SSD Warning

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Paul W. H

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SSD Warning

I have just purchased a 500Gb SSD to replace an existing 250GB SSD that is getting full.

My C: Drive only contains Windows 10 as all my Data is on my D: Drive including "My Documents".

I used a Copy Utility to transfer my existing C: Drive to the New SSD and everything went to plan.

On opening the Computer case I could not find the existing SSD and started scratching my head. On closer inspection using a torch I found that a new type of SSD was attached to the motherboard.

This NEW thing is called a "PCI Express 3.0, M.2 SSD Drive" and costs nearly twice the price of a regular SSD.

For your info the new one looks like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-sm961-512GB-Express-M-2-SSD-Drives/dp/B01LXVT4J8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509440911&sr=8-1&keywords=MZVKW512HMJP


Moral of story: Check First
 
It's plugged in, so you should still be able to unplug it and fit your new one.
 
I think the OP has bought a SSD drive and the PC has a M2 SSD drive fitted.
 
mbscad said:
Not if you've bought the wrong type.
Click to expand...

The way the OP says it he cloned via an external port and then was surprised when he could not ID a conventional looking SSD in the case. That also infers the original drive is partitioned into C and D drives. NB as he does not mention other physical drives just drive letter allocations!

Unless this PC is one using an ITX sized motherboard in a case with no room for installing extra drives I do not see a problem.........he just needs to think how he wants to proceed in regard to re-use of the older PCI type SSD, doesn't he???
 
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mbscad said:
Not if you've bought the wrong type.
Click to expand...
If he removes the fitted one, he'll still be able to fit the new one which just has a drive cable (maybe came with the drive) and a power cable left spare in the case
Also, he might want this moved to the computing section.
 
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admirable said:
I think the OP has bought a SSD drive and the PC has a M2 SSD drive fitted.
Click to expand...

That is correct.

I was unaware of M2 SSD's

I can obviously replace it but it is expensive.

I cannot see any way of using a "Standard" SSD drive (even though there is a space for it) because there are only two sata terminals, one for the sata DVD Rom and one for the sata D: drive.

The next issue is that of transferring data from existing M2 SSD to a replacement M2 SSD.
 
Simultaneous post, now irrelevant - deleted.

I might just say that when a drive is getting full, it's always worth knowing what it's full with ...
 
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As the M.2 drive is faster than the SSD drive you bought i would leave that as your boot drive for OS and applications and clone your D: partition to the new SSD.

Which ever way you do things though, there is nothing stopping you running both together.
Just be mindful that your M.2 will have disabled at least 2 of your sata ports on the motherboard so the manual will tell you which are free to plug your new drive into.
 
I should also add that I thought a straight swap would be simple (done it many times) but need to be careful as the computer it still under warranty.
 
Paul W. H said:
I should also add that I thought a straight swap would be simple (done it many times) but need to be careful as the computer it still under warranty.
Click to expand...
What make/model of PC do you have?
I would be supprised if your PSU only had 2 sata power cables.
If so though as noted above there are ways to gain extra sata power cables
 
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Paul W. H said:
I can only see two.
Click to expand...
Your right, just found a picture of the motherboard and there are only two sata data ports as you say (one white and one blue).
So just for clarity one of them has your DVD drive and the other is connected to D: drive which is a?
 
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stupar said:
Your right, just found a picture of the motherboard and there are only two sata data ports as you say (one white and one blue).
So just for clarity one of them has your DVD drive and the other is connected to?
Click to expand...
The D drive?
 
stupar said:
Your right, just found a picture of the motherboard and there are only two sata data ports as you say (one white and one blue).
So just for clarity one of them has your DVD drive and the other is connected to D: drive which is a?
Click to expand...

5Tb Hard drive
 
I'm surprised a PC that is still under warranty only has a 250GB hard drive? Is there another drive for your D drive or is the M2 partitioned for both C and D?

EDIT: must type quicker, I see it has two drives
 
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Paul W. H said:
5Tb Hard drive
Click to expand...

Your kind of scunnered courtesy of HP.
To use your new SSD you would have to sacrifice one of your sata ports with the obvious being the 5TB hard drive.

There may be scope to take it out and use a hard drive caddy to continue using it.

If you dont want to do that then the only way to upgrade your M.2 SSD is bite the bullet and pay for a larger capacity M.2 drive......or.......sacrifice your DVD drive and run the two SSDs together.

None of the above is ideal but they are your only options.
 
admirable said:
I'm surprised a PC that is still under warranty only has a 250GB hard drive? Is there another drive for your D drive or is the M2 partitioned for both C and D?
Click to expand...

C: Drive is a 250Gb SSD Drive used for windows 10, D: Drive is a 5Tb Sata Hard Drive for data
 
stupar said:
Your kind of scunnered courtesy of HP.

If you dont want to do that then the only way to upgrade your M.2 SSD is bite the bullet and pay for a larger capacity M.2 drive......or.......sacrifice your DVD drive and run the two SSDs together.

None of the above is ideal but they are your only options.
Click to expand...

I will probably upgrade the M2 SSD to a 500Gb M2 SSD at a later date.

