We often work on old laptops to either recover data or upgrade them.
This gets to a common question that we answer in the video below, does it make sense to replace the old spinning drive with a solid state drive and install a fresh Windows 10 to make the laptop useable again?
Windows 7 was released in 2009 and is no longer supported, so Microsoft is not even putting out patches for it. If you want to use old Windows 7 devices, you really need to make some changes to them to keep you safe in the 2020’s.
In this case we had a Toshiba Satellite C650D-007 which first went on sale in August of 2010. That is almost 11 years ago. This is an old unit with budget specs which you can see at the bottom of this article.
Note that we completed a similar video are article on how to upgrade an ASUS ROG Laptop to and SSD and Windows 10 last year.
How To Upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 For Free?
As you can see in the video the Toshiba C650-007 is quite usable with Windows 10. We show you how to upgrade the spinning disk to an SSD, then how to legally source and install Windows 10 for free and then activate it using your old Windows 7 license key.
Did The Battery Get Replaced?
The battery on this Toshiba Satellite was dead so we considered a replacement battery. You can source one HERE for just $20 but we decided it was going to be plugged in all the time so the battery was not needed in our application.
Is It Worth Upgrading to a Solid State Drive on an Old Laptop?
The question ‘is it worth upgrading to an SSD’ is less clear. Because this Toshiba Satellite is so old it only has a SATA II hard drive controller which severely limits its performance compared to SATA III controllers. On the other hand, I would not keep important data on an 11 year old budget spinning disk.
We replaced the hard drive with an SSD for USD$40. An SSD does not make this machine radically faster that a decent spinning disk but we think it is worth $40 just to replace the old drive.
Is it Worth Upgrading an old Laptop to an SSD & Windows 10?
We think so. Small SATA SSD’s are cheap, Windows 10 is free and the process is easy so there is little downside to trying.
This old Toshiba laptop was never a speed demon but it works for standard applications and this small amount of money and effort will keep the unit out of the landfill for another three or four years.
TOSHIBA C650D-007 SPECIFICATIONS
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Platform Technology
AMD VISION
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Notebook type
Budget, Midsize
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Manufacturer
Toshiba
PROCESSOR / CHIPSET
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CPU
AMD E-240 1.5 GHz
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Number of Cores
Dual-Core
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Cache
L2 – 512 KB
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64-bit Computing
Yes
CACHE MEMORY
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Type
L2 cache
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Installed Size
512 KB
RAM
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Memory Speed
1066 MHz
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Configuration Features
1 x 1 GB + 1 x 2 GB
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Technology
DDR3 SDRAM
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Installed Size
3 GB
STORAGE
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Interface
Serial ATA-300
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Optical Drive
DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM
MEMORY
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Max Supported Size
8 GB
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Technology
DDR3 SDRAM
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Speed
1066 MHz
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Slots Qty
2
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Empty Slots
0
HARD DRIVE
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Spindle Speed
5400 rpm
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Type
HDD
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Capacity
320 GB
INPUT
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Type
keyboard, touchpad
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Localization & Layout
US
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Features
multi-touch touchpad
COMMUNICATIONS
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Wireless Protocol
802.11b/g/n
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Wireless Controller
Realtek RTL8188CE
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Wired Protocol
10/100 Ethernet
OPTICAL STORAGE
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Drive Type
DVD SuperMulti
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Type
DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM
PROCESSOR
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CPU Type
E-240
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Manufacturer
AMD
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Clock Speed
1.5 GHz
BATTERY
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Capacity
4400 mAh
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Cells
6-cell
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Technology
lithium ion
AC ADAPTER
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Input
AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz)
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Output
65 Watt, 19 V, 3.42 A
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSION
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Interfaces
VGA
LAN
Headphone output
Microphone input
2 x USB 2.0
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Memory Card Reader
Yes (SD Card, MultiMediaCard, miniSD, SDHC Card)
HEADER
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Brand
Toshiba
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Product Line
Toshiba Satellite
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Model
Satellite C650D
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Country Kits
United States
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Packaged Quantity
1
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Compatibility
PC
NETWORKING
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Data Link Protocol
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
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Compliant Standards
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED
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Wireless LAN Supported
Yes
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Wireless NIC
Realtek RTL8188CE
MISCELLANEOUS
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Color
genchaku black with tops pattern
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Features
security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
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Included Laptop Accessories
power adapter
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Compliant Standards
RoHS
SYSTEM
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Platform Technology
AMD VISION
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Notebook Type
notebook
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Platform
Windows
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Hard Drive Capacity
320 GB
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
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Width
15 in
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Depth
9.8 in
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Height
1.5 in
OPERATING SYSTEM / SOFTWARE
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OS Provided: Type
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition
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Type
Microsoft Office 2010 Starter, Norton Internet Security 2011