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13 R2, adding M.2 SSD
So I wanted to add an M.2 SSD to my Alienware 13 R2. When I checked the spec sheet online, it said that the Alienware 13 R2 has 2 M.2 slots, so I went and bought a WD Black 1TB High-Performance NVMe PCIe M.2 2280 SSD. Since purchasing, I am having trouble installing it. I couldn't find any specific M.2 slots after opening up the bottom, so I did some research and read on a forum that I needed an adapter for the SSD. So I went and bought a StarTech.com M.2 NGFF SSD to 2.5in SATA Adapter, and a USB to SATA wire to transfer everything on my HDD over to the SSD. When I put the SSD into the adapter and connected the USB to SATA wire to the adapter, my laptop gave me the error message that there was a power surge on the USB port and that it couldn't give the SATA adapter enough power. In order to overcome this, I bought a powered USB hub that would be able to give the adapter the power that it needed. After connecting the SSD to the adapter, the adapter to the powered USB hub, and the powered USB hub to my laptop, the laptop is not recognizing the SSD at all. I am very confused and I already don't know much about computer parts so this whole process has been very stressful. Does anyone know if I am doing anything wrong during this whole process, or what I need to do in order to correctly transfer the files from my HDD over to my SSD and start using the SSD as my boot drive? A detailed explanation would be greatly appreciated since I don't understand a lot of computer part terminology.
DougalAW
24 Posts
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January 13th, 2019 14:00
I don't have an Alienware 13, but one thing I think you need to check is if the 13 r2 actually supports NVME drives.
The M.2 name convention is for the type of port on the motherboard, and has different types of devices that can be used, and not all devices will be compatible with all M.2 ports.
M.2 slots can support 2 different types of SSD - SATA ones and NVME ones.
NVME is the newest type, and while I think a SATA SSD would work in an NVME slot, I'm not sure if a NVME drive would work in a SATA slot.
The information I can see for the 13 R2 on the Dell website indicate it may have 2x SATA III ports.
So it could well be a case that as you bought an NVME drive, if the laptop does just have SATA ports then it may not be compatible.
Would be worth waiting for a response from one of the RockStars or Mods who may be able to clarify this.
palu_wang
39 Posts
0
January 13th, 2019 22:00
Hello, it is recommended that you connect the M2 SSD solid state drive and enter the bios to confirm whether it can be recognized. If it cannot be recognized, it may be that the hard disk capacity is too large and it cannot be recognized. It is recommended that you try to replace the hard disk with a smaller capacity.
AndrewSi
901 Posts
0
January 18th, 2019 08:00
You need one of these for a M.2 SSD in a AW13R2
eager.ly
2 Posts
0
January 25th, 2019 15:00
What is this called and where can I buy one?
Guipsot
1 Message
0
February 18th, 2021 22:00
Hello! I have also that adapter but the connector I have in the motherboard is for SATA and this caddy has NGFF, do you know a way to work around it? I look for connector adapters but so far have not found one
ejn63
10 Elder
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23K Posts
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February 19th, 2021 03:00
NGFF is the M.2 connector - which can be for either SATA or NVMe. If what you're looking for is an adapter to allow an NVMe drive to work in an Alienware 13, you won't find one. Either the system board is electrically wired for NVMe, or (as in the case of the Alienware 13) it is not - and in which case, SATA is your only option.
crimsom
6 Professor
6 Professor
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6.1K Posts
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February 19th, 2021 06:00
Hi @eager.ly welcome to this user to user discussion forum. This is not Dell Support.
Dell Support for Alienware 13 R2 Specifications says the 13 R2 system has a 2.5" SATA 6 Gbps bay that can accommodate either the One 2.5‑inch SATA HDD or the Two M.2 SATA SSD option (but not both). Please note that the 13 R2 system board has one SATA connector, there is no second connector for NVMe drives. (Replacing the SATA HDD with a SATA SSD is now another option.)
Your 13 R2 has a HDD in the 2.5" bay and to have the Two M.2 SATA SSD option, get the StarTech.com Dual-Slot M.2 Drive to SATA Adapter (Product ID: S322M225R) or similar from different vendor.
Get 1TB or 2TB M.2 SATA 6 Gbps SSD cards and their vendors free cloning application, e.g. Acronis True Image OEM. Having installed the SATA SSD into the SATA adapter and connected adapter to the laptop's USB port, clone the OS(C:) onto one of the M.2 drives. Make sure to select the M.2 drive format to be the modern GPT (not the legacy MBR) to have fast boot and shutdown plus security features. (Remember to disconnect battery when inside laptop) Then remove the HDD from the 2.5" bay and install the SATA adapter having transferred the 2.5" cage. (Remember to reconnect battery) Hold down F2 during boot splash screen, check to make sure that BIOS has detected the M.2 drive's GPT format and enabled the BIOS boot list option UEFI. If not, manually enable BIOS UEFI.
Your 13 R2 can now accommodate the M.2 OS(C:) and storage drive option.
We do not recommend the RAID 0 two drive configuration for home laptops because there is no speed increase. We do recommend that your disaster recovery plan includes creation of a second M.2 clone OS(C:) drive, so that this can be swapped in within minutes, if the existing M.2 OS(C:) drive cannot be recovered.
Good luck with your upgrade. Hope this guide is useful for you.
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