M.2 implementation and the Dell 7470

Question

M.2 appears in a raft of laptops on the dell website but the information provided about its implementation: specs, connection types, dimensions, etc, etc, is, as far as I can find, al but non-existant.

The new dell 14 7000 laptop (aka 7470) appears on the Dell UK website with the following:

3 M.2 expansion slots: 1 SSD ,1 WWAN/HCA and 1 WLAN/BT/WiGig Lock Slot

It also lists it has a Solid State Drive M2 2280 SATA3

That is it.

Having spent some time trying to understand the concept of what m.2 is (Wikipedia does a decent job of it) I return to this laptop and have no idea what exactly it therefore provides. I may being completely thick in not understanding that an m.2 slot that is, say, WWAN/HCA (as above), then I should be able to determine what type of connector it is, but I don't see it.

I also cannot see if the SSD that comes with the laptop takes up 1 of the 3 m.2 expansion slots, that is listed 1 SSD, or if there is actually a second (and thus empty) SSD slot that I can put an additional SSD into, and if so, what spec SSD do I buy to fit the slot.

I have had a poor Dell Sales chap running round to find out but after 3 days he has given up. I tried the Dell chat - no luck, Dell Tech Support ("not our job mate") and even PM'ed through the Dell facebook page where they tried to send me back to Sales. I reminded them that I'd been there already - the answer was classic corporate speak - "We do appreciate your understanding in this matter. Do reach out to us if you have any other concerns"!

So if anyone can guide me on this I would be most grateful - I think their Sales Team would as well. I want to add an SSD to their 128Gb or 256Gb offering and also want to be able to add wigig in the future (they advertise it in the glossy graphics but you cannot select the card in the customise section - bonkers), to use their wireless docking option when I upgrade my 2 monitors and retire my e-dock.

I am reading through other posts on this site about m.2 but none apply to the implementation on the 7470.

Many thanks

Ilkleylad · Accepted Answer

I have just bought a latitude 7470.The dell description clearly states that it has 3 M2 pcie EXPANSION slots, one of which can take an SSD. I brought a 512gb M2 card to install. On removing the back of the laptop I find that there is only one M2 pcie slot and that this is already occupied by the original installed drive. THERE ARE NO M2 EXPANSION SLOTS!!!!!!. To say that I am pi**ed off with dell is an understatement!! I now have a laptop which cannot be expanded beyond its original tiny 128gb. I am having to purchase an external usb3 M2 caddy to be able to do a diskcopy of the installed drive (with the preinstalled operating system and other software) to my 512gb drive. I can then replace the the 128gb drive with the 512gb drive.

ejn63 · Answer

If you order the system with an M.2 SSD, two of the M.2 slots will be taken (one by the network adapter, the other by the SSD). The WWAN slot will be open if you don't install a PCS cell network card.

Don't expect to install two M.2 drives though - the WWAN card slot in all past Dells can be used only for that purpose.

GerryK2 · Answer

thanks EJN63 for your reply. Not sure I agree with your reply though - I have found this rather illuminating diagram in the Owners Manual which shows the supplied SSD on the far right and a PCIe m.2 slot for SSD (so it is PCIe - thats news!) shown towards the left of the diagram. see page 11 of http://topics-cdn.dell.com/pdf/latitude-e7470-ultrabook_Owner's%20Manual_en-us.pdf

GaneshR · Answer

Thanks for the pics and links, but the version of manual available for download now shows same picture for both the SSDs. This picture you show above, where it is shown on left hand side, is gone!

Back to the question: Does DELL E7470 support installing second SSD? If yes, what's the type? Would any Dell rep pls reply?

GerryK2 · Answer

Thought I'd try Dell Reps again - a very short session! ...

GerryK2 · Answer

What a frikkin' pain, and without meaning to crow about it, is what I suspected given I could not find anyone at Dell who had the faintest idea, nor who could specifically tell me otherwise. I decided to wait until this Summer before upgrading in the hope the tech content on the site would improve/clarify and the WiGig card option would become available. So having eeked out a few more months of my venerable E4310 was literally this week going to have another look. Then your post popped up ... I suspect that after 18 years of continuous Dell use, personally and in client fit-outs, I am finally off elsewhere - have no idea where mind you but I need to find a company that actually knows what the F it is actually putting in its boxes.

One thing though, having gone through the pain barrier, what is it like in action? (see I cant leave them :-) )

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M.2 implementation and the Dell 7470

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