SSD CONNECTOR LOCATIONS

[Getnoldfast]

Hello!

So I was trying to upgrade this laptop's hard drive with a new SSD.  I went to Crucial.com and it was suggested that I purchase the Crucial P5 Plus PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD 2TB drive.

After working with Crucial tech support, they are insisting that there is a connection on the motherboard to support this new drive.  I've searched it throughly without actually removing the motherboard and I just don't see it.

I've also tried to find a diagram pointing out all the connections to no avail.

The closet connector that would accommodate this SSD is already using the Intel Optane memory.

Kind of stuck at this point so if anyone has a suggestion that could help, I would be grateful.

Thanks!

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Your notebook only has one M.2 slot to support a M.2 SSD/Intel Optane memory device.

NB_MSG_Marlins_1_1_931983-002 (hp.com)

If your notebook has an Intel Optane memory M.2 device installed, you have to remove it and replace it with the NVMe SSD.

Also your notebook's M.2 slot is only PCIe Gen 3, so the PCIe Gen 4 SSD, while it should work, will only run at the maximum speed allowed by the Gen 3 M.2 slot (probably around 3,500 MBPS max).

Also, you cannot simply remove the Intel Optane memory and install the SSD without following a specific procedure to disable it before removing it.

See the last two sections at the link below for how to properly disable and remove the Intel Optane memory device.

Your BIOS may or may not have a setting to enable/Disable the Optane memory, but you must disable it in the IRST software.

You disable the Intel Optane memory in the IRST software before disabling it in the BIOS (if applicable).

HP PCs - Installing and Using Intel Optane | HP® Customer Support

[Getnoldfast]

Hi Paul!

My apologies for the delay. Never received a notice.

How about this...kind of new to the M.2 SSD scene.  Any chance I could keep the Optane memory, purchase a M.2 Drive to SATA Host Adapter for PCIe SSD?  Not even sure that exists...What I was hoping to do was just remove the old drive and use this adapter which would house the M.2 PCIe or NGFF SSD.  I'm also trying to figure out what version of SATA this laptop uses...SATA 1, 2 or 3.  

Thanks for your help and insight 🙂

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Your very welcome. 

You wouldn't be able to boot from the SSD because the PC will only boot from the drive with the operating system on it.

I don't believe that you can have an OS on both drives.

You would need to use a PCIe x4 or the PCIe x16 slot. 

Otherwise, you would only be Iusing one lane of the SSD in a PCIe x1 slot, and that would hardly be any better performance than a SATA SSD would provide  

The SATA ports should all be SATA III.

[Getnoldfast]

Understood.  Sad to see that a laptop like this has so many limitations.  

Thanks again...appreciate your expertise 🙂

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime. 

Glad to have been of assistance.