XPS 18 - HDD/SATA

The 1810 has a Laptop Drive.

Newer versions go the no go way by soldering RAM and Storage Directly to the motherboard Just like Apple does with their Macbook Pro Models.Even on the 1810 I would not consider this a User replaceable part.

No I dont have an 1820 pic.  The red box is outlining the cmos battery.

I see this is an old post but wanted to share my experience since I went at it totally blind. I picked up an XPS 1820 at Best Buy it is the i5 model but the same should apply. It has an m.2 connector NOT an msata connector for the second drive like the 1810 model. There are NOT two SATA connectors just one. It is SATA and m.2 in the 1820 model and SATA and msata in the 1810 (older) model.

So I opened it up and changed the 1TB 2.5 7mm HDD with an SSD. Also there is a m.2 ssd connector free. Just be sure to get the long kind such as a 256GB crucial. I am running both 2.5 Crucial and m.2 Crucial SSDs.

The only thing I had to hunt down was a lil screw to screw down the m.2 ssd but otherwise all good. Please note this is NOT an msata connector this is an m.2 connector but same thing. Looks like they made some layout changes inside the chasis from 1810 to 1820. You will need torx screwdriver to open the case.

Lastly, to save you time I suggest installing Dell Backup and Recovery to create a factory refresh image USB. I had tried cloning the drive but honestly the easiest was to create the recovery USB with that tool you need an 8GB USB and it recreated the entire install on my new SSD. 

Hopefully that answers your questions. Good luck! It is a beast with the SSD inside.

Hi !

Thanks for the reply, might help others as well.

In the meantime I got an answer at the German Forum and I thought about a solution.

So, yeah, I was told that the 256 GB SSD that Comes with the 1820 is a SATA III SSD, and that the second slot, inside the Computer is unused, but is, as you say, a M.2 slot, NOT a mSATA as written on the product page (well, it seems it was an mSATA on the 1810). So what did I think? Yep, as you've written, I thought about ordering a M.2 SSD, in about the same size (180-256GB)....and I ended up with the Crucial 256 GB one :D

So, if the SATA HDD 256 GB is too small for me, I can now replace it ANYTIME with my good old 600 GB SATA HDD (or any other), while the System will be transferred to the M.2 SSD!

Changing these should be no problem, I have tinkered around with my XPS 1730 many times, I have torx screwdrivers, too.

Incidentially, just an hour ago I finally ordered an XPS 1820.

can you please post the exact model of m.2 ssd, that you are using in xps 1820? i want to buy 1 but not sure which one will fit.

thank you

Hi!

Actually, I got a wrong info on the German board regarding the mass storage of the XPS 1820 with the i7 chip!

In this Version of the Computer, the only mass storage (the 256 GB SSD) in fact is a M.2 SSD!

So, the good Thing was that I was able to install my 640 GB SATA-III HDD from my old Laptop straight on the vacant SATA-III Port of the XPS 1820!! Of course, later on I might switch to a SSD...

The M.2 SSD that is installed in the XPS1820 is 80mm Long (current standardized maximum lenght) - it is a M.2 2280 with an A+B connector

see the pics in the thread on the German Forum: de.community.dell.com/.../7969

What model m.2 crucial ssd did you get? I just picked up an 1820 and bought an msata by mistake. Want to make sure I get the correct one this time. Thanks for the help.

Hi!

Let me re-phrase that: I bought the i7-version of the XPS 1820 - the M.2 slot was already IN USE (the 256 GB SSD) - the SATA-III connector was not used! I could fit in my old 2,5" HDD easily. No Need for an additional M.2!

If you bought an XPS 1820 with an i5 processor or lower, I'm not sure... It says that there's a mechanical HDD (2,5" SATA-III) PLUS a small (32GB) SSD - I'm not sure where this one is connected to, as dellogord says that the M.2 connector was free.... ?!?! http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-18-1820-aio/pd?oc=fddncp902&model_id=xps-18-1820-aio (however, on the page it says mSATA ... just as in the old 1810 - but that guy on the German board told me the new 1820 doesn't have an mSATA anymore, but an M.2! He was correct for my 4th Gen 1820 Version. He only was wrong in the i7 model having the SSD on the SATA-III port - whereas in reality it was on the M.2 port!)

I'd think that in this case BOTH slots are in use! No need for an additional SSD (a simple upgrade), either - you would have to REPLACE one of the mass storage media! (But as said, I'm not sure, if this is now an mSATA (as in the 1810), or an M.2 (as in, at least the i7-Version of) the 1820)...

However, the XPS 1810 (going by the Website address, i.e. the ones with 3rd Gen processors) seem to have a mechanical drive only... http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-18-1810/pd?oc=dxcwcp1412b&model_id=xps-18-1810 but then again, I'm not sure about an M.2 connector?!

Anyway, in the 1820 i7 Version, should you want to replace the SDD (with the operating System on it, mind you!), the Maximum size type is an M.2 2280 (width 22mm, maximum lenght 80 mm, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.2 ), with an A + B key connection, for example this one should fit: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00ITFZTLI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01

Hello,

Thank you for all this information, its the only info I have been able to find on this. I want to add more space to my 1820 i7 (4th gen). Do you have any recommendations as to what SSD will fit in the SATA III? I am thinking 256 GB will suffice. Also some images of the setup would be nice as all the other pages show a different version of the 1820 or the 1810. Thanks again!

Yes, there is an empty slot for a laptop style sata hard drive. You have to remove the back cover which is a handful of T4 or T5 screws. You have to remove the pop out legs before removing the back cover. It really is pretty easy to remove. Once the cover is off you will see the empty slot for the second drive. I'm about to order a 512 GB SSD to put in my empty slot.