M2 SSD SATA 3.0 TLC

[BondKnight]

Hi 

I have a A10-9620P quadcore processor in my laptop. 

The existing  HP documentation shows that a M.2 SATA-3 configurations (TLC) up to 512 GB and the highest I can go. 

A common spec that I see from Samsung who is the market leader in m2 SSD is 

M.2 2280, SATA 3.0, V-NAND MLC, up to 550/520MB/s read/write, 150 TBW

Considering my laptop, would such a configuration be incompatible with my current laptop and processor? Since I presume that  the  HP documentation for this laptop was written before the specs for new samsung memories came out? 

Since it has a 2280 format, would then a NGFF adapter suffice to clone my emmC harddrive to the above Samsung spec and switch it to a Samsung one? 

And if not,  am I limited to what the HP specification has written, or can I use whatever M2 memory that is avaiable as long at it correlates to SATA 3.0 standard with 6/Gbs interface?

M.2 SSD drives have come a long way, and it would be good to know what actual standard and limits exist for the new  memories that my laptop can handle.

Thanks for your help! 

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Here is the Service Manual:

Manual

Here is what you see to the right of the hard drive when you open the back cover:

M.2 slot = red screw = blue

Pay particular attention to pages 50-55. You can put a SATA-3 M.2 in this machine two ways. It can go in the hard drive bay with an adapter board and a cable attaching to a zif connector or it can go into a dedicated M.2 slot to the right shown in my picture above. 

Open the machine before you buy anything. I had a model from the low end of this series with an A6 AMD processor and the dedicated M.2 slot shown in the Manual was absent. Yours being a higher end machine probably has the dedicated M.2 slot, but some models particularly Wal-Mart and Costco models, may not, even with an A10 processor. 

Without the dedicated M.2 slot you could only have an M.2 if you also buy the adatper board and cable and there is no point in that because you could just use a 2.5 inch SATA SSD. Same speed when they are connected through the same zif connector. You would save money not having to buy the adapter board and cable. 

As far as which SATA-3 2280 M.2 disk you should buy, the Manual offers this:

512 GB 763008-017

Described as so in the HP parts store:

GNRC SSD 512GB 2280M2 SATA-3 TLC Jaguars   

So this is a TLC disk not a V-Nand. I assume the description you cut and pasted is from a Samsung 860 Evo V-Nand M.2 2280. We have not had many reports on whether this newer series of disks is compatible. The 850 Evos have been reported to work. In general, the SATA-3 M.2 are giving far fewer compatibility headaches than the PCIe/NVME disks (which your laptop cannot use). 

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

[BondKnight]

Thanks! 

I appreciate also very much that you stated " PCIe/NVME disks" are not possible to use. 

[BondKnight]

Hi 

I actually have a follow up question. 

The NGFF adapter is not a risk, since I bought it in Hong Kong, but you are right I am  afraid to see if the M2 slot is missing. But since the computer has a cheap eMMC card in it, were is it connected to? 

If i am looking for a Zif connector, what am I looking at, since the manual does not show a picture.  Do you mean that if there is no M2 slot, that the eMMC card is connected to a Zif connector and I just need to disconnect the eMMC card to instead put in a standard 2.5 inch SSD?  Or is there a risk that a eMMC card is hardwired somwhere on the board and that I need to buy an extra cable and screw the SSD in hard drive holder? 

The other thing would also be to change the optical drive with a caddy and just put in an SSD that way? 

Did I understand you correct? 

Thanks for your help.

[Huffer]

Some of the lowest end models in that series do have an eMMC module soldered to the motherboard and no zif connector but yours is not one since you have the higher end A10 processor. If yours has an eMMC it is a module that sits in the 2.5 inch bay where the hard drive would go and connects to the same zif connector as would be used for a 2.5 inch hard drive or SSD with its caddy and connector cable. You cannot reuse any part of the eMMC module sorry to say. 

To use a 2.5 inch SSD you need this:

Hard drive cable 924927-001

And this:

Hard drive bracket 924980-001

And this:

Hard drive connector board 924995-001

And you do not want to put an SSD in an optical bay adapter: it slows the disk transfer speed down and the disk is not bootable when mounted like that. 

I am afraid there is just no way around disassembling the notebook to see what is actually in there before ordering replacement parts. I am not even sure all of the hardware you need for a 2.5 inch SSD is available to purchase where you live. 

[BondKnight]

Hi 

Yes, i sincerely do hope that the shop did not sell me a non upgradable laptop. Hopefully you are right. 

Also, if I understood you right if I disconnect the eMMC from the M2 port I can use then a higher grade M2  and just plug it in. 

In addition what I also can do (normally) is place a caddy in the optical hard drive and use it as well with an SSD 2.5 inch? 

The only thing I cannot do as you implied is reuse the eMMC since its place is already taken in the M2 slot.

That means I can only reuse the eMMC with a NGFF connector as an external hard drive? 

Sorry for being complicated, just want to get it right and avoid that I missunderstand what you are saying.  I am European. 

Thanks 

[BondKnight]

Thanks, I just see that you have edited your answer which renders my follow up questions obsolete. 

Thread should be solved now entirely, can´t think of anything more. 

 Have a nice day! 

[BondKnight]

Hi  Provost 

For the sake of other users, I wanted to share what the inside of my laptop looks like, because I be damned. You ware right and that little M2 emmc sucker card was scrwewed onto the motherboard. The store sold it as high end but used other tricks to press the price. If HP is watching this, this does not help but infuriates the customer. Customer understands if money needs to spend on upgrades, but hardware should not suffer for it. I rather had  a10-50 USD higher price then have to deal with a eMMC card that I have difficultied to replace.

I will look into it if I buy a 2.4 inch SSD and latch in on to the same connectors of the m2 . Now I understand what you meant that it is not reusable. A normal m2 would have been. 

m2 soldered onto the motherboard

[BondKnight]

Hi Provost 

By chance do you have video that shows how to attach 

To use a 2.5 inch SSD you need this:

Hard drive cable 924927-001

And this:

Hard drive bracket 924980-001

And this:

Hard drive connector board 924995-001

[Huffer]

I do not really see an M.2 there. How do you mean it is screwed into the motherboard? I could not find an official video on this model so you will have to follow the Manual. I think your eMMC is removeable from the system.