Moving SSD from Dead Laptop to Replacement Laptop?

Ask Fedora
1

My Lenovo X-380 died and I got my hands on another. However:

  • the old one had an i5 CPU, and
  • the new one has an i7. (I ordered one with an i5, but got a substitution),
  • the old one had a 1TB SSD while
  • the new one has a 256GB SSD. (If it weren’t for that, I would just stick with the current configuration.)
  • installed OS on the old 1TB SSD is Fedora 44

Question: Can I put the SSD from the i5-based model into the new i7-based model and expect it to boot the installed OS in a sane manner?

In other words, will the difference in CPU cause problems?

2

Yes you can.

3

This depends only upon whether the SSDs are physically the same.

If different maybe not, but if the same there should be no problems.

Since the devices are the same model it should not be an issue at all.

4

The X-380’s are identical in all other ways except for the CPU model, the RAM speed, and the SSD capacity. I have yet to crack open the new one, but you make a good point. I’m 95% sure the M.2 slot will be the same.

5

Is the replacement a newly manufactured or “refurbished” or potentially a ”never ever worked” return? You can encounter differences in system firmware versions so check for firmware updates.

6

Success.

I bit the bullet, did the swap, and it just started up like the last three weeks of dead laptop didn’t happen.

7

It’s a refurb.
I did notice one more difference. The ‘new’ one has two cameras and two mics on the screen where the ‘old’ one had just one of each.