkizer9961]

Outstanding video and commentary! Thank you!

[@whozack24]

This helped a lot, thank you!

[@salems_graveyard]

this was extremely useful, thank you.

[@transcendentaltrigger7256]

Awesome vid mate 😀. You defo deserve more subs! Just ordered a 1TB WB black and luckily I watched this and noticed I needed to source new stand offs lol! Definitely earned a sub 😁!

[@EFFAN123]

Great clear instructions. thanks for the help, legend! subbed

[@kevinguzman9642]

Thank you! The best video I have found to assist me with this 🙌🏽👏🏽

[@drizzt13dourden]

Fabulous vid for Folks like myself just getting into the do it yourself PC thing. Good stuff, good vid, good job!!!

[@fc2078_]

Heyy bit earlier than before thanks for the video

[@tbeast2454]

Good video brother 1st time watching you're very well spoken and Very thorough thank you for all your help

[@TweekLudwig]

I finally got motivated to install that SSD I wanted into a prebuilt, and I bought all the components (cable, 2.5 to 3.5 converter bay, and the ssd itself). Might be missing screws but I’m sure it’ll be smooth, otherwise! You helped me explore my PC more, thanks a lot! Maybe one day I’ll finally build my own! :D

[@mazingerzeta777]

Yay!!! I installed my first hard drive Thank you so much!!

[@auvy2]

Thanks man this helped a lot u pushing 🅿️

[@juliatrahan7903]

I got a brand new PC for a Christmas/Graduation gift, and a TB of SSD to upgrade it with on top of the TB of HDD and 240 GB of SSD. This video made me feel like I could actually install the new memory and upgrade my computer without being afraid! Great for beginners, thank you so much for your help!!!

[@DadBodBeGone34]

Easy to understand and very informative. Thanks a ton!

[@Maraksot78]

Good to hear you found the video helpful. Cheers. 🙂👍🏻

[@user-bv4lt4ng1p]

Just thanks to this tutorial I did my first installation of SSD ever sucessfuly mine M.2 is working without any problems now i going to follow next video how to transfer windows from one disk to another :). Good job with this tutorial.

[@stevefiorito5379]

I've had to do these things on my Linux and Windows PC ... recently due to a power surge that knocked out both boot drives. Installing the parts was too easy. The hard part was getting the drives properly formatted. I'm just a computer user, not a tech, or a programmer ... and I hope to stay as such. Thanks for a very good video.

[@MsSpirit31]

Thanks for the help! mounted and formatted my new Samsung 980 thanks to you, much love :)

[@Maraksot78]

Glad I could help!

[@iRubisco]

Thanks so much! Just installed my 2 TB Samsung SSD and already transferring games to it! ❤

[@TheRedSpaceMusic]

Thanks so much for your help dude!

[@SevenFrom1]

Thanks, I'm doing my first build and man! I was clueless lol

[@zaheernava2343]

Thanks very much, this video helped install a SSD and finish the software part as well.

[@nathanbitencourtaguiar2721]

Great video, mano! Really hepful. You're very didatic! Thank you so much. Keep goin'!

[@michaelandersen2938]

Such a helpfull video! Really helped me a lot! Thanks :D

[@falcony100]

Bro you made my day

[@xSkye629x]

TY so much man! Got my M2 SSD in flawlessly and working thnx to this vid!