Looking to either add a SSD to my HP Pavilion or to change the HDD for a SSD

[Juanfe14]

Hello I'm looking to add a SSD to my Notebook. I have read some responses and it's not clear if I can add it via my M.2 slot so that it will sum up with my HDD installed in the SATA slot.

I also go to the Crucial page and they only suggest SATA SSDs compatibility. 

If M.2 SSD addition isn't possible, so what the M.2 can be used for?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

If your notebook has a M.2 slot, it supports SATA M.2 SSD's only not NVMe.

I am very surprised your notebook has a M.2 slot.

I thought the M.2 slots were only available on the 14-al0xx notebooks that came with a M.2 SATA SSD from the factory.

Below is the link to the service manual.

You can see that in chapter 3, additional parts are required to install the M.2 SSD slot, so normally those parts were not included on the models that only came with 2.5" drives.

HP Pavilion Notebook PC (model numbers used: 14-al000 through 14-al099) Maintenance and Service Guid...

Solid-state drive bracket (not illustrated)                                        856067-001

Solid-state hard drive cable (includes double-sided adhesive) 856202-001

Solid-state hard drive connector board (not illustrated)             856210-001

If you want to add a M.2 SSD since you indicated that your notebook has the M.2 SSD slot available, I recommend the Western Digital Blue SA510 M.2 SSD model in a storage capacity that fits your needs and budget.

Otherwise, you can always replace the 2.5" mechanical hard drive with the Crucial MX500 2.5" SSD, or the Western Digital Blue SA510 2.5" SSD.

[Juanfe14]

Thanks Paul for your quick response. 

Is there a logical way (software or app) to know if my Notebook came with the M.2 slot? Now I'm doubtful of my original affirmation. Last year I took my Notebook to a HP authorized center for a RAM upgrade and they mentioned that M.2 was there because they also offered me the service of adding the SSD via the M.2.

Thanks again,

Juan

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

You're very welcome, Juan.

Unfortunately, I don't know if there is any software that would detect the presence of a M.2 slot.

I highly doubt it, and if there was, and your notebook does not have a M.2 slot the software would probably report one was present because the circuitry on the motherboard is there to support a M.2 slot.

Folks have relied on software to find out how many memory slots their notebooks have only to find out that there was only one slot when the software reported two memory slots were present.

That is because the circuitry was there for a second memory slot, but on some HP notebooks that have the Pentium or Celeron processors, those only have one memory slot and when you open up the notebook you can see the circuitry for a second slot, but no way to install another memory chip.

The only way you can know for sure would be to open up the notebook and check.

Once again, I highly doubt there is a M.2 slot available.

This discussion on the HP Spanish language support forum confirms that your notebook does not have a M.2 slot.

You can see in the picture; the M.2 slot is supposed to be next to the battery and it is not there.

M.2 SSD - HP Support Community - 874701

This discussion shows a 14-al model with the M.2 slot in the illustration.

Solucionado: SSD - Comunidad de Soporte HP - 1129406