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March 16th, 2023 07:00
Swapping SSD in New Laptop
I'm taking delivery today on a new XPS 15 9520 (7171SLV-PUS) that comes with two 256GB SSD's pre-installed for total storage of 512GB. I'd like to upgrade to total storage of 2TB by replacing each of the SSD's with larger units. I'm not too concerned with the physical part of swapping SSD's but I do have questions about the exact new SSD's to buy and the best time to make the swap.
1. Per the laptop's specs, it has M.2 PCle NVMe solid-state drives. Looking at available replacements online, I find a bewildering array of different model numbers and descriptors. Do I need to find a replacement that says exactly M.2 PCle NVMe or are there variations I can use?
2. I briefly watched one video about changing SSD's and it mentioned adding a heat sink when increasing the size of the SSD. I'd appreciate some guidance there. Is this necessary? What should I look for?
3. It seems to me the best time to make the swap is when the laptop comes out of the box and before I add any of my data. Is this reasonable? Does the Windows 11 software reside on one of the two SSD's or does it reside somewhere else? If it's on one of the SSD's, what's the procedure for saving it and writing it back to one of the new SSD's?
Am I missing anything? Many thanks in advance for any guidance.
ejn63
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28.7K Posts
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March 16th, 2023 08:00
30 = 30 mm, 80=80 mm. The physical size is easy to determine visually. You can also look up the model number of the SSD with its manufacturer.
There is a recovery partition on the drive, or you can download the recovery media from Dell or Microsoft. No, there's no recovery disc (they're all but useless now since just about nothing comes with a DVD reader) -- the recovery can be done from a flash drive.
ejn63
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28.7K Posts
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March 16th, 2023 07:00
1. Any NVMe drive has the same connector and will work as long as it physically fits. The two most common sizes are 2230 and 2280 -- your system takes either, but may require a different mounting bracket. Check to see what's in the system when you receive it.
2. The drive has a metal mounting plate that serves partially as a heatsink. If you order the system with one drive, you will have only one of these and need to purchase the other from Dell.
Drives that come with a pre-attached heatsink are designed for desktops -- they will not fit your notebook. The heatsinks add up to a half a centimeter of depth your system cannot accommodate.
3. Windows 11 will be preinstalled on the boot drive. You can clone the existing configuration in a number of ways, back up the Dell intalled OS to an external drive, or do a clean install.
SpartanFan
6 Posts
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March 16th, 2023 08:00
Thanks for the quick reply. Got a couple of follow-up questions:
1. Will the existing SSD's clearly have a 2230 or 2280 designation somewhere on them (or imbedded in their part numbers) or will I need to eyeball the mounting and compare to possible replacements?
2. I get your comment about the heat sink. My laptop will come with two pre-installed SSD's so I should be all set for heat sinks.
3. For a "clean install" wouldn't I need to have the laptop come with a recovery disc or something similar? Do laptops even come with recovery discs any more?
Thanks again.