SOLVED: Can an SSD & Fresh Windows 10 Save An Old Toshiba Laptop From the Landfill?

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

  • Platform Technology
    AMD VISION
  • Notebook type
    Budget, Midsize
  • Manufacturer
    Toshiba

PROCESSOR / CHIPSET

  • CPU
    AMD E-240 1.5 GHz
  • Number of Cores
    Dual-Core
  • Cache
    L2 – 512 KB
  • 64-bit Computing
    Yes

CACHE MEMORY

  • Type
    L2 cache
  • Installed Size
    512 KB

RAM

  • Memory Speed
    1066 MHz
  • Configuration Features
    1 x 1 GB + 1 x 2 GB
  • Technology
    DDR3 SDRAM
  • Installed Size
    3 GB

STORAGE

  • Interface
    Serial ATA-300
  • Optical Drive
    DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM

MEMORY

  • Max Supported Size
    8 GB
  • Technology
    DDR3 SDRAM
  • Speed
    1066 MHz
  • Slots Qty
    2
  • Empty Slots
    0

ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS

  • Humidity Range Operating
    20 – 80% (non-condensing)

DISPLAY

  • LCD Backlight Technology
    LED backlight
  • Widescreen Display
    Yes
  • Image Aspect Ratio
    16:9
  • Monitor Features
    Clear SuperView (CSV)
  • Type
    LED
  • Diagonal Size (metric)
    39.6 cm
  • Display Resolution Abbreviation
    HD

AUDIO & VIDEO

  • Graphics Processor
    AMD Radeon HD 6310
  • Memory Allocation Technology
    HyperMemory
  • Integrated Webcam
    Yes
  • Sound
    Stereo speakers, microphone

HARD DRIVE

  • Spindle Speed
    5400 rpm
  • Type
    HDD
  • Capacity
    320 GB

INPUT

  • Type
    keyboard, touchpad
  • Localization & Layout
    US
  • Features
    multi-touch touchpad

COMMUNICATIONS

  • Wireless Protocol
    802.11b/g/n
  • Wireless Controller
    Realtek RTL8188CE
  • Wired Protocol
    10/100 Ethernet

OPTICAL STORAGE

  • Drive Type
    DVD SuperMulti
  • Type
    DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM

PROCESSOR

  • CPU Type
    E-240
  • Manufacturer
    AMD
  • Clock Speed
    1.5 GHz

CARD READER

  • Type
    card reader
  • Supported Flash Memory
    MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, miniSD

BATTERY

  • Capacity
    4400 mAh
  • Cells
    6-cell
  • Technology
    lithium ion

AC ADAPTER

  • Input
    AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz)
  • Output
    65 Watt, 19 V, 3.42 A

CONNECTIONS & EXPANSION

  • Interfaces
    VGA
    LAN
    Headphone output
    Microphone input
    2 x USB 2.0
  • Memory Card Reader
    Yes (SD Card, MultiMediaCard, miniSD, SDHC Card)

HEADER

  • Brand
    Toshiba
  • Product Line
    Toshiba Satellite
  • Model
    Satellite C650D
  • Country Kits
    United States
  • Packaged Quantity
    1
  • Compatibility
    PC

NETWORKING

  • Data Link Protocol
    Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
  • Compliant Standards
    Wi-Fi CERTIFIED
  • Wireless LAN Supported
    Yes
  • Wireless NIC
    Realtek RTL8188CE

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Color
    genchaku black with tops pattern
  • Features
    security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
  • Included Laptop Accessories
    power adapter
  • Compliant Standards
    RoHS

MONITOR

  • Diagonal Size
    15.6 in

    SYSTEM

    • Platform Technology
      AMD VISION
    • Notebook Type
      notebook
    • Platform
      Windows
    • Hard Drive Capacity
      320 GB

    DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT

    • Width
      15 in
    • Depth
      9.8 in
    • Height
      1.5 in

        PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

        • Weight
          5.51 lbs

        POWER

        • Min Operating Temperature
          41 °F
        • Max Operating Temperature
          95 °F

        OPERATING SYSTEM / SOFTWARE

        • OS Provided: Type
          Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition
        • Type
          Microsoft Office 2010 Starter, Norton Internet Security 2011

        VIDEO OUTPUT

        • Graphics Processor
          AMD Radeon HD 6310
        • Graphics Processor Series
          AMD Radeon HD

        VIDEO MEMORY

        • Memory Allocation Technology
          HyperMemory

        NOTEBOOK CAMERA

        • Integrated Webcam
          Yes

         

                Published by
                Ian Matthews

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