Laptop - can i get additional SSD memory

Calvin001

So, i bought a new Lenovo laptop over the Christmas break in Harvey Norman [spec from receipt - Lenovo 720S, I5, 8GB RAM, 256MB SSD]. Nice machine, smaller screen than my previous, but i'm getting used to it.
My problem, which i never thought about, is i use Dropbox for work, and currently using about 300+GB of my 1TB space (yes, I pay annual fee).
Downloaded Dropbox app, and now my laptop is running out of storage space. I tried to reduce the number of files from my dropbox that sync with my laptop, etc., but still get the message about "not enough space".
My questions are
1. should i uninstall dropbox completely and re-install incase some of the older files are not fully deleted from my system
2. can i buy additional memory for my new-laptop (any idea what this may cost or where i may get it?)
3. i have an old Dell laptop at home (the one i had before my previous one, so its a dust catcher) - could this be harvested for memory space? I remember doing something like this with desktops about 15/16 years ago - taking out the green chips in older defunk machines and putting them into slightly newer machines to improve performance.

TIA

wexie

Calvin001 wrote: »

I remember doing something like this with desktops about 15/16 years ago - taking out the green chips in older defunk machines and putting them into slightly newer machines to improve performance.

TIA

You're talking about 2 different types of memory here. The green chips are RAM, which is what your laptop uses for operations, what you're short of is ROM which is what your laptop uses to store files.

Yes you can probably upgrade the SSD drive but that would involve taking out the drive that's in there now and reinstalling the operating system and everything else.

It would be a lot easier to just get an external USB drive to use, or even a large flash drive depending on how much storage you think you may need.

Alanstrainor

What you really need to do is change your dropbox settings. I can't see why you would need to have a local copy of all 300GB of files. Perhaps you can just sync a couple of folders? Syncing 300GB is madness.

BrokenArrows

wexie wrote: »

You're talking about 2 different types of memory here. The green chips are RAM, which is what your laptop uses for operations, what you're short of is ROM which is what your laptop uses to store files.

Yes you can probably upgrade the SSD drive but that would involve taking out the drive that's in there now and reinstalling the operating system and everything else.

It would be a lot easier to just get an external USB drive to use, or even a large flash drive depending on how much storage you think you may need.

ROM is Read Only Memory. Thats NOT what an SSD or regular hard disk is.

BrokenArrows

Op your laptop is very slim line so it doesnt take regular hard drives.

You need to have a chip like SSD which looks a lot like ram.
You need something called PM961 M.2 PCIE SSD.
Its not going to be cheap. Your probably looking at €500+

Something like this for a 1TB storage.
https://www.flexxmemory.co.uk/solid-state-drives-ssd/samsung-pm961-m-2-ngff-pcie-solid-state-drive-ssd/samsung-pm961-1tb-m-2-ngff-pcie-gen3-x4-nvme-solid-state-drive-ssd-oem-2280-mzvlw1t0hmlh-00000/?utm_medium=googleshopping&utm_source=bc&gclid=CjwKCAiAnabTBRA6EiwAemvBd4nfc4-tDD4UOY8vt7cG7X1BLavV0_fFuLnIm41ywuTa805-KQkYlBoC8SMQAvD_BwE

I suggest you purchase a nice cheap external harddrive and sync this to your dropbox. Then you can plug it in and resync it whenever you want without having to use up all your laptops storage.

Or even easier, dont sync your whole dropbox. Choose specific folders that you need to have.

wexie

BrokenArrows wrote: »

ROM is Read Only Memory. Thats NOT what an SSD or regular hard disk is.

No you're right, just seemed like a suitably easy explanation.
consider me chastised

Calvin001

Many thanks for the responses.
Any recommendation on where to buy good hard-drive (or what make)? or am I back to Harvey N??

Subcomandante Marcos

Calvin001 wrote: »

So, i bought a new Lenovo laptop over the Christmas break in Harvey Norman [spec from receipt - Lenovo 720S, I5, 8GB RAM, 256MB SSD]. Nice machine, smaller screen than my previous, but i'm getting used to it.
My problem, which i never thought about, is i use Dropbox for work, and currently using about 300+GB of my 1TB space (yes, I pay annual fee).
Downloaded Dropbox app, and now my laptop is running out of storage space. I tried to reduce the number of files from my dropbox that sync with my laptop, etc., but still get the message about "not enough space".
My questions are
1. should i uninstall dropbox completely and re-install incase some of the older files are not fully deleted from my system
2. can i buy additional memory for my new-laptop (any idea what this may cost or where i may get it?)
3. i have an old Dell laptop at home (the one i had before my previous one, so its a dust catcher) - could this be harvested for memory space? I remember doing something like this with desktops about 15/16 years ago - taking out the green chips in older defunk machines and putting them into slightly newer machines to improve performance.

TIA

I bought a new laptop with similar specs about two years ago but my solution was to swap the optical drive which I'd never use for a 1tb HDD which is mounted in the optical drive bay in a caddy that connects the HDD to the SATA port.
Works perfectly for me for storing bigger files.

Wheety

You are filling up your laptop with everything you already have saved in dropbox. You need to stop it syncing and then delete the files from the laptop. Perhaps only use the web interface on the laptop for uploading/downloading to Dropbox.

Wheety

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

I bought a new laptop with similar specs about two years ago but my solution was to swap the optical drive which I'd never use for a 1tb HDD which is mounted in the optical drive bay in a caddy that connects the HDD to the SATA port.
Works perfectly for me for storing bigger files.

This laptop doesn't have a disc drive.

Subcomandante Marcos

Wheety wrote: »

This laptop doesn't have a disc drive.

Then you're probably restricted to buying a new bigger drive and cloning your current one onto it.

Alanstrainor

Wheety wrote: »

You are filling up your laptop with everything you already have saved in dropbox. You need to stop it syncing and then delete the files from the laptop. Perhaps only use the web interface on the laptop for uploading/downloading to Dropbox.

Alanstrainor wrote: »

What you really need to do is change your dropbox settings. I can't see why you would need to have a local copy of all 300GB of files. Perhaps you can just sync a couple of folders? Syncing 300GB is madness.

OP this is the easiest option. Costs nothing, you don't have to go reinstalling your operating system.

ssmith6287

if you have ms office installed on your machine theres a good chance you have 1tb of one drive space aswell