[SOLVED] HP 15-db0069wm M.2 adapter specs

[bargainstalker]

HP does not publish the fact that their 15-db0069wm laptop has an M.2 adapter slot.See HP specs at https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-15-db0000-laptop-pc/20395843/model/24094114/document/c06125323#AbT0. I already discovered 2 other errors in the HP specs.
- per spec sheet:
- the USB 3.0 ports are actually USB 3.1 Gen 1
- the 802.11 b/g/n WiFi is actually 802.11 ac

I stumbled across the fact that the laptop has an M.2 slot while watching a video on YouTube (1:57 into the video) at https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=YouTube+15-db0069wm&&view=detail&mid=0D2B5A08C3B408DA679D0D2B5A08C3B408DA679D&&FORM=VRDGAR.

How can I find out the proper specs so I don't buy the wrong part?

All the Best and Thanks.

 

[Barty1884]

The video is no longer available.... at least via Bing. Maybe the same one as here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U5NCJv3164

USB 3.0 = USB 3.1 Gen1, it's just a renaming thing.

How did you confirm it's AC vs N? While N is dated at this point, for such a low priced machine, cutting corners on connectivity is not too unrealistic?

As for lacking advertising of an M.2 slot, HP only advertise configurations available*. In this instance, I don't see any variant that ships with an M.2


*For the same reason they don't advertise that you could replace the DVD drive with a SATA based drive. It's not something they offer.

 

[bargainstalker]

I use MS Edge browser. I clicked your link and it opened the video no problem. It is the same video.

I forgot to mention previously that the video also shows a 2nd memory slot which is empty and confirmed by a BeLarc Advisor system report: "Slot 'Bottom-slot 2(right)' is Empty".

I knew about the USB thingy... I think it is a marketing trick (along with the misleading WiFi, memory & M.2 adapter specs) to justify the cheap sales price. Most people don't know that the 3.0 spec was incorporated into the 3.1 Gen 1 spec. I just like to see 3.1 in print.

Confirmed 802.11ac: The laptop connects to my Nighthawk R8000X6 5GHz SSIDs. I also confirmed the hardware with BeLarc Advisor system report: "Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11ac PCIe Adapter".

I am assuming the M.2 slot takes an M key SSD card but I'm hoping someone on here can confirm that for me.

As a thought, I wonder if HP is trying to clear inventory of this MB that exceeds the advertised specs in anticipation of AMD releasing the 7nm Ryzen 2 APU for laptops.

The only thing cheap about this laptop is the case. The video shows that it could be a pain in the neck to open which is why I'm relying on the video and BeLarc Advisor. IMO it is extremely inexpensive based on my 5 decades of experience. Almost 25 years ago I paid about $9k for a maxed out IBM Thinkpad and nearly 40 years ago I paid $542k for a small mainframe.

All the Best & Thanks Again,
Séan

 

[Barty1884]

Why would it be a marketing trick to state 3.0 vs 3.1 Gen1? If anything, it makes it sound worse.

While connecting to 5GHz SSID does not = AC (N can do 5GHz too), that is an AC chip. Wonder if that'll vary between models someone, and they just had excess of a given card....


As for "cheap", the enclosure is as cheap as they come, the screen is basic & the RAM is a 1x8GB config @ 2400MHz.
So corners have been cut - the resolution I can appreciate, given the GPU involved.... but the enclosure & the RAM config are where the cut corners really show.

 

[bargainstalker]

I think Marketing just wants to differentiate it from a $600 machine.

We don't use the machine for games so some things don't really matter for our environment. I set this machine up for my wife as a thin client to a file server on a CAT5 wire thru a 1Gbit switch so the WiFi is normally irrelevant. And 99% of the time she won't use the internal monitor either since it's connected to a 40" 1080p monitor via the HDMI port.

2 memory sticks would have been preferable since the memory is dual channel but the 2nd slot has been a secret until I saw the YouTube video. If I was going to use the machine for myself I would add the 2nd 8GB stick since the 8 GPU cores consume nearly 4GB of memory.

I haven't used an HDD in years (except for Backups & Archives) which is why I'm curios about the M.2 drive. Since the HDD is a real dog at around 18ms avg access time an NVMe SSD card would be a big plus.

All the Best & Thanks Again,
Séan

 

[bargainstalker]

I found the SOLUTION to my M.2 Q in the HP Maintenance & Service Guide (http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05985640) which has an artist's conception of a MB schematic and a Parts List. The SSD parts for the M.2 adapter are as follows:
(8) Solid-state drive bracket L20458-001
(9) Solid-state drive connector board L20457-001
(10) Solid-state drive (M.2):
256 GB, PCIe, NVMe L20384-001
256 GB, SATA-3, TLC L20382-001
128 GB, SATA-3, TLC L20381-001

I'll opt for a 512GB Samsung 970 PRO.