Laptop SSD swap: last night I replaced the battery in my HP Envy Laptop. After I had it opened I looked at the 512 Gb SSD to see if I could swap it out with a 1tb. I then discovered...

Hangingon Loc: NW North Dakota

last night I replaced the battery in my HP Envy Laptop. After I had it opened I looked at the 512 Gb SSD to see if I could swap it out with a 1tb. I then discovered that the 512 Gb drive was a Sata M.2 2280 SSD (2 notches on the contacts) and the only 1 Gb SSD is a M.2 SSD I have is a M.2 NVME Gen3x4PCLe with only 1 notch on the contact.
Will this work or does it have to be a SATA with the 2 notches?

therwol Loc: USA

Hangingon wrote:

last night I replaced the battery in my HP Envy Laptop. After I had it opened I looked at the 512 Gb SSD to see if I could swap it out with a 1tb. I then discovered that the 512 Gb drive was a Sata M.2 2280 SSD (2 notches on the contacts) and the only 1 Gb SSD is a M.2 SSD I have is a M.2 NVME Gen3x4PCLe with only 1 notch on the contact.
Will this work or does it have to be a SATA with the 2 notches?

I don't have a complete answer regarding what you can or can't use, but I don't think that swapping in an NVME is going to be an option.

https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/can-i-use-m-2-nvme-ssd-to-replace-m-2-sata-2280.3729676/

Also, NVME drives produce more heat than SATA drives. If the laptop wasn't designed for this, there could be an issue.

Hangingon Loc: NW North Dakota

Thank you for the quick reply. i thought that I could save some money. If heat is an issue would a 1tb SATA cause any problems?

therwol Loc: USA

Hangingon wrote:

Thank you for the quick reply. i thought that I could save some money. If heat is an issue would a 1tb SATA cause any problems?

I doubt there would be a heat problem with that swap. I've done it myself on a Samsung laptop. Expand your search. Check Amazon. See if Crucial offers an upgrade for your model. I did a Google search by make and model and ended up at Newegg.

Hangingon Loc: NW North Dakota

therwol wrote:

I Check Amazon. See if Crucial offers an upgrade for your model. I did a Google search by make and model and ended up at Newegg.

Thanks - I'll take your advice

therwol Loc: USA

I had a thought after this discussion. I assume you know how to clone your existing drive to a new one. You need third party software and an adaptor that connects between USB on your laptop and the new drive. You have to make sure to buy the correct adaptor for the pin configuration. Amazon is a good source for these things. If you don't want to do this, you can put the new drive in the laptop and reinstall Windows and all of your apps.

Anyway, here is a link to the free version of Macrium Reflect that can clone drives. There will only be paid versions starting in 2024.

https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree#

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

You cannot use an NVME m.2 SSD in a SATA m.2 slot. Both WD and PNY make 1TB SSDs in the $100-120 range, though neither would be my choice of manufacturers. I’d prefer the Samsung 860 EVO, but at $235 it’s pricey for 1TB. (NVME m.2s can actually be less expensive because that’s where all the quantity sales are)

Hangingon Loc: NW North Dakota

TriX wrote:

I’d prefer the Samsung 860 EVO, but at $235 it’s pricey for 1TB. (NVME m.2s can actually be less expensive because that’s where all the quantity sales are)

I was looking at a WD red or a Sandisk. I have never had problems with any drives. Probably just lucky. I swapped a SSD for a HDD in a desktop a few years ago. My ignorance didn’t catch up with me until now. I used Acronis and things went well - although my wife won’t let me anywhere near her computer.