I have now found an adaptor https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-c...id=1509445912&sr=1-1&keywords=m.2+ssd+adapter so that I will be able to transfer my existing M2 SSD C; Drive to the new one using this adaptor and a Sata Docking Station.
 
Paul W. H said:
C: Drive is a 250Gb SSD Drive used for windows 10, D: Drive is a 5Tb Sata Hard Drive for data
Click to expand...
If the SSD only has Windows OS and apps, as someone said above, what is it full of?
 
sphexx said:
If the SSD only has Windows OS and apps, as someone said above, what is it full of?
Click to expand...

Courtesy of Apple, Adobe & Microsoft and others I am down to about 20.00% FREE with 100 Gb of data in my Users folder alone
 
You need to find out what folders in your user folder are taking up the space and move them to your D drive. I suspect it will be your document/pictures/ music folders. Do you have lightroom?
 
https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/how-easy-is-it-to-replace-an-ssd.665010/

I've just been through a similar scenario. My SSD is only 128 and was something like 95% full.
I started the above thread, like you thinking that a new SSD was the answer.
All the advice on there was excellent, and my SSD is now down at something like 60% full.
60% of my 128 is only 30% of your 256, so maybe you too have too much dross on your SSD that could comfortably be removed.
I'm no geek, and understand diddly squat about computers, but I did all that was advised myself. You seem to have some knowledge, so maybe it's not beyond you ability to sort out without buying a new drive.
 
OK, I have to admit that this M2 SSD is FAASSSTTTT and has certainly speeded up application loading times including Lightroom catalogues so I am reluctant to move anything to a different drive. There may be other areas that can be culled so I will look.

My intension was to make others aware that technology has moved on again, whilst at the same time the advertising and specifications do not always make it clear like this HP Computer that says SSD in the blurb meaning to me a standard (as I know it) SSD drive that is interchangeable with another SSD or Sata hard drive and not a New Improved version.

Many thanks for all the replies.

Lesson learned "Check First".
 
Paul W. H said:
Courtesy of Apple, Adobe & Microsoft and others I am down to about 20.00% FREE with 100 Gb of data in my Users folder alone
Click to expand...
Then move your users folder, it shouldn't really be on your SSD drive, it'll fill up the new one too in no time
 
Update:

I have now discovered that there are two types of M2 SSD being Sata & PCI Express 3.0. Mine is PCI Express so the adaptor that I mentioned above is not suitable as it is SATA only.
 
Phil V said:
Then move your users folder, it shouldn't really be on your SSD drive, it'll fill up the new one too in no time
Click to expand...

I hear what you are saying I just need to think as I am not sure if "Users" can be split between drives.
 
Paul W. H said:
I hear what you are saying I just need to think as I am not sure if "Users" can be split between drives.
Click to expand...
If you go to your docs, in Win 10 there's a right click option to just put it on a different drive.

Loads better than previous versions (probably due to the rise of SSD's
 
M2's are pretty standard for OS hard drives these days. Low power, pysical size and speed. My M2 card in my desktop PC is just over 2000mb/sec read, just under that on write, compared to the 550Mb read/write of the 2.5" hard drive size.

Have you got room for the M2 and SSD? My Dell 7440 has room for both.
 
Byker28i said:
M2's are pretty standard for OS hard drives these days. Low power, pysical size and speed. My M2 card in my desktop PC is just over 2000mb/sec read, just under that on write, compared to the 550Mb read/write of the 2.5" hard drive size.

Have you got room for the M2 and SSD? My Dell 7440 has room for both.
Click to expand...

Ironically his case has room for a conventional SSD drive but the actual motherboard only supplies 2 Sata 3 headers which are both in use by the DVD drive and 5TB mechanical hard drive.

You would think in this day in age even on small form factor boards they would at least give you 4 Sata headers.
 
stupar said:
Ironically his case has room for a conventional SSD drive but the actual motherboard only supplies 2 Sata 3 headers which are both in use by the DVD drive and 5TB mechanical hard drive.

You would think in this day in age even on small form factor boards they would at least give you 4 Sata headers.
Click to expand...


Nomal sata is on the way out, the M2 PCi setup is much faster
 
admirable said:
Nomal sata is on the way out, the M2 PCi setup is much faster
Click to expand...
True to that but M.2 will not fully take off until the price drops like the original SSDs and or you remove Sata headers (the latter not really being viable at the mo)
 
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admirable said:
He has a desktop not a laptop :)
Click to expand...
Apologies.

- 3 TB HDD, 5400 rpm
- 256 GB SSD

Well, straight away I'd say the thing to swap there is the 5400 rpm disk, thats very slow storage. You've got USB 3, put the SSD into the place of the 3Tb drive and move your lightroom cache and catalogue onto it.
Get a USB to Sata and run the slow 3Tb drive over USB?
 
Byker28i said:
Apologies.

- 3 TB HDD, 5400 rpm
- 256 GB SSD

Well, straight away I'd say the thing to swap there is the 5400 rpm disk, thats very slow storage. You've got USB 3, put the SSD into the place of the 3Tb drive and move your lightroom cache and catalogue onto it.
Get a USB to Sata and run the slow 3Tb drive over USB?
Click to expand...

I have swapped the original 3Gb 5400RPM HDD for a 5Tb 7200RPM HDD
 
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