1) First need to source a #00x20mm Phillips screwdriver
2) Then had to hunt down some M2 x 3mm flathead screws. Brought me everywhere in KL. In the end managed to get from some Pakistani/Bangladeshi 2nd hand computer shops. Many shops don't have it and some refused to sell. Bought 30-40 screws of slightly different size and length just to be sure. These shorter screws were vital but damn hard to find. The original screws were too long and wouldn't secure the SSD without it's bracket.
3) Find the correct sized Solid State Drive. The usual size for notebook is 2.5" with 9.5mm height. This is just too thick for my notebook. Wouldn't fit. Retail shops all carry the 9.5mm height. None carry the 7mm version. Googled and found that some Intel SSD can be modified to be 7mm with the removal of a spacer bracket. The 7mm is just what I need. Went hunting again and got an Intel 320 series 120 GB SSD
4) Make a recovery disc with an external DVD drive borrowed from a friend
5) Preparing the SSD and removing the spacer bracket. Screwed back the SSD casing using the shorter screws I bought. Pretty sure warranty for the SSD is voided :(
6) Removed the laptop battery then the HDD. Removed the laptop casing for the HDD and secured it back on the new SSD
7) Secure back the SSD into the laptop
8) Reboot using the recovery DVD, restore the OS and proprietary software to the SSD and voila! Update the OS and drivers.
With 8GB of RAM and 120 GB SSD, my WEI was 7.1 and 7.6 respectively! Booting time was superfast, programs are snappier and battery life is indicated at 10 hours??? (not validated yet)
Well worth the effort I must say. Poorer by a lot but satisfied :)
