Availability of M.2 2280-S3-B-M connector in HP Pavilion 15-AU624TX

[Manish4011]

Hi there,

I need assistance with upgrading my laptop. I have an HP Pavilion 15-AU624TX (India) and I find it simply Slow. So I wish to use the Intel Optane M.2 2280-S3-B-M 16GB NVMe SSD memory module to speed it up a bit.

For that to happen my laptop need to have the M.2 2280-S3-B-M slot/connector. Please let me know if I can upgrade my laptop with this option. I have already upgraded the RAM to 8 GB from 4GB, not to much boost in performance. but I'm quite fascinated with the Intel Optane M.2 2280-S3-B-M 16GB NVMe SSD memory's performance reviews and hence want to give it a try.

[Huffer]

It has to not only support PCIe/NVME M.2 disks but explicitly be listed as Optane ready. This model series is not. In fact, it only supports (maybe) SATA type 2280 form factor SSDs. 

Service Manual

Most HP laptops that can do Optane run Intel 8th gen processors, not 7th gen such as yours has. 

Yours may not even actually have an M.2 slot in it even though the Manual shows it. I would open it and if the M.2 slot is there, install a SATA M.2 and if not get a SATA 2.5 inch SSD. An Optane module roughly makes the performance of the storage the same as a SATA SSD. It is NOT as fast as using a PCIe/NVME M.2 as the bootdisk. I have set up many many systems using all three storage options, Optane acceleration of a mechanical hard drive, NVME M.2 and SATA M.2. 

Some desktops use a different version of Optane that is crazy wild fast but as implemented in laptops it is an acceleration cache arrangement working in tandem with a hard drive and adds speed but not crazy insane speed. 

Post back with any furhter questions and please accept as solution if its the info you needed. 

[Manish4011]

Thank you very much for replying.

I may also use PCIe/NVME M.2 as the boot disk if you say so but the problem is I don't even know for sure if the laptop has any M.2 slot on it or not. Please clearly state that does it has an M.2 slot on its motherboard or not because as stated by you I opened the service manual and in it, it was shown that the M.2 slot was definitely there. And, also on the Intel website, the processor supports the Optane (although, I may not even go for it after you said it's not that fast for laptops).

Thank you. 

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Forget Optane. Not possible on your laptop. Takes more than processor support. I don't know if you have an M.2 slot or not. You are going to have to look and I am sorry if that sounds harsh but we have seen too may posts by people who did open a model in your series and find no M.2 slot. HP has not provided a model by model list of those that do and do not have the slot. 

[Manish4011]

Thank you for replying, can you please tell me any possible way to use the higher speed PCI-express interface on this laptop for an NVMe SSD?

I heard there are PCIe adding cards for laptop, does that mean I can use one of those to fit in a PCIe NVMe SSD to boot my system from and speed things up?

Now, I know that I can use the regular SATA SSD in place of the HDD just fine, but my question is whether or not, with the help of some technique, can I use the NVMe SSD on my laptop? (*and it doesn't have any M.2😒)
Thank you🙂

[Huffer]

No very simply and definitively without an M.2 slot there is just no way no how. Not sure what kind of PCIe adapter you are reading might work on a laptop. Lots of hoaky half-truths floating out there on the internet. NVMe is not going to happen for you on that laptop, sorry but I hope I can save you some time poking around for something that is just not to be.