Installing an SSD into HP 2530p EliteBook

[bata56]

I have a HP 2530p EliteBook and I would like to upgrade to an SSD.

Its specifications are Dualcore Intel Wolfdale 1.866 MHz, CPU L9400 and it has 4GB RAM (2x2 GB) DDR2 (666 MHz), and it is working a Win10 x64.

Due to how slow it has gotten, I would like to replace my HDD with an SSD.

I have tried installing a 120 GB SSD (Micron), but no luck, it did not work because I could not install my OS on it.
The SSD is fine, of course, it is in working condition.

So now I have a few questions:
Is it possible to install an SSD into a HP 2530p EliteBook and does it require some specific setting to be changed (BIOS or in general)?

Is there an SSD capacity (size) limitation for this laptop model?

And is it possible to install 2x4 GB RAM DDR2 at 800 MHz without any issues (large load, heating up, etc.)?

Edit

I forgot to add, it's a 12" laptop with an 1.8" disk.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

What exactly was the problem that you could not install W10 on the SSD?

I have a 6930p (same notebook with a 14.1" display) and was able to install an Intel 535 120 GB SSD in it, and I had an issue where Windows would install but on first reboot, I got a no boot disk error.

The solution for me was to install the Intel storage controller drivers during initial phase of installing Windows at the screen where it asks: 'where do you want to install windows.'  I selected the Load driver option, browsed to the Intel RST drivers I had on a flash drive and loaded them.

I also had the BIOS set to AHCI (SATA Native Mode), which should be the default.

[bata56]

The installation lasted much longer than usual, and finally it managed to install it all, but after that, it was barely working.

It was even slower than my usual HDD.

I tried multiple (four) SSD, and had the same issue on all of them.

Was it their size?

Can this model take 120 GB or 128 GB SSD?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I don't see why it wouldn't support a 120, 128 or even a 500 GB SSD.

My 6930p ran beautifully with the Intel drive.

Of course, the drive controller is only SATA II, so the SATA III SSD runs at only half of its maximum advertised read/write speeds.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to answer as to why your notebook is running so poorly with the SSD you installed.

Is the drive controller set to AHCI (SATA Native Mode)?

Did you install the Intel RST driver and Intel chipset driver?

The W7 drivers work fine on W10.

[bata56]

Unfortunately, I don't know how to check how the drive controller is set, but I have not installed any drivers in regards to the disk.

Nothing has been changed in BIOS itself since I got the laptop, as well.

I am using it now with a HDD, and it's working well, only a bit too slow for my liking.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Below is the link to the service manual:

c02514991.pdf (hp.com)

Chapter page 107 has the location of the BIOS drive controller setting.

You want AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface).

IDE is the worst performing setting of the three.

[bata56]

No additional drivers have been installed; what Windows installed during normal installation of OS is what I have.
So my HDD is working flawlessly, but slowly.
Can I change to AHCI through BIOS regardless of having an HDD?
Will that cause any issues or am I safe to change it now?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You can change the setting if it is currently on IDE but you will have to reinstall Windows 10.

There is no need to change the setting if it is on RAID.

A lot of folks installed XP on those 2530p's because that was the most popular operating system at the time.

But unless you knew how to install the SATA AHCI controller drivers during the Windows XP installation process, Windows XP bluescreens and won't install because it does not have the SATA drivers included in the disk.

So, what most people did to get around that problem was to change the drive controller setting from AHCI to IDE which is the legacy drive controller setting that XP had the storage controller driver for and it installed with no problem.

The drawback is it cripples the drive performance.

Windows Vista, W7 and W10 don't have that problem with needing drivers to install when the drive controller is set to AHCI.