Does Pavilion 15 au-623tx has an extra M.2 port for SSD? Will it support NVMe SSDs ?

[Mangalassery]

As my Pavilion 15 au-623tx is a slow device from the date of purchase, now I have to do many heavy tasks like video rendering, gaming etc . So I would like to add a SSD. Does my laptop has an extra M.2 port for SSD? Will it support NVME SSDs like Crucial P1?

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Here is the Service Manual:

Manual

There is (probably) an M.2 port and it is right next to the hard drive as shown here:

M.2 slot in red circle

2 Things are very important:

1. On this model series we have seen quite a few cases where users report no actual M.2 slot was provided. So open the laptop and take a look before buying anything. Start on p. 29 for instruction. 

2. Even if the slot is present the laptop can only work with SATA M.2 not NVME so think in terms of Samsung 860 Evo or WD Blue M.2 SSD 2280 form factor. 

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-860-SATA-Internal-MZ-N6E1T0BW/dp/B07822Z77M/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=860+E...

Post back with any more questions and please accept as solution if this is the info you needed. 

[Mangalassery]

So, You mean I can add a M.2 SATA SSD to the extra port along with the magnetic HDD? If NVMe isn't supported replacing the CD Drive with a 2.5" SATA SSD would be more convenient ,right?

[Huffer]

Yes if the port is there you can add an M.2 SATA SSD...NVME is never going to work. If you are going to use a CD type adapter put the mechanical hard drive in it and the SSD inside the laptop where the HDD is now. 

[Mangalassery]

For SATA type SSDs which isn't NVMe, both M.2 and 2.5 inch versions are same in case of performance. So I'm thinking that I can just replace my SATA CD drive from the caddy case with a 2.5 inch SSD (9mm width) instead of adding a M.2 SATA SSD. Because that is more time consuming and there is no advantage at all in the case of performance.

Am I right?

[Huffer]

There is an advantage to putting the faster SSD inside the laptop because the SATA port in the hard drive bay is faster than the SATA port used for the DVD drive on most models. Yes it takes a little more work, but in most cases a disk in a DVD adapter cannot even be bootable so can't be used as the OS disk. 

[Mangalassery]

OH! Thanks for that information. But if I put the mechanical HDD in the DVD SATA port it also can't be able to perform in it's maximum speed, right?