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Go to SolutionXPS 8900 M.2 socket
I have done much reading on this and other forums. I am afraid I am left with more questions than answers, I would like to install SSD in my m.2 slot. I understand that it is only a 1 lane slot. I understand that I can install a NVMe in a PCIe adapter card and get some whiz-bang performance. At this point, I do not want to spend the extra $ for the NVMe Samsung 950 pro but I would like to use the M.2 slot. So what can I put in there?
I see many reports of the Samsung 850 EVO SSD being successfully used, but many of these reports do not specify what form factor is used. Then there is the guy who said you can't use B slotted sticks in the M slotted socket. The Samsung 850 EVO M.2 SSD has an M and B slot. Many say they did successfully.So here I am scratching my head still wondering what to buy that will work in my M.2 socket. I plan to use this SSD as a boot drive and will have data stored on a spinner. I will make my questions very specific:
Has anyone successfully installed the Samsung 850 EVO - 500GB - M.2 SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-N5E500BW) in their XPS 8900 M.2 socket?
What other types of M.2 boards have others successfully installed and used?
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Posted August 4th, 2016 12:00
It cannot be stressed enough that a B keyed MSATA drive WILL NOT WORK in this socket. MSATA is NOT NVME.
If you put an 80mm M2 SATA drive in the slot it will go in but then the bus is shorted out and the machine does not power on at all.
The scew to hold it in is M2 x 3.5
M2x3.5
The official Dell part is:
6JPHH1SCREW, M2X3.5, WIFI/SSD/DDPE, DF
(or just part number 6JPHH)
So Samsung 950 models should work.
MZ-VKV256 MZ-VKV512
Capacity 256 GB 512 GB
Dimensions (L x W x H) Max. 80.15 x 22.15 x 2.38 mm
Interface PCIe 3.0 x4 (up to 32 Gb/s) NVMe 1.111736
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Posted August 7th, 2016 14:00
Vague and inaccurate referred to the red text below. Also the picture with the X does not say MSATA. Led me down the wrong path for a while, but I learned a lot and all is well.
If you put an 80mm M2 SATA drive in the slot it will go in but then the bus is shorted out and the machine does not power on at all.
11736
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Posted August 8th, 2016 06:00
M2 sata is not M2 NVME AKA pci-e no inaccuracy whatsoever. I know for a fact that if you put a B keyed drive in the slot it does not work.
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Posted August 9th, 2016 07:00
I have an 850 stick and an XPS 8900. When I put it in the M2 slot on my system it DOES NOT POWER ON. Now the manual for the 8900 shows an interposer board. I don't have that. Im talking about an XPS 8900 and the M2 slot and what I have tried. The statements are accurate and repeatable with the EXACT parts discussed. 850 doesnt work. 950 does. B Keyed SATA parts do not work in the NVME M2 slot end of story. Request denied. This is also why B keyed units DO NOT work in a PCI-E Adapter.
https://www.amazon.com/Bplus-M2S-M-2-Socket2-B-M-2242-SATA-adapter/dp/B00DUZ7MGC
M2 isnt MSATA
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Posted August 9th, 2016 07:00
Then why does my Samsung 850 EVO - 500GB - M.2 SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-N5E500BW) work?
It is an m.2 form factor with m and b key slots. Just like the one in your picture with the X over it. Above you said:
"I know for a fact that if you put a B keyed drive in the slot it does not work."
I realize we are probably splitting hairs here, but this is a detail oriented discussion. Your statements in the other thread sent me on a wild goose chase and you still insist they were accurate.
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Posted August 9th, 2016 08:00
There you go again! why do you keep bringing up mSATA when we are talking about M.2? Who would put an mSATA form factor device in an M.2 slot? Did you even look at the device I was talking about? Here, I will make it easy for you:
This device works in my XPS 8900 M.2 slot. End of story.
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Posted September 16th, 2016 10:00
The OP is talking about and m.2 SSD and m.2 socket, no msata here. Please read the question before continually answering the wrong one. Also, NVME is not a socket, it's a protocol.
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Posted September 16th, 2016 11:00
B Keyed M2 format drives go to SATA. The non B keyed units go to PCI-E X4 socket.
They have started to produce boards that will accomodate both the 850 "B" keyed and the 950 Not B keyed. I have an 8900 and it DID NOT WORK in the M2 Socket on my motherboard.
M2 NGFF comes in 2 formats and people are giving out FALSE information about what works in the M2 socket on the 8900.
There are boards that take BOTH but B keyed goes to a SATA connector NOT To a PCI-E connector.
There are now UNIVERSAL cards that will work with either. There isn't a board that will take B keyed or Not aka 850 vs 950 in the same socket.
The 8900 DOES NOT work with either. B keyed is SATA, No B key means PCI-E only.
https://www.amazon.com/NGFF-Both-PCI-E-Adapter-Converter/dp/B01IEGSFN0
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Posted September 24th, 2016 10:00
This is making me crazy. I'm hoping for some clarity this. The M2 slot for a Samsung pro 950 is only goiing to use the PCIe x1 lane, is that correct? If so, you're only going to get about 800mb/s on it. Correct? Or has Dell done something very recently so their M2 can utilize x4 to get the potential 2000mb/s? Also, I've looked through the community postings and cannot find exact details on using an aftermarket PCIe M2 card adapter (addonics) with the SSD, but it has been suggested on a few other groups (Toms Hardware etc). What I was not sure of was how Dell's BIOS works for specifying a PCIe Boot drive. Has anyone actually done this? I would like to get the blazing boot and app access speed from the faster SSDs, I just am not sure how well it works with the 8900. Please advise.
merdahl
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12 Posts
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Posted August 3rd, 2016 21:00
I guess I will answer my own question. I successfully installed the Samsung 850 EVO - 500GB - M.2 SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-N5E500BW) in my XPS 8900 M.2 socket and am presently using it as my boot drive.