HP PAVILION 15-AB032TX - SSD M.2 SUPPORT IN

[injhaas]

Hello Everyone

Trust me, I have seen questions and answers on HP Forum and Googled and Youtubed before posting this question once again here.

I have the above laptop (HP PAVILION 15-AB032TX which is not a Star Wars model) which I bought in Aug 2015. It is working fine but has become pathetically slow now. It takes a long time to boot and load programs and trust me, I have cleaned it, it does not have any un-necessary bloatware loaded, the drive is not fragmented, no virus etc. etc. All information which I could get on the Google, HP Forum, HP support software, HP Service station etc.
So now I come to a conclusion of adding a SSD ALONGWITH my current 1TB 5400rpm HDD.

I want to make the SSD bootable, install the OS and software on it so that I am able to gain on the speed while booting and working while using the HDDonly for data. I have read that installing a 256 GB solid-state drive (SSD), M.2, TLC is possible in this forum but have not been able to figure out where exactly is the slot for installing the SSD.

In addition, since the answers I saw on this forum are dated 2017, I am sure more of newer models would have been tested which could be suggested. Therefore my questions are following:

1. Could anyone point out the location of M.2 slot in the HP Pavilion 15-AB032TX motherboard in a sketch/picture.

2. Compatible and tested models of M.2 SSDs which are avaiblable.

3. While I know - larger the drive better it is, still what is a decent size of SSD for installing the OS and programs. I am a home user and do not use the laptop for high computing intensty tasks.

4. How should I move my OS and application software which is on my C drive to the SSD?

5. My laptop is out of warranty so I want to be very sure before touching the innards.

Thanks and a Very Happy 2019 in advance to the contributers and readers.

Cheers!!

[Huffer]

Yours may not be Star Wars branded but uses the same Service Manual:

Manual

A SATA type M.2 SSD is mentioned in the Manual but not illustrated and none of the images of the motherboard show an M.2 slot. See p. 65 for example. There is however, no picture of the reverse side of the motherboard. 

Intel Core i5-5200U processor 809041-001, -501, -601

Yours is the -501 because it originally came with Windows 8.1 Standard. 

This eBay auction has images of front and back and I see no M.2 port and I have seen lots of them in person.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-15-AB-W-I5-5200U-Motherboard-DAX12AMB6D0-809041-601-809041-501-809041-00...

My opinion: no M.2 slot. So your option is to install a 2.5 inch SATA SSD. The prices have plummeted this year so a 1 TB costs what a 512 cost last year. Plenty of space. Even a 512 is probably enough and from your description you might be able to get by with a 256 and those are very inexpensive now. A 2.5 inch SATA will perform just as well as a SATA M.2: same chips, different packaging. 

If you have Windows 10 reinstallation is a piece of cake. Free download; no Key Code needed. 

Post back if you want more help and please accept as solution if its the info you needed. 

[injhaas · Accepted solution]

Thanks Huffer

Wish you a Very Happy 2019.

The answer is not what I was expecting unfortunately. Does this mean that I have a laptop which is not what it was supposed to be?

How is it possible that the manual says there should be a M.2 port and actually it does not?

I have been able to get the details from the HP Support Assistant. It says:

Microprocessor - Intel Core i5 5200CPU @2.20GHz, 8GB memory Samsung 1600MHz in slot 1 and system board 8096 89.33, System bios F.82. Serial number is 5CD5263J5M. What I did not find anywhere is 809041-001, -501, -601. Yes the laptop did come with Win 8.1 which I upgraded to Win 10 on line.

If I install a SSD as being suggested by you, will this mean that I will have to remove the HDD or they both can coexist in the same laptop body?

For transferring the software and data, will cloning help? 

Thanks and regards

[injhaas]

Hello Huffer

I got some help and was able to open the laptop out of curiosity. Here is the picture. I could not locate the port either. Seems no other option.

Regards

Port location

[injhaas]

Of course the marked one is for the DVD. 

[Huffer]

You gave yourself the solution and you are still asking questions. 

[S_Bhansali]

Hello Huffer,

Thank you for your reply.

There is a M.2  port for DVD drive. I was wondering if that M.2 port can be used for SSD and the CD drive can be removed and used as seperate hardware; as an USB perhaps?

Thank you again.

Cheers!

[S_Bhansali]

Dear Injhaas,

Is the port m.2 or SATA?

Regards, 

S. Bhansali