Question Confused what NVME adapter is compatible with my Lenovo Thinkpad T480

[Cyber_Akuma]

I am trying to get a NVME adapter for my Lenovo T480, and I am getting confused which ones are compatible.

I originally ordered these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/176131607442

But the cable doesn't fit, on top of being a bit too long it's also much smaller than the connector on the motherboard. I noticed that the listing says "X270" so I assumed I messed up and ordered one for a different type of Lenovo model that is not compatible.

When searching for other listings however, I saw ones listed as for the T480 and T490, but others listed as being for "x270, T480, T490". Do these sellers have no idea what they are talking about claiming a X270 adapter will work on a T480? Or Are they the same adapter and the original seller I bought mine from screwed up and sent me something incorrect?

I also see two different model numbers listed. Nearly everyone seems to list the NS-A933 model when searching for one specifically saying it will work on a T480... but I see a model number 01AX994 listed as well.

Can someone help me with my confusion? I am a little lost now on what is compatible with this laptop and what I am supposed to be looking for.

 

[USAFRet]

Disregarding any "adapters", what physical drive ports are in this laptop?
How are they used currently?

 

[Cyber_Akuma]

Disregarding any "adapters", what physical drive ports are in this laptop?

None, unless you count the B+M-keyed M.2 2242 x2 port intended for WAN cards. This adapter is the official way these models of laptops would use a NVME out of the factory. It's not some 3rd party solution.

 

[USAFRet]

None, unless you count the B+M-keyed M.2 2242 x2 port intended for WAN cards. This adapter is the official way these models of laptops would use a NVME out of the factory. It's not some 3rd party solution.

The adapter you linked is for "HDD SSD".
Which would indicate it is for a SATA drive, not NVMe.

 

[Cyber_Akuma]

The adapter you linked is for "HDD SSD".
Which would indicate it is for a SATA drive, not NVMe.

For some reason a lot of the eBay listings toss every buzzword in the title, it's made it a mess to find proper listings and part of why I am on this confusion right now, but I assure you that one is for NVMEs (Plugged my NVME into it just fine). The problem is that the cable that connects the adapter to the laptop's motherboard appears to have been made for a different model of laptop, and I am now confused what model works with what.

 

[geofelt]

What are you trying to accomplish?

 

[Cyber_Akuma]

What are you trying to accomplish?

I want to install a NVME in the laptop. The laptop supports either a SATA 2.5 drive or a NVME, it uses a proprietary cable to breakout a connector on the motherboard into either a SATA or M.2 port to do this, there are no SATA or M.2 ports on the motherboard (other than ones intended for WiFi cards).

 

[USAFRet]

The laptop supports either a SATA 2.5 drive or a NVME,

Is there some documentation from Lenovo for this?
A port for an NVMe drive would be trivially exposed and visible.

 

[Cyber_Akuma]

Is there some documentation from Lenovo for this?
A port for an NVMe drive would be trivially exposed and visible.

Page 108 of the manual shows how to install/replace a 2.5 SATA drive, page 111 shows how to install/replace a M.2 NVME.

https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/t480_ug_en.pdf

They both go in the same 2.5 bay, just the caddy that holds the 2.5 SATA/M.2 NVME and the cable that connects said caddy to the motherboard are different.

(Also not to be confused with the T480S model, which did have a M.2 slot built into the motherboard IIRC)

 

[geofelt]

Why not use a simple sata 2.5" ssd. you would hardly notice any performance difference.
NVME is a ssd transfer protocol.
It is the pcie variety of nvme devices that have higher sequential performance than the sata versions.
No matter, we do mostly small random I/O and any difference between pcie and sata is not great.
My point is if you need more capacity, get a larger sata ssd.

 

[USAFRet]

Page 108 of the manual shows how to install/replace a 2.5 SATA drive, page 111 shows how to install/replace a M.2 NVME.

https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/t480_ug_en.pdf

They both go in the same 2.5 bay, just the caddy that holds the 2.5 SATA/M.2 NVME and the cable that connects said caddy to the motherboard are different.

(Also not to be confused with the T480S model, which did have a M.2 slot built into the motherboard IIRC)

Nowhere in that manual does it specify "NVMe".

Pg. 108 says "M.2" which can be a SATA M.2 drive.

 

[Cyber_Akuma]

Nowhere in that manual does it specify "NVMe".

Pg. 108 says "M.2" which can be a SATA M.2 drive.

Lenovo's own parts page for the T480 only lists M.2 NVMEs, no M.2 SATA drives.

All 3rd party parts pages I could find only list M.2 NVMEs as well, not SATA.

The WD SN580 NVME I had gotten installed into the adapter just fine.

There are dozens of videos of people installing a M.2 NVME in a T480 with that adapter shown in the manual.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ukhrd19vg

 

[USAFRet]

Fair enough.

Have you asked Lenovo for a specific part number for this adapter?

 

[Cyber_Akuma]

I have tried asking on their forum, attempting to e-mail them was a maze of trying to navigate through chat bots until it finally told me they don't have e-mail support for my model.

 

[USAFRet]

I have tried asking on their forum, attempting to e-mail them was a maze of trying to navigate through chat bots until it finally told me they don't have e-mail support for my model.

Lacking a specific known good part number, anything on fleabay and elsewhere is a crapshoot.