Complete Guide to Acer Helios 300 Hard Drive Upgrade

Acer Predator Helios 300 is a high-performance gaming laptop that offers impressive specs for gamers and power users. However, if you're experiencing slow loading times, running out of storage, or simply want to boost your system's speed, an Acer Helios 300 hard drive upgrade is the perfect solution.

Upgrading your hard drive - whether replacing your HDD with SSD or adding a secondary storage drive - can drastically improve your gaming experience. In this guide, we’ll explore how to upgrade Acer Predator Helios 300 hard drive without data loss, some key SSD compatibility details, and step-by-step installation instructions.

Is the Acer Predator Helios 300 upgradable?

Absolutely! The Acer Predator Helios 300 supports both HDD and SSD upgrades, meaning you can replace your existing hard drive with a faster SSD or add additional storage. Most models come with a 2.5-inch SATA drive bay and an M.2 NVMe slot, allowing for dual-drive configurations. Specifically, the upgradable components are:

✔ M.2 NVMe SSD slot: Supports PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 (depending on the model)

✔ 2.5-inch SATA drive bay: Supports HDDs and SATA SSDs

✔ RAM slots: Upgrade memory for better multitasking

Acer Predator Helios 300 SSD Compatibility

If you want to let Helios 300 HDD upgrade to new SSD while keeping your data intact, the best approach is to clone your current drive to the new disk. But first, it’s important to check which drives are compatible with your Acer Predator Helios 300.

Compatible SSD types:
►M.2 NVMe SSDs - Best for speed; requires an available M.2 slot.
►2.5-inch SATA SSDs - Slower than NVMe but still much faster than HDDs.
►HDDs (for additional storage) - If you need more storage but don’t require speed, you can install a larger HDD.

Recommended SSDs for Acer Predator Helios 300:

• Samsung 970 EVO Plus (NVMe SSD) - Great speed for gaming and professional use.
• Western Digital Black SN850 (NVMe SSD) - Top-tier performance for heavy workloads.
• Crucial MX500 (SATA SSD) - Affordable and reliable SATA option.
• Seagate Barracuda 2TB (HDD) - Good for mass storage without breaking the bank.

Pro Tips to Effectively Upgrade Acer Predator Helios 300 Hard Drive

Before proceeding with the Acer Predator Helios 300 hard drive upgrade, it is essential to follow best practices to avoid errors and data loss.

#1. Choose the right drive for your needs.

#2. Backup your files: Before initiating any hardware changes, backing up all essential data to prevent potential loss is necessary.

#3. Prepare necessary tools: a screwdriver set for opening the back panel, a USB-to-SATA adapter for external cloning, and anti-static wristbands to avoid hardware damage.

#4. Handle components carefully: SSD and HDD components are sensitive; handle them with care to prevent static discharge or physical damage.

How to Perform Acer Helios 300 Hard Drive Upgrade Without Data Loss

Now let's get into the step-by-step guide for your Acer Predator Helios 300 hard drive upgrade. The process involves three main stages: cloning your current hard drive, physically replacing the drive, and installing a second drive(optional).

Stage 1. Clone Acer Predator Helios 300 Hard Drive to Another Drive

Before removing your existing drive, it is highly recommended to clone it to the new drive so you won't lose your OS, games, or personal files. AOMEI Backupper is a powerful disk cloning software that offers various advantages. You can check them below:

To clone your disk before the Acer Predator Helios 300 hard drive replacement, you can follow the step-by-step guide below. Here we take cloning hard drive to SSD as an example:

Step 1. Use a USB-to-SATA adapter or an external enclosure to connect the new SSD to your laptop. Download and run AOMEI Backupper.

Step 2. Select Clone and then Disk Clone subsequently.

Step 3. Select your current hard drive as the source. And then choose the new SSD as the destination. Review your selections and click Start Clone to initiate the process for Acer Helios 300 hard drive upgrade.

Notes:✎...

It is suggested to check SSD Alignment to optimize the SSD's performance and longevity.

Sector By Sector Clone aims to copy every sector on the source disk, including unused ones. If there are bad sectors on it, it is recommended to uncheck this option.

With Edit Partitions, you are able to make full use of disk capacity when cloning a smaller disk to a larger disk.

Stage 2. Replace Acer Hard Drive with the Cloned Disk

Now that you've cloned your old drive, it's time to replace the new SSD or HDD with your Acer Predator Helios 300hard drive.

Step 1. Ensure the laptop is completely shut down and unplugged from any power source. Unscrew and carefully detach the back panel to access internal components.

Step 2. Identify the current Acer Predator Helios 300 hard drive, typically secured within a drive bay. Unscrew it and disconnect the existing drive from its connectors.

Step 3. Place the cloned SSD into the drive bay, ensuring a secure connection. Reattach the back cover and secure all screws.

Step 4. Boot up the laptop to ensure it's functioning correctly with the new SSD.

Stage 3. Install a Second Drive for Acer Predator Helios 300

If you're planning to add a secondary hard drive for Acer Predator Helios 300 SSD upgrade:

Step 1. Confirm the presence of an additional M.2 slot or a 2.5-inch drive bay. Ensure the new SSD or HDD is compatible and ready for installation.

Step 2. Insert the new drive into the appropriate slot, securing it firmly.

Step 3. Upon booting, use the Disk Management tool to initialize and format the new drive with New Simple Volume and Format for use.

Conclusion

Performing an Acer Helios 300 hard drive upgradeis a practical approach to enhancing performance. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can upgrade your SSD or HDD without reinstalling Windows by cloning your old drive to the new disk using AOMEI Backupper, ensuring a smooth transition.

Besides, this tool offers other powerful functions like backing up Acer laptop for Windows system, disks, peresonal files and folders, as well as partitions for disaster recovery.