Inspiron 3670, no standoff for M.2 SSD

Also for more information read the following thread. As stated a user has 3 3670 systems and installed M.2 drives with no issues.

https://www.dell.com/community/Inspiron-Desktops/Inspiron-3670-are-any-M-2-NVME-SSD-s-compatible/td-p/6128857/page/2

According to the service manual for the 3670, the procedure for removing and replacing the M.2 drive is listed. I have to assume that would mean the 3670 supports an M.2 drive. Also listed in the drivers is a firmware update for the M.2 NVME drive.  Here is a link from Amazon for the standoff and screw.

https://www.amazon.com/GutsParker-M-2-Standoff-Screw-Drives/dp/B06XBG1783#customerReviews

or from Intel...

Standoff

https://click.intel.com/m-2-standoff-2x-screws-per-order.html

Screw..

https://click.intel.com/m-2-screw.html

The thread on top is not easily visible but this standoff does take an M2X3 screw.

Bought the Guts Parker. They don't give a male thread size but it's way too small. Need a 6-32 thread. Hopefully someone can delete the several references to it.

Very strange as 6/32 is the thread size for a motherboard standoff not an NVME M.2 standoff. Quite a difference and I have never seen an M.2 standoff with threads that big. Usually they are M2. If you need a standoff with a thread that size, any computer shop should be able to supply you with that. Though the screw portion of that standoff might be too long. As I stated that is the normal size for a desktop motherboard standoff..

Take a look at the picture in the following thread to see what I mean.

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/520681-m2-stand-off-and-screw-asus-z170/

Just took a look at the service manual for your Inspiron 3670. They specify the hold down screw as M2x3.5. Which leads me to believe that the usual standoff is M2. Now I am wondering if the screw size for your motherboard was a  proprietary standoff. ..sounds strange but anything is possible. Take a look at the service manual for your system and look at the picture of the standoff compared to the usual stand off picture in the previous post.

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/ca/en/cadhs1/inspiron-15-3537/inspiron_3670_servicemanual/procedure?guid=guid-17bdb65c-a00a-4d31-9e17-e6c94c017089&lang=en-us

Thanks azak, the Phillips slot is so deep, I can't see threads down in there. Will give it a try.

Looks like I need a standoff with 6-32 male threads, M2 female threads (M.2 standard?) and a standoff rise above the mb of about 1/4"

Thanks again, that solves my problem. It would be nice to come up with a part number or specs for the next person looking for this standoff, considering the bad info in related threads, or maybe the standoff is different for different revs of the 3670?

The screw that came on the board is threaded in the center for a 2x3.5 screw. You have to look really close to see it as it looks like it"s just a phillips head with a extended top. This is your standoff. I found a 2x3.5 screw at a hobby store, works great.

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@blazer57 wrote:

The screw that came on the board is threaded in the center for a 2x3.5 screw. You have to look really close to see it as it looks like it"s just a phillips head with a extended top. This is your standoff. I found a 2x3.5 screw at a hobby store, works great.

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yes. The 3670 includes the standoff. Which is in the picture the OP posted. I got my M.2 screws from Amazon. And they worked, without issues, with the included stand off. In my three 3670 PCs. 

I thought the standoff info was in the service manual for the 3670 PCs? 

For me I did a little improvison. The Wifi card comes with the M2 screw already installed, however I do not need wireless on my desktop as I'm wired in, so I borrowed the M2 screw from the WLAN card, and put it in the standoff on the M2280. On my Inspiron 3670 the standoff was included, it was just missing the M2 screw. Since I don't need Wifi, I just borrowed from the WLAN card and improvised. 

I purchased a new Dell 3670 desktop 12-08-18 and mine had the standoff on the motherboard. I did have to re-locate it to the shorter setting, no big deal, remove it with a small phillips screwdriver. Didn't have the screw for the M.2 SSD card attachment but I had one already. DO NOT over tighten the screw or standoff!

Boot up times from the M.2 SSD are ridiculously fast. Takes longer for the Dell BIOS splash screen/process than Win 10.

Did you find the proper stand off.

@Donsoper  The item in the first picture IS the standoff.  It has a large Philips head in order to facilitate screwing it into the motherboard, but then it ALSO has a tiny hole in the center that is threaded to accept an M.2 screw.  I've never seen a design like this before, but I have the exact same part as pictured in this thread on a G5 5090, and originally I was using it as a screw to fasten the M.2 SSD down, which caused the SSD to be slanted and the top edge pinned down to the motherboard.  I redid it so that I installed the standoff (which looks like a screw) first, then I rested the SSD on top of it, and then screwed an M.2 screw into the top of that standoff, which worked because that M.2 screw fit into the tiny threaded hole that's inside the Philips head grooves.