Question M.2 Standoff Missing from Mainboard

[Killermruc]

Hi so i got a question i have an older Msi Ge73vr 7rf Raider Laptop wich i bought factory new and hardly ever used it. I recently booted it up and it was very slow because of the HDD wich was in it. So i ordered a samsung 970 EVO to put in it because it has 2 slots 1 Pcie X2 and 1 Pcie X4. However i opend it up and realised that the standoff on the x4 slot was completely missing. The standoff with the screw is there on the x2 slot but not on the x4 slot . I also couldnt have cause that damage because i only used the laptop at home and on hard surfaces and hardly ever used it its been sitting for years and when it was new i only used it maybe 8 times. It also wasnt in there because otherwise it would have fallen out when i opend it. The worst part however is that these standoffs are solderd on i tried to put a standoff from an asus board there but there are literally no screw holes. The solder pads are also brand new so they literally forgot to solder it on from factory. Is there any way i can make use of the X4 slot because i dont want to leave performance on the table by using the x2 slot.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Can you show a photo?
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

 

[Killermruc]

Can you show a photo?
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

https://flic.kr/p/2ntrBj1

View: https://www.flickr.com/photos/195319604@N08/52162726648/in/dateposted-public/

https://flic.kr/p/2ntu8ix

View: https://www.flickr.com/photos/195319604@N08/52163217765/in/dateposted-public/

https://flic.kr/p/2ntu8i7

View: https://www.flickr.com/photos/195319604@N08/52163217740/in/dateposted-public/

They Are Defenetly Soldered on becasue the solder joints on the second one are melted and flat

 

[geofelt]

Are both slots size 80?

If you use the X2 slot, you would not notice any difference.
X2 vs, X4 makes a difference in sequential performance,
But most of what you do will be random, and that performance will be similar.
(and some 40X faster than a HDD)

Yes, this was likely a manufacturing defect.
But the laptop passed tests for the configuration delivered.
If you want to cobble a fix, get some small washers that in a stack will be about as high as the other standoff.
Then take a flat head wood screw of the right size to screw things down into the available hole

 

[Killermruc]

Are both slots size 80?

If you use the X2 slot, you would not notice any difference.
X2 vs, X4 makes a difference in sequential performance,
But most of what you do will be random, and that performance will be similar.
(and some 40X faster than a HDD)

Yes, this was likely a manufacturing defect.
But the laptop passed tests for the configuration delivered.
If you want to cobble a fix, get some small washers that in a stack will be about as high as the other standoff.
Then take a flat head wood screw of the right size to screw things down into the available hole

Thanks for the tip i found a PC Case screw about the size thats fits but i didnt know what to use as a standoff but now i know thank you very much kind sir !

 

[SkyNetRising]

They Are Defenetly Soldered on becasue the solder joints on the second one are melted and flat

Show, what's under that back tape.
Also there should be another M.2 slot next to ram slots. Show that too.

 

[Killermruc]

Show, what's under that back tape.
Also there should be another M.2 slot next to ram slots. Show that too.

Under That Back tape is some kind of a pcb exatly the size of that tape and under the pcb are 2 M.2 Slots
I dont have any m.2 slots next to the ram slots because the chipset sits there i think

https://www.notebookcheck.com/fileadmin/_processed_/9/9/csm_msi_1_534f251c26.jpg

Ive got this mainboard configuration

( I also mounted the m.2 drive by using some washers and a screw and windows recognized it just fine so i think its ok)