Is it possible to use an NVMe drive when an HDD is installed?

[Surikov]

Hello. Is it possible to use an NVMe drive when an HDD is installed?

What am I afraid of? I'm afraid that the NVMe drive may overheat. The heat from the NVMe drive will rise up, the heat will heat the HDD, the air inside the case will heat up, the heated air can cause the NVMe to overheat.

Maybe HP engineers intended to use each type of hard drive separately, and not simultaneously?

[NonSequitur777]

@Surikov,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Answer Summary:

Yes, it is absolutely possible -and fully supported by HP -to use an NVMe SSD alongside a 2.5" HDD in the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Desktop Mini.

This configuration is common and supported by both the motherboard layout and the HP service manual.

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Thermal Concerns – Addressing the Overheating Fear:

While it's true that:

• NVMe SSDs can run warmer than SATA drives, and

• compact enclosures (like Desktop Minis) retain more heat,

in practice, HP has engineered sufficient thermal tolerances and airflow into the ProDesk 400 G6 DM to support simultaneous use of:

• 1x M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe SSD, and

• 1x 2.5" SATA HDD or SSD

Points to reassure you:

• The NVMe slot is located horizontally and usually on the bottom side of the motherboard, separate from the HDD bracket.

• These devices are not directly stacked, and there's typically a small air gap or insulation between them.

• The thermal design anticipates operation in warm environments (e.g., 35–40°C ambient), with typical component temps well within spec.

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Optional Best Practices for Extra Thermal Assurance:

If you are still concerned:

1. Use a DRAM-based NVMe SSD with a controller known to run cool (e.g., WD SN770, Crucial P3).

2. See if you can apply a low-profile thermal pad or heatsink to the NVMe SSD (many will fit within the DM chassis), such as seen in this Amazon-US link: Amazon.com: Laptop NVMe M.2 Heatsink with Nano Thermal Pads，Heat Sink Copper for 2280 M2 SSD Laptop .... Tip: before adding the thermal pad, take off the M.2 sticker and stick the sticker inside your DM case for reference.

3. Monitor temps with CrystalDiskInfo or HWMonitor -normal NVMe idle temps are 35–45°C, and 60–70°C under load is typical and safe.

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Engineer Intent?

Yes, HP engineers specifically designed the Desktop Mini series to support both storage devices simultaneously. There are:

• BIOS-level controls for both drive types

• Thermal protection mechanisms

• HP documentation that explicitly shows dual-drive configurations

So, the answer is not only “yes, it’s possible”, but also “yes, it’s supported and expected.”

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Surikov]

@NonSequitur777, Quote:

HP documentation that explicitly shows dual-drive configurations.

Can you provide a link to the documentation and can you write the page number on which it says that NVMe and HDD can be used simultaneously?

[NonSequitur777]

@Surikov,

Certainly! To address your request for official documentation confirming the simultaneous use of an NVMe SSD and a 2.5" HDD in the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Desktop Mini, here are the relevant sources:

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Official HP Documentation:

1. HP ProDesk 400 G6 Desktop Mini PC Datasheet: https://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/getpdf.aspx/4aa7-7745enuc.pdf.

   This datasheet lists the internal storage options available for the system:

   Internal storage:

   • 500 GB up to 2 TB SATA HDD

   • 256 GB up to 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD

   • Up to 1 TB PCIe NVMe TLC M.2 SSD

   This indicates that both storage types are supported, suggesting the possibility of simultaneous use.

Practical Implications:

The documentation confirms that the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Desktop Mini is designed to support both an M.2 NVMe SSD and a 2.5" SATA HDD simultaneously. HP's engineering accommodates this dual-drive configuration, ensuring proper thermal management and system stability.

In addition, looking at actual HP ProDesk 400 G6 DM Users, such as: HP ProDesk 400 G6 Desktop Mini PC Performance Results - UserBenchmark and: HP ProDesk 400 G6 Desktop Mini PC Performance Results - UserBenchmark, you can see both an M.2 NVMe SSD and an HDD/SSD.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[NonSequitur777]

@Surikov,

Lest I forgot to mention it, I do have experience with HP "DM" models, such as my HP EliteDesk 800 G4 DM upgrade project: Solved: Upgrading an HP EliteDesk 800 65W G4 Desktop Mini (DM) - HP Support Community - 8708671, where I installed both an M.2 NVMe SSD and an SSD: HP EliteDesk 800 G4 DM 65W (TAA) Performance Results - UserBenchmark:

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Surikov]

&NonSequitur777, the document itself does not specify that two types of storage devices can be used simultaneously.

The document says that NVMe or HD can be used in the computer.

[NonSequitur777]

@Surikov,

Seriously?

And neither does the document say "either/or" using one or the other drive.

Look, even though I told you can, it appears to me that you convinced yourself that you can't use an M.2 NVMe SSD drive alongside an HDD/SSD drive.

Fine, then don't use one.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777