Is there a suitable Mini Pci-e SSD for the Fujitsu UH572 ultrabook?

[Ricfoster]

Hi,

I currently have a Fujitsu UH572 Ultrabook Core i5, 8gb RAM with a 500 gb Boot HDD and an integrated (unchangeable) 32gb Cache SSD.

Full specs here: http://www.laptopmania.co.uk/Fujitsu_VFY:UH572M5502GB_Laptop/Fujitsu+Ultrabooks/Fujitsu+laptops/d

The UH572 comes with 2 Mini-PCI-E slots. The first is filled with a half height wireless card. The second is empty and is, by all accounts, designed for a WWAN mini-PCI-E card.


What i want to know is this:
Is there a suitable mini-Pci-e SSD for the Fujitsu UH572 that can fit in the second PCI-e WWAN slot, preferably 120gb, and used as a boot drive?


What ive found so far:
Ive looked on a number of forums and websites and found that some laptops allow for a mini-PCI-e msata SSD to be fitted. However ive also discovered that mini-PCI-e slots tend to be wired differently so while an msata card will physically fit into a mini-PCI-e slot this does not mean it will work. Ive also read that some old mini-PCI-e slots use a PCI-Express IDE/PATA interface SM1 which will also work in some laptops but this is a different connection to the msata.

So far ive picked up a Kingston 120gb SMS200S3 msata drive, this fits physically but it not recognised by windows, the bios or the windows installation window. Further upon removal my boot drive now blue screens every-time i turn on my UH572!

Kingston msata: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CG8GTPO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00


Upon further searching ive found a Toshiba mini-PCI-e SSD which is stated to be compatible with the UH572 but im sceptical. Ive also found a IDE Half Mini 2 PCIe SSD which appears to be a PCI-Express IDE/PATA interface SM1 but again im not sure if this will work.

Toshiba SSD: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asunflower%C2%AE-Replacement-Toshiba-THNSNW128GMCP-Tested/dp/B00UKZDVWO

PCI-Express IDE/PATA: https://www.memoryc.com/storage/ssd/64gb-supertalent-ide-half-mini-2-pcie-ssd-dell-mini-9-sm1.html?fc=GB&gclid=CKrnk6rfiMsCFQL3wgodxaILVA


Has anyone tried installing a mini-PCI-e SSD into a UH572 before? or know if this is even possible? and if so is anyone able to direct me to the type of SSD i need or better still recommend one which will work?

Thanks

Regards
Ric

 

[drtweak]

a PCIe SSD and a mSATA drive are two different things. AS stated they are physically the same but wired differently.

Ok and now the long and detailed reasons of WHY.

mPCIe is the actual name of the slot. Now just because their is a mPCIe Doesn't mean that are PCIe Lanes Wired to it! A lot of mPCIe Wireless cards are REALLY USB and when coneccted to the slot it knows and it just sends the singals straight to the USB controller and it doesn't use any PCIe lanes.

Same for SATA. It fits, it mounts, whatever you want to call it but if that mPCIe Slot is NOT wired to a SATA controller then it CAN NOT support a mSATA.

here is the thing about mSATA. mSATA is NOT A PCIe SSD! It is what is says it is a MiniSATA. a mSATA is no different than any other SATA SSD except for how it connects to the SATA Controller.

for the most part if a lot will support a mSATA SSD it will SAY mSATA on it. If it does not then more than likely it doesn't and is wired for either USB, or PCIe, or something else.

It seems as if you did look into it and do know some of the differences but unless you know exactly how it is wired, or if it says mSATA on it more than likely it won't support it.

mSATA is also being phased out in favor of M.2 or U.2 (Same thing different connector) which can support either SATA or PCIe. Now the thing is the same thing. Don't assume that because it is M.2 it is using PCIe lanes. If you get something like the 850 Evo/Pro in M.2 format and install it, it gets wired to a SATA port and you are still limited to 6GBps. If you get like a 950 Pro which is NVMe which uses PCIe lanes THEN you are using PCIe lanes.

Hope that clears things up there.

 

[Ricfoster]

Thanks, Clears a lot of things up.

Naturally the next question would be, assuming its not wired for SATA is it possible to buy USB or PCIe wired SSDs? Any suggestions for products? The search results i seem to return are all mSATA based with mini-PCIe connectors.

Obviously ill try to obtain more information on the UH572, but knowing if USB/PCIe SSDs exist would be a good start.

Thanks

 

[drtweak]

For MiniPCIe there are not actual PCIe SSD's. That is only for M.2 Any SSD that goes into a MiniPCIe slot is more than likely a mSATA and that mPCIe slot is wired to a SATA port.

Then for USB I'm pretty sure the mPCIe are wired to USB 2.0 ports for the most part. Maybe some of the brand new ones are USB 3.0 to support the faster AC Wireless cards.

If anything i would just replace the current mSATA with something bigger (If possible) and dump the 32GB one and don't even bother with the Hard drive Cashe setup.

 

[Ricfoster]

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately the 32GB cache is fixed to the board. That said ive been able to installed Windows 10 to it, 17GB, with enough room to to throw the programs ill need on there with a second HDD as the main storage.

 

[drtweak]

Ooo that sucks. Yea just make sure you redirect the user folders (Right click on them, properties, go to location tab, and change the location to the HDD) and install all Programs on the HDD.

 

[Ricfoster]

Thanks!

 

[drtweak]

Just make sure RAID is turned off in the BIOS. It should the see both the 32GB SSD and the Hard drive seperatly.