Research · Updated 2026-10-16

How to Upgrade the SSD in a Gaming Laptop (2026)

Running out of space? A second SSD — or a larger replacement — is the cheapest meaningful upgrade for a gaming laptop. Ten minutes, one screwdriver, and double the storage. Here is the complete process.

The UK SSD upgrade guide.

How to Upgrade the SSD in a Gaming Laptop (2026)

Illustrative stock photo (Pexels / Unsplash)

Choosing the right SSD

Before buying: verify the slot (M.2 NVMe — check the service manual for slot count and supported sizes: 2280 standard, 2230 in some thin models), verify the generation (Gen4 recommended — Gen5's heat is problematic in laptops), and choose capacity (1TB minimum addition; 2TB the comfortable choice — modern games exceed 100GB each).

Recommended drives: Samsung 990 Pro, WD Black SN850X, Crucial T500 — all excellent Gen4 NVMe drives with DRAM cache. Avoid DRAM-less budget drives for the boot SSD (fine for secondary storage, slower as primary).

Adding a second SSD

Adding a second SSD (spare slot available): power off, unplug, disconnect battery; remove bottom panel; insert SSD in the empty M.2 slot (30° angle, then press flat); secure with the mounting screw; reassemble; boot and format the new drive (Disk Management → initialise → format NTFS). The new drive appears as D: (or E:) — move games and files freely.

This is the easiest upgrade: no data migration, no Windows reinstall, no risk to the existing system. If your laptop has a spare slot, use it.

Replacing the boot SSD: clone or fresh install

Replacing the boot SSD (no spare slot): clone the old drive to the new one — connect the new SSD via USB NVMe enclosure (£15–£25), clone with Macrium Reflect Free (copies everything: Windows, apps, files), swap the drives physically, boot from the new SSD. Or fresh-install Windows on the new SSD (cleanest — but requires reinstalling everything).

Cloning preserves everything (fastest path); fresh install eliminates accumulated cruft (best long-term). For most upgraders, cloning is the pragmatic choice.

After the upgrade

After the upgrade: verify the SSD is running at full speed (CrystalDiskMark — compare with the drive's rated specs; if slow, check the slot's PCIe generation), enable TRIM (automatic in Windows 11 — verify with "fsutil behaviour query DisableDeleteNotify"), and move large games/libraries to the new drive (Steam → Settings → Storage — add the new library folder).

Keep the old SSD as a USB external (enclosure — £15) — useful backup and portable storage, not e-waste.

The cloning software: the compared

Cloning software compared: the Macrium Reflect (the free — the reliable — the standard); the Samsung Magician (the Samsung — the seamless — the Data Migration); the Clonezilla (the free — the powerful — the complex); and the choice (the Macrium — the recommended — the most).

The cloning truth: the free (the Macrium — the sufficient — the trusted); the simple (the Samsung — the Samsung-only — the easy); and the result (the identical — the bootable — the verified). The cloner (the software — the chosen — the successful); the fresh-installer (the alternative — the clean — the time). The software (the means — the clone). The choice (the Macrium — the safe).

The heatsink: the needed

SSD heatsinks in laptops: the need — the Gen4 (the usually fine — the bare — the adequate); the Gen5 (the required — the hot — the essential); and the space (the cramped — the thin — the low-profile).

The heatsink truth: the laptop (the designed — the thermal — the considered); the upgrade (the matched — the original — the mirrored); and the aftermarket (the thin — the graphene — the sometimes). The upgrader (the heatsink — the transferred — the wise); the forgetter (the throttled — the lesson). The heatsink (the remembered — the transferred). The cool (the fast — the sustained).

The old SSD: the repurposed

Repurposing the old SSD: the enclosure (the USB-C — the NVMe — the £15); the uses (the backup — the portable — the game library); and the value (the £0 — the sunk — the utilised).

The repurpose truth: the waste (the drawer — the forgotten — the avoided); the enclosure (the cheap — the transformative — the recommended); and the uses (the many — the backup, the portable, the spare). The repurposer (the thrifty — the rewarded); the discarder (the wasteful — the lesson). The old (the useful — the repurposed). The SSD (the retired — the rehired).

The never-delete: the 4TB library

The upgrader's 4TB is the library: the games (the 200GB — the Call of Duty — the installed); the media (the 4K — the projects — the stored); and the price (the £200 — the Gen4 — the 2026). The 4TB SSD is the never-delete — the library installed, the projects kept. The 2026 4TB at the £200 is the value — the delete-free.

The 4TB method: the slot (the second — the filled — the 4TB); the organisation (the folders — the Steam — the managed); and the freedom (the installed — the kept — the played). The 4TB upgrader never chooses — the library is the complete. The never-delete is the luxury; the £200 is the price.

The seamless swap: the boot clone

The upgrader's boot clone is the Macrium: the source (the old — the imaged — the complete); the target (the new — the restored — the bootable); and the verify (the booted — the tested — the kept). The boot SSD upgrade without the reinstall — the clone carries everything. The 1 hour clones; the 6 hours reinstalls.

The clone method: the USB (the adapter — the £15 — the connected); the Macrium (the free — the imaged — the restored); and the swap (the physical — the 10 minutes — the done). The cloned boot is the seamless — the settings, the games, the kept. The Macrium is the time machine.

The 2028 spacious: the slot upgraded

The upgrader's 2028 is the spacious: the 2026 (the 2TB — the added — the filled); the library (the grown — the 4TB — the upgraded); and the 2028 (the never-delete — the still — the rewarded). The 2026's 2TB becomes the 2028's 4TB — the slot, the upgraded, the spacious. The upgrader plans — the 2028 thanks.

The 2028 method: the now (the 2TB — the bought — the enough); the later (the 4TB — the watched — the upgraded); and the enjoy (the spacious — the always — the free). The 2028 spacious is the 2026's slot — the filled, the upgraded. The 2028 is the planned.

The verdict

SSD upgrade realities: it is the best pound-for-pound storage upgrade — 2TB Gen4 for £120–£150 transforms a cramped 512GB machine. The process is safe (no warranty issues in the UK), quick (under an hour including cloning), and reversible.

Check the live price of SSDs — they fluctuate, and sales bring excellent drives to bargain prices. Buy the capacity; the speed takes care of itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upgrade my gaming laptop's SSD?

Yes — adding or replacing an SSD is one of the easiest laptop upgrades: remove the bottom panel, insert the M.2 SSD in the slot, secure with the screw, reassemble. Ten minutes with a screwdriver. It does not void UK warranty rights.

Which SSD should I buy?

Any reputable PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD — Samsung 990 Pro, WD Black SN850X, Crucial T500. Gen4 is the sweet spot (Gen5 runs hot in laptops — see our Gen4 vs Gen5 guide). Match the physical size (2280 standard; some thin laptops use 2230).

Clone or fresh install?

Clone (Macrium Reflect Free, Samsung Data Migration) to copy everything including Windows — easiest for replacing the boot drive. Fresh install (Windows USB) for the cleanest result — more work, best outcome. For adding a second SSD, no cloning needed — just format the new drive.

How do I know if there is a spare slot?

Check the service manual or reviews for the M.2 slot count — most 16-inch gaming laptops have two slots (one occupied, one free). Thin 14-inch models often have one. If both are occupied, you must replace (not add).