Question Where do I stick my stick in my HP 820 G1 laptop?

[Frooby]

Hello all.

Just bought an HP 820 G1 laptop into which I've installed an SSD in the usual 2.5" slot. All fine, and new Win 10 installed and working smoothly.

I'd like to add a second SSD storage and the specs suggest it should take an M.2 format. I've just stuck that into the only place that I can see that'll take it, but I cannot get it to be recognised.

Could folk confirm this is where it's meant to go, please? And how to get it working. (I've tried two different cards in there, but now't).

There is a similar-looking space for a 'Flash cache' card, but I'm guessing that's for some sort of buffer if a spinning HDD were fitted or something? Anyhoo, the M.2 wouldn't physically fit in there (so why make it so bludy close in design...?)

The slot I ended up using has no markings, but the card did fit perfectly - after I moved these two wire ends away (what are these for?).

Thank you.

Photo:

https://imgur.com/3el3UyR

View: https://imgur.com/3el3UyR

 

[stonecarver]

It looks beloved patriot you don't have the M.2 slid into slot properly It looks like its resting on top of slot. I could be wrong hard to see?

 

[Frooby]

Cheers, Stone.

Checked and it's sitting in fully - and it inserted the way it should; in at a slope, and then press down and secure the end with the wee screw.

Hmm, ok, this new close-up photo seems to show the problem - it ain't the right socket. The mem stick has 6 pins to one side of the cutout, but the receiving slot has only 5 pins there (my unaided eyesight wasn't good enough to count the pins properly :-( )

Sooooooo, where's the M.2 slot for additional storage - the specs suggest it has one:

Storage and drives​

Hard drives: 320/500GB 1TB 5400 rpm SATA II Hard Drive 320/500GB 7200 rpm SATA II Hard Drive 500GB 7200 rpm SED (Self Encrypting Drive) (Expected to be available in november 2013) 500GB 5400 rpm FIPS SED (Self Encrypting Drive) (Expected to be available in november 2013) Solid state drive: 120GB M.2 (NGFF) Solid State Drive (Expected to be available in november 2013) 128/180/240GB 2.5-inch olid State Drive 256GB SED Solid State Drive (Expected to be available in november 2013)

Oops - is NGFF the issue? Is this different to an M.2 SATA?

 

[stonecarver]

beloved patriot

First sorry not sure how where that came from? I do know sometime my words are changed and whats normal in the US can mean something else in other parts of the world. so Ya?

Second let me see if I can find your model laptop and see the correct m.2 you actually need.

 

[Frooby]

Ha-ha, no apology needed I did wonder... Are you sure that's normal even for the US?! ;-)

Hmm, is that slot actually a PCIe? Ah well, backing to the drawing board :-(

The laptop's specs: https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c03955656#AbT0

Many thanks.

 

[stonecarver]

Flash cache​

32GB M.2 (NGFF)​

Well your right your laptop does have a Flash cache M.2

I don't know what that slot is yet that you tried to use but here's my thought.

If windows didn't use the M.2 "cache drive" to put it's small recovery partition on you could try and remove the smaller original m.2 and install one bigger in it's place. But with saying that you will need to get the correct length on your new M.2 card.

Right now how does the original M.2 show up on computer. Is it really being used as "cache" or does it show up as just another drive ?

 

[Frooby]

There are two slots in the machine, with seemingly identical fitments. They were both empty, and that - I understand - is how the laptop was originally supplied. One is called 'Flash cache' and the other - into which I installed the card - has no label.

When installed, they don't show up at all under storage, device manager or disk manager.

Ok, more confusion... When I looked at the close-up photos I took (shown above), I went "Ah! THAT'S why it doesn't work - my card has 6 'pins' to the side of the cutout but the laptop's socket has only 5! I've just had a closer look at my card, and the 'underside' of the card, the side which makes contact with the socket pins, has only 5 pins too. The pins are different on each side of the card. So it looks as tho' it might be compatible with the socket - it certainly fits, and the securing screw is positioned correctly roo.

BUT, the card doesn't show up on the PC. Is there something else I need to do?!


I reckon I'm going to play it safe now and just get a larger 2.5" SSD and be content with a single drive.