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‎06-26-2017 03:02 PM

HP Recommended
Product: Elitebook 8470p
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

I just purchased an Elitebook 8470p with an Intel i5 processor. I took a look underneath at the hardware componants and noticed that stacked just above the plug-in Wi-Fi module is an mSATA-size slot and 2 mounting screw holes.

I placed a non-mSATA (mSATA size and configuration) card - an older Intel Turbo Memory card - into the slot for a test.  Boot up saw the card, but interpreted it for an "unknown WWLAN card" and disregarded it.

Is this indeed a working slot for an mSATA SSD card, or something else?

It would be great if it is.  Thanks

1 person had the same question
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

‎06-26-2017 03:21 PM - edited ‎06-26-2017 03:21 PM

HP Recommended

From the Manual:

 

Flash cache Intel 24-GB mSATA module (Intel Smart Response Technology (SRT), not available on computer models equipped with WWAN or SSD)

 

Manual

 

So the slot you found can be used for a cellular modem (WWAN) or for a small (24 or32 gig) mSSD like this one I found on amazon.com:

 

 

These can be used only to "accelerate" a mechanical hard drive. It was kind of a stop-gap technology right before SSDs became more affordable and available. And kind of a precurser to the Intel Optane that is now the latest storage technology. 

 

The BIOS will not allow booting from the mSSD so long as a 2.5 inch drive is in the main hard drive bay. Again, all you can do with the 24 or 32 gig mSATA is "accelerate" using the Intel Smart Reponse application to set up an accelerator relationship (a form of RAID) between the 2 drives. And you can't accelerate an SSD, only a mechanical hard drive. 

 

The mSSD is no faster than a SATA 2.5 inch SSD so for speed you are better off with one of those in place of a 2.5 inch hard drive. The mSATA mSSDs of the form factor above are not easy to find and not cheap but somebody here recently did send me a link where somebody was selling a 1 TB for like $600. If that were the only disk in your laptop you could boot from it and run an OS on it but $600???

 

I set up several machines using the "accelerator" mSSDs and it is generally worthwhile. Boot time is very similar to an SSD and apps open quicker because the software caches common apps like your web browser and email on the mSSD. 

However, it will not allow fast transfer of big files from point to point like a full-sized SSD. 

 

Post back with any more questions. 

 

If this is "the Answer" please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find it. 

 

 

View solution in original post

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6 REPLIES 6

‎06-26-2017 03:21 PM - edited ‎06-26-2017 03:21 PM

HP Recommended

From the Manual:

 

Flash cache Intel 24-GB mSATA module (Intel Smart Response Technology (SRT), not available on computer models equipped with WWAN or SSD)

 

Manual

 

So the slot you found can be used for a cellular modem (WWAN) or for a small (24 or32 gig) mSSD like this one I found on amazon.com:

 

 

These can be used only to "accelerate" a mechanical hard drive. It was kind of a stop-gap technology right before SSDs became more affordable and available. And kind of a precurser to the Intel Optane that is now the latest storage technology. 

 

The BIOS will not allow booting from the mSSD so long as a 2.5 inch drive is in the main hard drive bay. Again, all you can do with the 24 or 32 gig mSATA is "accelerate" using the Intel Smart Reponse application to set up an accelerator relationship (a form of RAID) between the 2 drives. And you can't accelerate an SSD, only a mechanical hard drive. 

 

The mSSD is no faster than a SATA 2.5 inch SSD so for speed you are better off with one of those in place of a 2.5 inch hard drive. The mSATA mSSDs of the form factor above are not easy to find and not cheap but somebody here recently did send me a link where somebody was selling a 1 TB for like $600. If that were the only disk in your laptop you could boot from it and run an OS on it but $600???

 

I set up several machines using the "accelerator" mSSDs and it is generally worthwhile. Boot time is very similar to an SSD and apps open quicker because the software caches common apps like your web browser and email on the mSSD. 

However, it will not allow fast transfer of big files from point to point like a full-sized SSD. 

 

Post back with any more questions. 

 

If this is "the Answer" please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find it. 

 

 

Was this reply helpful? Yes No

‎06-26-2017 03:34 PM

HP Recommended

Wow... great and quick answer!  Sounds like it is similar to the Intel Turbo Boost card I tested. That card does make quite a difference on my other laptop for the very scenario you mentioned... boosting common programs (but not data read/write).

My upgrade plan is to replace the original 320GB main HDD with an SSD, so an mSATA card won't help there. I'm also going to get a large Hybrid 2TB HDD / 8MB SSD for the upgrade drive bay I just purchased... again, because it is mainly for data and already has 8MB of SSD storage built into it, wouldn't be helped by the MSATA card.

Still, against all logic, I feel compelled to get the dang thing... !

Thanks again,

Marc

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‎06-26-2017 04:18 PM

HP Recommended

The mSATA will only accelerate the main OS hard drive so your plan is a solid one. 

 

Best 2.5 inch consumer SSD is still the Samsung Evo 850, but there are lots of good ones out there. The price drops have stopped recently, but a 512 gig is about $160 or so. 

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‎03-22-2019 11:55 AM

HP Recommended

I recently bought an hp elitebook 8560w mobile workststion. I replaced HDD drive with samsung 860 evo 500 GB 2.5". But now im going tight on space and i want to expand storage so my question is that, can i install an msata ssd of 500 gbs in wwan slot 

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‎03-22-2019 12:06 PM

HP Recommended

Rather than tacking onto an old thread you might want to consider starting your own. But the answer is no. The 8560w uses 2d gen Intel Core and did not have a "flash cache" option for an mSATA disk. There is an option to place a hard drive in the "upgrade bay" where you likely have an optical drive now. Kind of like an official HP version of the optical drive bay HDD adapters you see commonly for sale now. 

 

Hard drive upgrade bay
(not illustrated)
655547-001
 
This is advertised to work on your laptop:
 
 
Post back with any other questions. 
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‎03-23-2019 12:07 AM

HP Recommended

and if i insatll the msata ssd in wwan slot of hp elitebook 8770w or 8760w, will it work ?

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