Is the HP Notebook 15 ba077ng compatible with the WD SN500 NVMe SSD?

[nitwhiz]

I'm properly confused.

I've got the Notebook 15 ba077ng and wanted to install the WD SN500 NVMe M.2 SSD. It has the same connector (B & M) as the original samsung one, so it looked good so far, but this makes no sense. The SSD got "NVMe" written all over it's packaging but I've read that SSDs with the B & M connector are SATA.

But the SSD is not found by the system whatsoever. Neither Windows nor Linux are able to locate it for an installation. Afaik, I need to have a PCIe Gen3 x4 (I don't even know what the x4 stands for, but there must be a reason I read about it everywhere). And it's SATA3.

Are those connectors/protocols/... interchangeable? As in, are they up- and downwards compatible?

As I'm completely unable to enter some advanced bios (tried F10 and immediately the "A"-key, Fn+Tab 3 times and reboot and whatnot) and I see myself out of options.
With linux I was able to locate some PCI device with "access denied" listed as "Capabilities" - don't know if this helps.

TL;DR: Does my HP Notebook 15 ba077ng support the WD SN500 NVMe SSD?

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Simple answer is that it does not. Did you have to plug the M.2 SSD into an adapter board in the 2.5 inch bay? SATA only on that model series. Yes most NVME M.2 SSDs are "B" keyed but not all. A few are B + M but even those are not going to work on a SATA only system such as you have. NVME M.2 is always going to connect into a slot directly on the motherboard. Only a SATA device can work through an adapter board connected with a zif cable to the motherboard. 

x4 means it uses 4 pcie lanes.