HP ProBook 445 G10 secondary SSD

[Sgrios]

Hi, I have recently acquired a HP ProBook 445 G10 with a Ryzen 5 7530u.

The storage it comes with is 256gb which doesn't seem to be too much so I was wondering if it comes with a secondary slot for an extra SSD and if it does which format is it (2280, 2242, 2230 etc). I'm not specially knowledgeable about this things so I decided to ask here before buying anything.

[erico]

According to the specifications that HP provided, your laptop does have a second slot for an M.2 SSD/

The specifications for the additional SSD will be PCIe NVMe TLC  or Value type M.2 Solid-State Drive  in 2280 format.

[Huffer]

Here is the Service Manual:

Manual 

Look at pages 45-47. It shows a primary 2280 form factor M.2 SSD and then a secondary 2230 form factor M.2 SSD. However, it looks like the two SSDs are being inserted into the same M.2 slot. There are just two mounting points to handle the shorter or longer length. No suggestion that you can have both types of device. The Manual may be mistaken and it is possible you can install a 2230 form factor M.2 into the slot which could be used for the WWAN card (cellular modem). This is one of those where it is necessary to open the laptop and inspect in order to resolve ambiguity in the Manual. Opening the laptop will not void the warranty. 

I would advise that if you want more storage, you just get a higher capacity 2280 M.2 NVME SSD. They can be found up to 4 TBs. 2230 form factor SSDs can be found, but you have a much smaller group of products to choose from and they tend to be older and not perform as well. Post back with any more questions. 

[resistencia]

Hi @Sgrios 

For more information you can watch the following video.

https://youtu.be/vMameHEWBRA

[Sgrios]

Hi

Thank you for that info. As I've looked around on the internet it seems to be a case of if the laptop comes with a WAN connection or not if it doesn't I can simply use that slot for the SSD (I have a 2230 in my desk from a different system and is sufficient on space I think (just looking to give it a good use instead of buying something new). If not, I'll as you suggest replace the main one and clone the contents to a bigger one(as this doesn't seem to be too difficult to do).

If I only use LAN connection would you say is possible to remove a WAN module and replace it for an SSD or that could cause some conflict in the system?

(Although I'm not mayor experienced on removing and replacing things in laptops I'm confident with most electronic fixes as long as I have a manual or some instructions)

[resistencia]

Putting an M.2 in a WAN slot is not a good idea, first it has only one PCIe lane (3x1) enabled, that means that any M.2 NVMe disk will go at a much lower speed, second the disk fits in the slot ?, third it will be recognized by the BIOS?

It is better not to test the WAN or WWAN ports of this device in my humble opinion.

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Yeah the video does nothing to resolve the issue of whether there can be a second M.2 SSD. Only shows removal and replacement of the primary 2280 form factor M.2 and no mention of a secondary M.2. So we are left with the ambiguity of the Manual. I will agree with @resistencia that putting an SSD in a WWAN slot is less than ideal because the WWAN slot is much less capable (fewer PCIe lanes). However, it is fairly common to have an M.2 PCIe slot that can handle either a WWAN or SSD card. If you just want pure storage an M.2 SSD in such a slot might be OK for you. If you are comfortable opening the laptop and you already have a 2230 M.2 SSD and you do not have a WWAN card that you use (I would not give up my WWAN capability easily if I had it), I suggest you have nothing to lose trying the 2230 SSD. The SSD will either be "seen" by the BIOS or not and will cause no harm. The video does show a second mounting point for the main M.2 slot that would apparently work with a 2230 form factor SSD. Not sure what HP was thinking with this design.