Can HP x360 14-ba078TX be upgraded to M.2 SSD?

[ashish1992]

I would like to add M.2 250GB SSD to my laptop keeping 1 TB Harddrive. Does it have any empty M.2 Slot. I really dont want to open the laptop and also visited two different service centers at different cities both of them are unsure and suggested me to open the laptop to verify the same. If any technical person could confirm that it has free M.2 slot, I can purchase M.2 and install it on my laptop.

Since Harddisk performance is not adequate and most of the time disk runs 100% after just starting laptop.

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

The Manual says it can and usually by studying carefully I can find an image which shows where the M.2 slot is located. So let's start. This is the best birds eye view of the top of the motherboard you see when the top cover is removed:

From p. 53 of the Manual

Manual

No M.2 here.

Seems you have to remove the motherboard.  

This video appears to be your model and shows the M.2 right above the memory module cover on the backside at 14:55:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrpyGdh4pWM

And see p. 59 of the Manual. 

location circled

Post back with any more questions. Note compatibility is confined to SATA-3 M.2 disks not NVME/PCIe.

Please accept as solution as I think this is a better answer than the 2 shops you consulted. 

Good luck. 

[ashish1992]

Do you think I can purchase Samsung 960 EVO 250GB 

[Huffer]

No see where it says it is a PCIe/NVME. I was specifically warning you not to buy that kind. You have to get a SATA-3. Samsung Evo 850 M.2 or WD Blue M.2 are good examples. 

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-Internal-MZ-N5E250BW/dp/B00TGIVZTW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=151...

Don't forget to Accept as Solution. We don't have much in the Forum on the 14 inch x360 models and this will make it easier for others to find from search engines. Big topic right now (as it should be) how do I install M.2 or can I? 

[ashish1992]

Hi,

In the same manual page no 10.

Read the line: For use on all computer models:

Support for M.2 SATA solid-state drive (support for storage function, port 1; not available on computer models equipped with an Intel Pentium processor)

As far as I know, all x360 models come with Intel Processors only. My model has Intel i7 processor. I am still in dilemma, if it really has M.2 Slot! as the context mentioned in the manual is not clear. 

My Model Specs says:

1-TB, 5400-rpm, 7.2-mm solid-state hard drive with 8-GB NAND.

I barely see 8GB NAND working. I only see that the prcoess SYSTEM in Task Manager using 100% disk usage.

Someone from the service center suggest me to disable service app readiness which did a little help only.

If my system is at 0-5% disk usage and if I try to open any new app like Excel or chrome it goes to 100% disk usage. Also If I switch between apps it takes laggish!!

[Huffer]

Pentium is a low end processor you have an i7 high end processor. Yours is not a Pentium it is an Intel Core. The low end models do not have the M.2 slot; yours does. Did you do a diagnostic on the hard drive? Tap esc as you power up then F2 at the menu and run the hard drive long diagnostic routine. 

[ashish1992]

Hello, I just found a software which can tell me internal details of the motherboard and found this

If you check the red marked section PCIE x4.

I googled for it and found that it looks like the one with NVMe slot not as M.2 one.

NVMe has one space at connector while M.2 one has two space for the connector.

Since, it is expensive I just want to be 100% sure.

[Huffer]

PCIe and NVME are the same thing. That is the technology used in the storage controller. M.2 is the slot it plugs into and M.2 is broader than NVME/PCIe because it also takes in SATA M.2 disks. 

There is no one space/2 space thing. All M.2 slots have 2 chambers. M.2 disks have different prongs or keys that use different leads inside the M.2 slot and a B + M keyed M.2 looks different than an "M" keyed M.2 disk. Please understand what you are doing before you spend any money and we are happy to help. 

[ashish1992]

Thats way too technical for me.

I just want to be sure which one I should buy based on the above image in last post,NVMe (the two chamber one) or  M.2 (the three chamber one).

[Huffer]

It is too technical as you have somehow picked up a misunderstanding. Just look at the picture I posted above of the M.2 SATA-III 2280 SSD. That is what you need. The thing you have asked about above from speccy is actually the video port on the motherboard. And has nothing to do with the M.2 slot.