Solved!
Go to SolutionE6540 mSata support
HI
Knowing this is a topic which has come past a few times... I'm hoping someone can help.
I own an e6540 (i7-4880, 8GB RAM) with bios update A21. I've tried putting an mSata drive in there in the WWAN port (a toshiba thnsns128gmcp). This is a known working drive, which works fine on a different system.
Regardless of what settings I use in the BIOS, the drive is not detected at all. Not in Linux (which I run) and not in the BIOS.
I've tried load BIOS defaults, enabling and disabling WAN port settings, turning off the switch on the side of the laptop.
I've even tried this on a second e6540 of similar specs with the same mSata drive. Both e6540 have exactly the same problem : No drive shows in BIOS or when Linux loads.
Is this a drive incompatibility issue perhaps, or are there variants of of e6540 where mSata simply won't work?
Hoping anyone has a tip.
Thanks
Rogier
14147
1
Posted January 7th, 2019 05:00
Technically the system was not certified for use with an mSATA drive. But the following forum post would suggest that users have done that. It may depend on the make and capacity.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/adding-msata-to-e6540.753707/
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3156347/latitude-e6540-add-ssd-replacing-hdd.html
I am not a Dell employee...I am forum volunteer
Serious work on an E5430 and constantly building and working on an i5-6500 Desktop
14143
1
Posted January 7th, 2019 05:00
Hi
Thanks for the answer... That was also what was confusing me. Many people report success with msata, yet when I tried on two e6540 systems neither recognized the msata drive I tried... I don't have a problem with a different drive. I was actually thinking of Samsungs evo 860. However I'd hate to buy a card to find out it wont work because of other reasons, being stuck with a drive i cannot use.
Are there perhaps different PCB stucking options because of which msata would not be able to work?
Thanks
Rogier
14137
1
Posted January 7th, 2019 06:00
If you buy a different drive, just make sure it is from a retailer than will let you return it if the drive is not compatible. I am not sure about any PCB limitations. It could be a BIOS version though. The problem with using a piece of hardware that has not been certified for the system is that it is hit and miss. Also kind of a catch 22. The hardware was not tested and never certified but some users have success. So if it does not work for you, there is no tech support because the hardware was not tested or certified. So is there a problem in a system where a piece of hardware does not work but was never....you know? The link I suggested before does have a post from a user that suggested a specific brand and model I believe.
I am not a Dell employee...I am forum volunteer
Serious work on an E5430 and constantly building and working on an i5-6500 Desktop
14120
1
Posted January 7th, 2019 14:00
Hello,
Good to see this thread, was intending to place exactly the mentioned type (Samsungs evo 860) in the mSATA-slot of my E6540 (where now the WWAN module lives).
I was looking for what the limitation for the mSATA slot was, wondering if I could go up to 1TB, or just stick to 500GB, but as I understand it's actually not guaranteed at all... too bad, but at least good to know.
Thanks & I'll keep following this thread with interest.
14479
1
Posted January 11th, 2019 01:00
I've seen some posts that the evo 860 or evo 850 seemingly work. I'm wondering if it is dependend on either BIOS version or BIOS settings, and if so which ones.
Would anyone with a working drive be willing to type the drive, BIOS version and any settings they had to modify?
14460
1
Posted January 11th, 2019 09:00
I _thought_ to have read somewhere that people saw a vague imprint 'in the plastic connector' that said both WWAN & mSATA, so I opened my E6540. I did see a very clear 'WWAN' on the metal chassis after removing the WWAN module, and found it hard to imagine there could be any visible additional info on the connector, without removing additional covers at least. I did remove an additional cover (the corner-piece), but below that there wasn't any info. I'm inclined to buy the cheapest mSATA SSD I can find to check if it could work at all.... although that's not too scientific: if it works, still no guarantee it'll work with a larger EVO... Have a good weekend, and yes, would be much appreciated if people who managed to get it working post info. Thanks!13746
1
Posted May 13th, 2019 10:00
A week ago I purchased 64gb mSATA SSD card from this manufacturer: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07DH3RRBP/ref=cfb_at_prodpg under the sticker, the main ingredient of this card is a Toshiba chip Placed the card in the WWAN socket (of e6540); BIOS, OS recognized it; installed XP, Win7 and Linux on it; it works without any resentment.13710
1
Posted May 14th, 2019 07:00
Just to add my 2 cent worth.
The top 256GB mSATA drives worked fine.
The 850 EVO did not show in BIOS.
Best regards,
U2
13700
1
Posted May 14th, 2019 10:00
So, it could be that WWAN slot takes 250gb cards, but not 500gb cards. Or, it hates Samsung EVO ?
rogiers
1 Rookie
•
7 Posts
8703
1
Posted March 31st, 2021 05:00
Hi
To conclude this thread, I can finally report success on my end too. I bought a Kingston SKC600MS (msata variant) of 500GB. I'm happy to report that it is correctly detected on my laptop under LInux and in the BIOS
Regards,
Rogier