[SOLVED] M.2 question.

Feb 4, 2020
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I have the 2019 edition nitro 5. I just upgraded the ram to 32gb dual 16s.. now I have a compatible m.2 coming. When the new m.2 comes which will be put in the second open slot do I need to clone windows an install it prior or will it be fine because I'm installing it into the second m.2 slot in the laptop.. also should I even bother installing 2.5inch ssd.. i ordered the cable connector an have a 500gb 2.5 ssd. The m.2 I ordered is 1TB
 
Solution
It sounds like the laptop already has a M.2 SSD containing the OS? In that case you can just pop in the second M.2 drive and treat it as a second drive. No need to clone or reinstall.

Whether you want to add a 2.5" SSD depends on if you need the extra storage or not. It will of course be limited to SATA speeds, but in practical use the speed difference between SATA and NVMe is not noticeable.

If you wish to make the second M.2 SSD the OS drive (maybe it's faster than the SSD the laptop came with), then yes cloning is the way to go. But as I said, you're unlikely to notice a speed difference between SSDs (unless you're in the habit of timing your boot times with a stopwatch).

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

You should ideally, reinstall your OS after you populate the M.2 drive in your laptop. Cloning only leads to more headaches when things go sideways.

You should back up all critical content from your current installation drive. Also, if you name the current installation drive with Windows 10, it's easier to identify when trying to format the (hard disk)drive during the OS install.

Before you drop the drive in, make sure you're on the latest BIOS update for your laptop's motherboard.
 
It sounds like the laptop already has a M.2 SSD containing the OS? In that case you can just pop in the second M.2 drive and treat it as a second drive. No need to clone or reinstall.

Whether you want to add a 2.5" SSD depends on if you need the extra storage or not. It will of course be limited to SATA speeds, but in practical use the speed difference between SATA and NVMe is not noticeable.

If you wish to make the second M.2 SSD the OS drive (maybe it's faster than the SSD the laptop came with), then yes cloning is the way to go. But as I said, you're unlikely to notice a speed difference between SSDs (unless you're in the habit of timing your boot times with a stopwatch).
 
Solution

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I have the 2019 edition nitro 5. I just upgraded the ram to 32gb dual 16s.. now I have a compatible m.2 coming. When the new m.2 comes which will be put in the second open slot do I need to clone windows an install it prior or will it be fine because I'm installing it into the second m.2 slot in the laptop.. also should I even bother installing 2.5inch ssd.. i ordered the cable connector an have a 500gb 2.5 ssd. The m.2 I ordered is 1TB
What drive is in it now?