XPS 8950, ordering with two SSD

Question

In a chat on Dell’s website, a Dell representative told me that the XPS 8950 desktop configurations offered on Dell's website allow you to choose only one SSD at the time of purchase. So if you want an XPS desktop with a second SSD (e.g., for a data drive) you have to install your own SSD to the data and power cables that are included for an HDD, which you can order as a second drive, However, according to this rep, adding your own hard drive will void the computer's warranty. Is this crazy? Why can’t I order a computer with an M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD main drive and a SATA SSD second drive?

JOcean · Answer

I am not sure why you were told that but it does NOT void the warranty if you add an SSD. This forum thread will elaborate and the information posted is from the Dell Community Manager.

RoHe · Answer

@MastiffX - You can buy/install any M.2 NVME 2280 SSD (PCIe Gen4.0 x4 NVMe, up to 64 Gbps) you want as a data drive.

An M.2 NVME SSD will be much faster than a SATA SSD, and you won't need a drive tray or have to use the extra SATA data and power cables. You don't have to buy it from Dell, so shop around for a good deal on an SSD with good specs, decent warranty, etc from a known manufacturer.

Keep in mind you should change BIOS from RAID to AHCI before you install the new drive. But you have to do it correctly, or you'll make the PC unbootable...

Open Cmd prompt window, run as administrator
Copy-paste this command, which will start Windows in Safe Mode the next time you reboot: bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal and press Enter
Reboot the computer and enter BIOS setup by tapping F2
Change SATA Operation from RAID to AHCI
Save the change and exit Setup; Windows will automatically boot in Safe Mode
Open Cmd again, as in step #1
Copy-paste this command, which will start Windows in Normal Mode the next time you reboot: bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot and press Enter
Reboot and Windows will automatically start with AHCI drivers enabled. Now you can install the new SSD, and then run Windows Disk Management from the desktop to format the new SSD for data storage.

Chino de Oro · Answer

Why can't you order a computer with an M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD main drive and a SATA SSD second drive?

XPS 8950 with dual drive options, another XPS 8950 with dual drive options

I could provide more purchase options but you get the point.

JOcean · Answer

A good point @Chino de Oro and I saw those options but every one of them is an SSD with an HDD. I believe @MastiffX wants an M.2 NVMe and a SATA SSD which is not one of the options on the product page. But I agree that if you can order the system with an M.2 SSD and a 2.5' SATA HDD then you can install a SATA SSD but for some reason it is not an order option on the page.

MastiffX · Answer

Thanks for your reply. I looked at both of the computers you referenced. The second drive offered in each includes the description '7,200 RPM' which is a mechanical/spinning/HDD. My question is about choosing an SSD as the second drive.

MastiffX · Answer

Thanks for replying. If I understood correctly, if I add an SSD on my own as the second drive then my computer is still under warranty, however 'Dell will not troubleshoot any hardware or software issues while the added [SSD] is installed.' That's reasonable.

JOcean · Answer

Exactly. The only part not under warranty would be the SSD you install. But of course if you have a problem with that then the manufacturer of the SSD would have a warranty on that part while Dell would cover everything else.

MastiffX · Answer

Much thanks for your reply. Yes, I can certainly install a second M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD, and I probably will, since I just looked at prices. I had no idea that they were so reasonable for an M.2 NVMe that will work as a data drive.

(I'm interested to know why I need to switch to AHCI, and why Windows needs to boot into Safe Mode. But these are things I can learn on my own. For an amateur geek like me it will be fun.)

My concern about this has to do with the computer's warranty. Not that I expect to need it - this will be my fourth Dell PC - and not that I expect to have much to do with Dell's support staff - I can solve problems on my own (and with this group's help.) It's just that in the unlikely event that the computer has to go back, I have to undo all this and put the computer back to RAID. Is that as simple as following the steps you provided, only going back to RAID?

Chino de Oro · Answer

My post was to make the point about Dell sales rep statement of what you CAN or CAN'T do. Contradicting with the purchase options I found, customers CAN get dual drives selection.

As for your specific plan to add a 2nd SSD drive, I think everyone in this forum will have the same suggestion, you can save money by purchasing from third party and installing it on your own.

Regarding the machine warranty, search for it on this forum. A Dell community manager did provide an official statement for that matter. In general, if a customer performs the work on the machine under direction of Dell support, everything is covered under warranty. If customer performs the upgrade on the machine and something break, the machine WILL NOT be covered (repaired) by the warranty. If customer perform upgrade, maintenance and nothing break, the machine is still covered under warranty to full term. Also Dell do not provide support to the customer's add-on third party parts.

Some reasoning points to look at as proofs: Dell sells parts as customer kits such as memory and network cards, ssd and hdd, by installing those parts, it doesn't void the warranty. Dell provides machine manuals with instructions for parts removal and installation, from components all the way to motherboard and chassis. You won't find any notice or statement that performing the work will voiding the warranty.

You may have dealt with a sales rep whom tried to their job but was incorrectly interpreted warranty policy with limited understanding and also looking at a fixed system without add-on options. Who knows!!!

MastiffX · Answer

Sincere thanks for everyone's help. I think my best course of action will be to get an XPS desktop with a spinner as the second drive because it's included anyway so why not. Once I'm satisfied that everything in the computer is working properly (which shouldn't take too long) so that it's unlikely that I'll need to take advantage of the warranty or have much contact with Dell's own technical support, I'll swap out the HDD for a shiny new M.2 NVMe drive.

RoHe · Answer

@MastiffX - Many brands of SSD (including Samsung and Crucial) don't play nice when BIOS is set to RAID, which is Dell's standard BIOS configuration. Many of these brands warn about this in their setup instructions because their drivers and/or software doesn't work, or doesn't work well with RAID. The result can be reduced SSD performance. That's true for both SATA and NVME SSDs.

In the event you ever need warranty service from Dell, you can easily unplug and remove the secondary (data), NVME or SATA SSD. That won't affect the operation of the PC during any warranty repairs. And no, you wouldn't have to reconfigure Windows again to reset BIOS back to RAID.

Also keep in mind, when you remove any secondary drive with all your personal files and data, they won't be subject to "prying eyes", should your system ever need to be shipped to a repair center.

Post back and let us know how the SSD upgrade goes...

EDIT: You have to boot in Safe Mode to make this change because Windows was installed for RAID. If you change BIOS to AHCI without doing it in Safe Mode, Windows won't boot again because it expects RAID. The RAID/AHCI setting doesn't matter in Safe Mode, so that allows the AHCI drivers to be installed and configured, ready for use at next boot.

XPS Desktops

XPS 8950, ordering with two SSD

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