I think the first page of this thread says many things well:  https://www.dell.com/community/Optiplex-Desktops/9020-SFF-NVME-M-2-boot-drive/td-p/6189038 

Thank you. Looks like a no then for the 9020

Optiplex's still fly with SATA SSD's.  Even my previous 755, which was SATA 2 and not SATA 3, flew and boot time was only 17 sec.  NVME M.2 drives are certainly faster, but my 755 flew so well I didn't need anything any faster.

With PC's and software being the intelligence of a collective and not just one person, I expect PC's to be as fasr, if not faster, than me.  SSD certainly met that qualification.

Many thanks. Have just ordered a Western digital blue SSD.

Did this work? as I have the same system and installing the Wd digital blue NVME in, the PC doesn't start up / boot. 

@col8 

@yankeebis 

@bradthetechnut 

Please press the blue Accept as Solution button below if this post answers your question.

There are several sizes of Optiplex

I own a MT and Micro version of 9020.

MT (Mini Tower)
DT (Desktop)
SFF (Small Form Factor)
USFF (Ultra Small Form Factor)
MFF (Micro Form Factor)
AIO (All in one)

Its not a No to M2 its a no to PCI-E M2.

What you need depends on which size/model you have.   I use a sata M2 in my 9020 micro for example.

PCI-E booting isnt on all models.
Specifically the XE2 9020 models only support SATA M2 booting.

M2 is not a storage standard its a connector.
M2 NVME has 2 flavors SATA and PCI-E
Its not a water chicken install of yes yes yes reboot and the INTEL RST
F6 mass storage drivers are no longer optional.
F6 mass storage drivers required when SATA OPERATION is Set to RAID ON VS AHCI

This is true for windows 7,8,10,11

Note: For drives larger than 2 terabytes, the F6 preinstall driver is required in Windows 7 and recommended in Windows 8/8.1 and 10.

INTEL F6 mass storage drivers

You cannot Point to a zip or cab or EXE file you must Extract the files
and move to the root of 16 or 32 gig FAT32 USB2 install media.
USB 2.0 ports / media required for FLASH OR DVD
USB3 ports and USB3 NTFS EXFAT media are not working UEFI FAT32 is required.

Cloning is not supported by Dell or Microsoft. That does not mean it doesnt work it means no support.
Microsoft policy for cloning / imaging WINDOWS
If you use software like Macrium Reflect or Acronis True image and have problems you must go to them for answers.
https://www.macrium.com/reflect-free-faq

INTEL RST F6 DRIVER XE2 and 9020
DELL Driver_A03_83PMF_f6flpy

M2 SSD Card
MZHOU X4 PCI-E to M2 Card with SATA cable for Motherboard booting.

Use Media creation tool to make DVD from ISO or bootable USB Flash Drive.
WINDOWS 10 MAY 2021 E.G. 21H1
https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209

First step for install after creating USB 2.0 media is to set F2 BIOS Secure boot off and F2 bios Sata operation to AHCI.
You then need a USB2 FAT32 Flash drive to create the installer from the media creation tool.
Sandisk FAT32 USB 2.0 Flash Drive 32 GIG

thanks for your response. The problem I am experiencing with the Ultra small form factor (usff) 7010 and 9020 is that when the m.2 nvme drive is connected to the system, both systems (usff 7010 and usff 9020)  don 't post. Just orange flashing led light and loud beep.  I want them to at least post/ startup so that i can use the nvme drive like as a secondary drive because i know older system don't support nvme drive as boot drive. what I don't understand how come they are people online who have installed nvme into 7010 and 9020 desktop and tower variant using pcie adapter and their computers booting up fine. If these machine use same bios and have almost same chipset driver etc..why is this behaviour  only present on the ultra small form factor? the nvme is affecting the system memory and that is the reason why the pc doesn't start up when inserted. When this NVME drive is removed, the system startup fine but with an error message saying system memory wasn't detected on previous boot. I have used the minipcie to sata adapter and with this, the system works fine. but my biggest question mark is why their bigger brothers (SFF and MT) don't experience this and recognise NVME drive?

@yankeebis 

Please press the blue Accept as Solution button below if this post answers your question.

"nvme is affecting the system memory and that is the reason why the pc doesn't start up when inserted." the problem is that PCI-E M2 is not supported. When you put that into a SATA M2 slot it keeps the system from booting.

M2 is not a storage standard its a connector.
M2 NVME has 2 flavors SATA and PCI-E

You can boot SATA M2 in a 9020 and it works fine. However it requires a sata cable to the motherboard port 0 to do so.

This card works for booting sata M2 or using PCI-E m2 as storage but not bootable.

MZHOU PCI-E X4 CARD for M2

I am not putting the NVME into the sata port. As the usff model don't have pcie expansion slot like their big brother (SFF and MT), the only way to use the NVME card is with the help of minipcie slot. I bought an adapter " mini pcie to m.2  NVME" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sintech-NGFF-nVME-Adapter-Cable/dp/B07DZ8SB8X . this card support NVME and not sata. I also bought a WD blue SN550 drive. Putting this into 9020 usff or into 7010 usff, the pc doesn't post as previously said. using the adapter and the drive in a dell e6230 laptop, the laptop boot and see the drive in windows fine. So the culprit is the motherboard of only the Usff 9020 and 7010,  as 7010 and 9020  desktop don't have this problem as nvme card install in them, the system boots up. I have the latest bios so I don't know if i should spend more time maybe downgrading the bios to see if this will help.  Its very frustrating ad I don't know if dell will release bios to fix this in future as these are very good and compact machines. 

Just an update to my issue, in case someone out there is having the same problem or will in future. The bios downgrade failed as the system wouldn’t allowed it, so for further troubleshooting, I decided to connect the Minipcie to m.2 card while windows is booting and see what happens. Windows booted fine and under device manager I was able to see my Western digital NVME M.2 drive. I then restarted (not cold boot) the system and then when to BIOS. In bios I could see my western digital drive as mass storage in the PCI  slot section. So this proofs that the bios detected the drive. Now exiting Bios and restarting the PC is producing the same symptom of beep followed by orange flashing led light. I can’t keep inserting the card during windows boot like a USB device so I my conclusion is the motherboard or firmware is preventing me from using this NVME card. I don’t know why it sees it but the system doesn’t start from a cold start. I am sure this can easily be fixed with a firmware update or a patch but by the age of this system I don’t know if dell will ever release a fix for this. I currently have the mini pcie to sata adapter which work fine with a M.2 WD 500 sata drive but as you probably know, many manufacturers are no longer releasing drive over 2TB on M.2 sata and only on Pcie NVME and as I use my system as a NAS server, a NVME is the way to go for future. I will now try it with a M.2 NGFF A+E to M.2 NVMe SSD adapter which I currently have running in the dell 3040 micro, by converting the dell 9020/7010 minicpie port  to a M.2 A port and then connecting the above mentioned card (M.2 NGFF a+E to M.2 NVME) to it and see if the system will boot with it. I doubt but it still worth a try. The M.2 NGFF A+E  to mini pcie adapter is still on the way from china. I am waiting.

"I am sure this can easily be fixed with a firmware update or a patch but by the age of this system I don’t know if dell will ever release a fix for this."

There won't be a BIOS update or fix for the 9020.  As far as I know, last BIOS update was 2019 and will remain that way.

Yah it is.  But I also think you're right - if there were a BIOS update specifically addressing NVME drives, it would work.

Yes so unfortunate for these good looking models.

Re:I don’t know why it sees it but the system doesn’t start from a cold start.

it means the device does not pass firmware POST but if you skip the POST then the device works.

then thats not good. I will carry on using sata for now.