Unsolved
1 Rookie
•
6 Posts
0
1825
Trying to expand internal M.2 SSD on Dell Precision 7560
I thought for sure that my Dell Precision 7560 contained slots for 2 NVMe (M.2 2280) SSD drives, but when I opened mine up, it doesn't look like the motherboard from the Dell Precision 7560 instructional videos for replacing an SSD.
In the Dell videos, there are 3 slots to the left of the battery--the left most considered the primary SSD slot--and 1 slot in the middle, considered the secondary SSD slot. On my machine, I only have 2 slots to the left of the battery, and my one and only SSD drive is sitting in the middle slot:
Two questions:
1. Am I right in assuming I only have the single SSD slot, so expanding my storage will mean swapping out that current NVMe card with a bigger one? Or is there a way for me to add a second?
2. Will a Samsung 980 PRO 2 TB SSD card work okay in that slot? Will it obtain gen 4 speeds? Is heat an issue for a gen 4 drive in that slot?
My strategy is to get an external NVMe enclosure, put the new card in the enclosure, format it, then mirror the primary drive over to the new one; then, once all that is done, swap out the new for the old.
Hoping that will work, but wondering if anyone has tried this or knows if it can or can not work.
Thanks!
JOcean
9 Legend
9 Legend
•
12.3K Posts
0
October 18th, 2023 23:26
The service manual shows those 2 slots to the left of the battery and a 3rd slot to the left of the DIMM slots and in fact is labeled as an SSD slot.
danielsun77
1 Rookie
1 Rookie
•
6 Posts
0
October 20th, 2023 01:26
@JOcean That middle slot (above the left side of the battery) is clearly holding an SSD card (I only have one drive in this laptop); are you saying that the two slots to the left of the battery are both for SSDs as well? I thought that RAM DIMMs were in those two slots. *Something* appears to be in each one, and I only have the one SSD drive currently in that middle slot. I do have an NVIDIA card somewhere onboard as well.
JOcean
9 Legend
9 Legend
•
12.3K Posts
0
October 20th, 2023 02:56
@danielsun77 Look above the battery in your picture and notice the cards that say DIMM. Those would be the Secondary RAM slots. The Primary RAM slots are under the keyboard (you have four SODIMM slots).
(edited)
danielsun77
1 Rookie
1 Rookie
•
6 Posts
0
October 20th, 2023 15:56
@JOcean So, to be clear, you are saying I can insert a second 2280 M.2 SSD card in either of the slots to the left of the battery?
JOcean
9 Legend
9 Legend
•
12.3K Posts
0
October 20th, 2023 19:19
@danielsun77 From the service manual this statement pretty well indicates the options:
Your computer supports one of the following configurations:
● One M.2 2230 or M.2 2280 solid-state drive
● A combination of two M.2 solid-state drives (M.2 2230 or M.2 2280)
● A combination of three M.2 solid-state drives (one M.2 2280 and/or two M.2 2230 or M.2 2280)
And the service manual here has directions for installing additional M.2 SSD.