7.3.2.10 Lab – Research Laptop Drives
Instructor Note: Red font color or gray highlights indicate text that appears in the Instructor copy only.
In this lab, you will use the internet or a local store to gather information about storage and optical drives for a laptop.
Instructor Note: You may choose another laptop to research. The answers below are specific to the Lenovo P51s.
1. Research the manufacturer specifications for the storage drive in the laptop. List the specifications in the table below:
| Drive Specifications | Drive |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | 2.5” |
| Type | SSD |
| Size (GB) | 512 GB |
| Port Type | SATA |
| Drive Speed | 8 GB/s |
2. Shop around, and in the table below list the features and costs of two storage replacement storage drives for a laptop.
| Drive Specifications | Replacement Drive #1 | Replacement Drive #2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | 2.5” | 2.5” |
| Type | SSD | SSD |
| Size (GB) | 2 TB | 500 GB |
| Manufacturer | Crucial | Crucial |
| Port Type | SATA | SATA |
| Retail Cost | $289.99 | $70 |
3. In your research, did you find any reason to select a particular drive over another?
Answers will vary based on price, warranty, and preference.
4. Is the new storage drive compatible with other components in the laptop? Why is this important?
Yes. If the drive does not have the same form factor, port, or power specifications then it will not function with the other components in the laptop.
5. The laptop may or may not have an internal optical drive. Do a search for an internal and external optical drive. How do they compare in price and drive speed?
An internal optical drive is about $20 – $30 and an external USB optical drive is priced comparable to the internal optical.
Previous Lab
7.3.2.7 Lab – Research Laptop Batteries
Next Lab
7.5.1.2 Lab – Mobile Wi-Fi