[SOLVED] Can I put a M.2 NVMe SSD into a Laptop from 2016 that has an M.2 slot that I assume has a SATA SSD in it currently? Also, is the upgrade worth it?

[TheMasterOfNone]

Hey everyone,

I've got a Lenovo X1 Carbon 4th Gen from around 2016 that gets read/write speeds that align most with a SATA SSD. Will just chucking any M.2 NVMe SSD in work, and would it be worth it?

In the off chance that I already have an NVMe in the slot, will an upgrade from both the stand point of performance and durability, given that tech has moved forward, and my SSD is nearing 5 years be worth it (something like a Samsung SSD 970)?

Thanks guys,

 

[USAFRet]

SATA and NVMe drives are NOT automatically compatible with the slot.

Many, many slots only take one or the other.
Bring from 2016, unless it specifically states otherwise, SATA is probably all it is.

Worth it? What do you use the system for? Highly likely you wouldn't notice. A second or two faster boot up time, maybe.

 

[geofelt]

This review says the 4th gen X1 comes with either a sata or a pcie m.2 ssd.
I would be quite certain that you could install either a sata or a pcie m.2 device.
https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-2016
A call to Lenovo could confirm this.

You would not notice much difference with a pcie device vs. sata.
Most work is small random I/O and not so much sequential where pcie shines.

On durability, it would be a wash also.

The main reason to change out the ssd would be for more capacity.
As a byproduct, the extra nand chips of a larger device will also increase the endurance but endurance with modern ssd devices is no longer any issue.