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XPS 8930, clone and upgrade PCIe M.2
I purchased the XPS 8930 with a Toshiba 256GB M.2 2280 SSD NVMe PCIe plus a 2TB spinny drive for media storage.
I work with a lot of very heavy video files and long editing projects and would like to have all the current working files on the same drive as the OS/Video editing software and use the 2TB just as storage when projects are finished.
I would like to upgrade the Toshiba to a Samsung 1TB 970 EVO (NVMe PCIe M.2 2280).
My concern is that I have the OS and all my programs on the Toshiba. Can I clone the Toshiba to the spinny drive, then replace the Toshiba with the Samsung, then re-clone the spinny drive onto the Samsung?
The other idea was to buy some kind of enclosure for the Samsung and clone directly to it, however I am not sure what enclosure to buy.
Is there an easier way?
Thank you
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
8 Wizard
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17K Posts
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July 5th, 2018 12:00
Yes. You just Image drive to a file (with Verify option ... onto external USB HDD) and then restore back to new SSD.
Use Macrium Reflect (free) and Macrium Rescue USB Flash.
Koeven
140 Posts
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July 5th, 2018 13:00
Tesla's suggestions are great.
Don't even try to go down the path of using an external enclosure - no such thing exists for an NVMe drive with an "M key" that is USB compatible. I learned this the hard way. Your only other choice is if you want to make a direct clone would be to purchase a PCIe adapter and then clone it directly from drive to drive using the cloning software of your choice.
546insp
732 Posts
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July 5th, 2018 15:00
I couldn't get the 970 Samsung to even show up in my bios on my 8920 but I never had the hold down screw for it which some said didn't matter and some said I had to have it.
Koeven
140 Posts
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July 5th, 2018 20:00
The screw that you need is an M2x2.5
Amazon has a set of 300 different ones (including the M2x2.5) for $9.99 - Link
546insp
732 Posts
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July 5th, 2018 21:00
I have one now but it took too long, do you think I needed it? Also the Samsung rep said the NVME ssd wasn't compatible with my 8920.
Koeven
140 Posts
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July 6th, 2018 08:00
Yes, you would have needed it - they are designed to work with the NVMe locked down securely.
While I haven't owned an 8920, I have owned an 8910 and currently have an 8930 and the Samsung NVMe drives work great. I've also put them in my XPS 13 - 9350 laptop. To get their full speed and value you need to install the Samsung NVMe driver which requires moving from RAID to AHCI in the bios. That all said, it appears that the 8920 was challenging when it comes to Samsung NVMe drives. I found this thread in which 8920 owners were able to successfully get Samsung NMVe drives to work in AHCI mode. Starting on page 3 you start to see successes and then by page 5 they get it working with AHCI after a bios update.
Link: https://www.dell.com/community/Desktops-General/XPS-8920-M2-SSD-Unable-to-boot-from-disk/td-p/5109725
546insp
732 Posts
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July 6th, 2018 09:00
What does pushing the M.2 down do since it's already plugged in? Also my 8920 won't run unless it's in raid and the Samsung rep said the NVME won't work also. I gave up and sent the NVME M.2 back to Amazon.
Big.Tuna
1 Message
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July 8th, 2018 23:00
Here is a process that works and the specific step-by-step instructions verified to upgrade the Dell XPS 8930 to a Samsung M.2 SSD, all links are included:
1. Purchase Dell XPS 8930 from Costco July 2018 (Intel Core i7-8700 Processor 3.2GHz, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, 2TB HD, 16 GB RAM) https://www.costco.com/Dell-XPS-Tower---Intel-Core-i7---GeForce-GTX-1050-Ti.product.100419863.html, this is Windows 10
2. Purchase Samsung 970 EVO 1TB - NVMe PCIe M.2 2280 SSD (MZ-V7E1T0BW)
3. Upgrade BIOS on Dell from 1.0.8 to 1.0.11 (https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln284433/what-is-bios-and-how-to-update-the-bios-on-your-dell-system?lang=en). Follow links to: www.dell.com/support/drivers, then use "Detect PC" option, then narrow search to BIOS, one update is shown, download the new BIOS installer setup, install, follow prompts, system re-boots into flashing cycle, this is turnkey as long as you do not power off during install.
4. Reboot
5. F2 to enter BIOS
6. Advanced, SATA option, change from RAID to AHCI
7. Save and Reboot
8. Install Macrium Reflect Free version
9. Follow this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H7D1HcfY9o, clone the disk from the 2TB HD to the new 1TB M.2 SSD
10. Reboot
11. Hold Esc on boot and then F12 to enter boot setup
12. Find the list of drives, click on the M.2 SSD, system will then automatically reboot
13. On bootup, login
14. Use File Explorer to see both disks, drive C is now the new SSD, the old HD is present as D: and can be used or reformatted if needed.
Lurch93
1 Message
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August 25th, 2018 19:00
Worked like a champ! Thanks so much for the step-by-step instructions!
bahamaboy99
77 Posts
0
September 28th, 2018 17:00
Trying to do the samething and its just not working!
i can't change the boot device,to show the Nvme
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
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17K Posts
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September 29th, 2018 08:00
Having the NVMe-SSD appear in BIOS as proper size is a good sign you are on the right track.
sbmmm
4 Posts
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October 5th, 2018 16:00
When (what step) do you actually install the SSD? Before or after you change the disk controller mode? Before/after Macrium?
Tesla1856
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17K Posts
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October 5th, 2018 18:00
https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-Desktops/M-2-NVMe-bootable-options/td-p/6073037
sbmmm
4 Posts
0
October 13th, 2018 08:00
I have the exact same hardware you listed. Also installed is the Windows 10, 10/18 security patch, but not the new October 2018 OS update (1809). Additionally, when I flashed to the new BIOS version (step 3 above), it was successfully updated to 1.0.13 (not 1.0.11 at the time of your post).
However, after changing and saving the new disk controller setting (step 7 above) in BIOS, I received a blue screen error on reboot. A hardware diagnostic check ensued with the ultimate step requiring me to go back into BIOS and reset the controller back to RAID. After a new reboot, the computer is back up and running with the original RAID setting. FYI, I still have not installed the new SSD NVMe M.2. I was waiting until the disk controller setting was changed. So, what may have been my issue at this point?
BTW, the Youtube video link does not require a disk controller setting change, but is this step necessary because there may be a conflict when setting the disk priorities in the RAID array? Why can't it remain in RAID and change the boot drive to the new NVMe SSD with Macrium, etc? Does RAID require physical locations to remain unchanged when setting disk priorities in the array? I'm sure the answer is a lot, but what am I missing?
Tesla1856
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October 13th, 2018 10:00
First of all, I've found that Imaging to a file works better than cloning. This facilitates connecting only one SSD at a time.
https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-Desktops/M-2-NVMe-bootable-options/m-p/6073081/highlight/true#M3401
Right. I would not think a controller change would be allowed. That's like just walking up to a machine and doing it. That usually doesn't turn-out so well (read, unintentional Windows clean install time). :Crying: Clean installs are great but it's better to plan them and have some prep-time first.
Also, if it's a cloned or imaged drive, it likely still has Intel-RST installed in Windows. If using AHCI-mode, I never install or use that.