ProBook 6560b and upgrading to an SSD

[simple_auto1]

I have been looking into upgrading my ProBook 6560b recently. I've started to do more video and photo editing for my side business. So I want to upgrade my RAM to 16GB total and upgrade my current 250GB SATA II hard drive to a 512GB SATA III SSD. My current BIOS version is F.63 and I have heard about these notebooks being really unreliable with SSD upgrades in the past. I dont see the point in upgrading to an SSD if I can only utilize it as a 3Gb/s speed which is SATA II speed. Does this lastest BIOS version (F.63) support using an SSD at the 6Gb/s SATA III speed or will I have to run the SSD at 3Gb/s?

Also, can I run 16GB of RAM in my machine or will it only run with up to 8GB or RAM? 

Thank you!

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Good news/bad news. 

Your Service Manual:

Manual

P. 2:  Supports the following configurations: ● 16384 (8192 × 2)

So it takes 2 x 8 gig DDR3-1333

The chipset HM65 or QM67 will support SATA-III but I do not believe it is implemented and you have SATA-II. The new BIOS would not change that. An SSD does provide very strong performance even on a SATA-II interface. Most people would not be able to tell any difference in actual operation. 

Your video and photo editing will respond favorably to the 16 gig upgrade and also the SSD but ultimately it is a 2d gen Intel Core platform and we are up to 7th gen now so you can only expect so much from it. 

Post back with any more questions. 

if this is "the Answer" please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find it. 

[simple_auto1]

So my computer won't be able to run at SATA III speeds because of the processor and motherboard in the computer? I thought it was all due to BIOS programming. I had read in the past that the reason people weren't able to use SATA III drives was because of an error in the old BIOS (most versions I saw were F.20 and F.22 - yes, the posts were quite dated.)

If I still can only use an SSD at SATA II speeds, is it really worth an upgrade at all?

The 16GB RAM will be supported however? I can go over 8GB?

[Huffer]

Pretty sure I said you can go to 16 gigs and backed it up with evidence. Yes, 16 gigs is possible. SATA speed is more than the BIOS. As I said I believe your laptop will only support SATA-II but possibly could be wrong. Try the BIOS update. It might enable SATA-III but what I am trying to say based on having installed lots of SSDs in lots of laptops is that it is most definitely "worth it" to install an SSD even on a SATA-II system. In actual operation the gap between a SATA-III SSD on a SATA-II system and one on a SATA-III system is not as noticeable as you assume. Computers just don't carry out operations at maximum hypothetical speed very often and the SSD will improve boot time, application opening speed and linear data transfers so much even with SATA-II it a game changing upgrade. Even more so if SATA-III is implemented but only a bit more. 

if this is "the Answer" please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find it. 

[simple_auto1]

I just wanted to make sure that it would actually accept 16GB of RAM and not that I "could put two 8GB sticks in there if I wanted." Hypothetically.

Sounds like the SSD option is still the way to go then, huh?

Thanks!

[Huffer]

Yes when the manual says it "supports" 16 gigs that means it fits and works. And again, yes the SSD is the thing. 

[simple_auto1]

Alright thanks for the input!