Hey everyone! I'm looking for some help with installing a new hard drive in the Acer GX-781 that I got for free from my family. It didn't come with one, and I'm a bit lost on what kind of hard drive I should get. Are there specific requirements, or can I choose any hard drive as long as it meets certain specs? I know this PC is a bit older, so it might not handle the latest games like Genshin Impact that my wife enjoys, but I'd love to play something like The Sims. Sorry if this is a basic question—I'm just a beginner and English isn't my first language, so I hope I'm explaining this right!
3 Answers
You should be good with any SATA drive. A 2.5" SATA SSD would also work fine, but they're a bit less common than hard drives. Just make sure it’s compatible with your system!
Honestly, I recommend going with an SSD instead of a regular hard drive. Most PCs made in the last 20 years will support a 2.5" SATA SSD. Just double-check the specs to see if it can handle M.2 NVMe SSDs as those are more common nowadays.
I appreciate the advice! Would this Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe 1TB M.2 SSD work for me? It looks like it has the same shape as the one that was in there before.
Nope, that one won't work. You need a SATA M.2 SSD since the interface is different, even though they look similar. A 2.5" SSD will also fit, so consider that option too. Here's a list of compatible drives you might find helpful: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/internal-hard-drive/#D=0&t=0&A=800000000000,24000000000000&sort=price&page=1.