Thinkpads Forum

I'm looking to install a M.2 PCIe NVMe 2280 1 TB for my P50. I'm running the latest version of Windows and BIOS Firmware. I'm currently using the M.2 PCie NVMe 2280 256 GB that came with the machine from Lenovo. I really like it, it's fast and reliable. Unfortunately, the 1 TB available from Lenovo is expensive, and am looking for another alternative. I'm looking at the Samsung Products and WD, but I've heard about compatibility problems and sometimes the memory running slow.

I'm just wondering what results people have had with their third party SSD, and what is recommended. I'm looking at a price range of $150-$250, and would like to have memory that is at least as fast as what I curently have. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

i recently purchased an X1 C extreme..
came with 32gig and 1 TB SSD and 4k display..
i did what i usually do and got 2 1TB SSD's..
effed up on the first one (samsung) so get another faster more capable samsung 1TB and cloned the win10 preload..
i THINK i'm running that, now (using the X1 now) and its fine..
the lenovo SSD's appear to be samsung also..
got mine from amazon..
FWIW this X1C extreme is the best dam thinkpad i've used since '94 MOL..
SO, i suggest you take a trip to amazon and peruse the samsung offerings there..

OH, welcome to the forum..

Thanks Bill for the info. I"m leaning towards the Samsung 970 Evo or Samsung 970 Evo Plus. Not sure if the additional money for the Evo Plus is worth the faster memory. Also don't know if the P50 can take advantage of the additional speed the Evo Plus offers.

DaveWithLenovo wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 17, 2019 12:25 pm

Thanks Bill for the info. I"m leaning towards the Samsung 970 Evo or Samsung 970 Evo Plus. Not sure if the additional money for the Evo Plus is worth the faster memory. Also don't know if the P50 can take advantage of the additional speed the Evo Plus offers.

In case anyone is wondering. I run two P50's (Xeon 4K 64GB and i7 FHD 48GB).

P50 - 1 : 1TB 970 Pro, 1TB 970 Pro, 4TB Evo 850 - It screams -
P50 - 2 : 1TB 970 Evo Plus, 1TB 970 Evo Plus , 2TB "spinner" - It still screams -

I ran the standard 970 Evo for a while, and honestly can't tell a difference (they are the same interface PCIe 3.0x4). The only limitation on these drives is thermal throttling. However, with the P50 and the correct "caddy", there is a built in "heatsink" that will remove these limitations. On some other applications, where the "heatsink" is not present, thermal throttling might affect NVMe performance.

Regarding the 970 evo/970 Evo + and the 970 Pro. The 970 Pro has performed (on synthetic tests) slower than the 970 Evo Plus, but still faster than the 970 Evo. The 970 Pro "shines" in endurance. The Pro has double the endurance of the 970 Evo or + in the 1TB. The 2TB Evo+ has the same endurance as the 970 Pro (which is only available in 1TB Max)

Have you considered the Inland Premium 2Tb m.2 2280 NVMe SSD?

Inland is MicroCenter's private label brand and the card is made by Phison and Toshiba, 2 reputable companies in the chip industry.
Lots of very good reviews on the Inland card and relatively more affordable than the name branded cards. You don't get the 'brand name' but you also don't pay for it either. The chip performs well.

I installed the Inland Premium 2Tb m.2 2280 NVMe SSD into my X1EG1's secondary m.2 slot.
Lenovo originally listed that the X1EG1 m.2 slot can accept up to 1Tb but it can accept a 2Tb m.2 NVME card.
My laptop includes a Samsung 512Gb m.2 NVME SSD in the primary slot.
Now I have a good 2Tb storage drive while the original drive contains only the OS and other software.

If I might resurrect this year-old thread, I'm trying to sort out the suitable replacement for my P51, PN 20HHCTO1WW. It came with 256GB SSD PCIe MLC OPAL2 and a 1TB 5400rpm HDD I use for data. I'd like to upgrade the SSD with a ~500GB (or 1TB if it's not too much $$). What are my options here? I've tried digging around Lenovo's partslookup site, and the only thing it delivers is the OEM Lenovo 500GB drive for $279. Today's prices top out at $170, so I'll be looking to Amazon, NewEgg, etc.

I want this to be a clone-and-go solution, with support for everything the original drive has (will have had). Do I need to stick to Samsung 970? Evo, Evo Plus, or Pro? These are going for $100, 120, and 170, respectively according to Samsung. Or do I need Samsung drive at all? I want to be cheap but also get something that will be excellent. These are the same reasons I bought a ThinkPad!

Cheers,
-Charlie

A BIG thank you for confirming that the X1 Extreme (1st Gen) supports a 2Tb M.2 "2280" PCIe NVMe SSD!

MrMojo wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 18, 2019 11:10 am

...I installed the Inland Premium 2Tb m.2 2280 NVMe SSD into my X1EG1's secondary m.2 slot.
Lenovo originally listed that the X1EG1 m.2 slot can accept up to 1Tb but it can accept a 2Tb m.2 NVME card.
My laptop includes a Samsung 512Gb m.2 NVME SSD in the primary slot.
Now I have a good 2Tb storage drive while the original drive contains only the OS and other software.

1. You can use any brand SSD that you wish to use.
Our personal advice is for you to look for ones that have longer warranty periods.
After all, the SSD manufacturer should have confidence in its own products, right?

Some folks (like yours truly) prefer to stick with Samsung brand, which has longer warranty periods in general, at a price.
Try to get SSD using the TLC technology, and not the QLC (less writes allowed in product life cycle).

Do have fun choosing your SSD!

2. For disk cloning solutions, you may need to check elsewhere in this forum:
"What Disk Imaging Program Do You Use in the Windows 10 Era?"

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 7&p=831411

charlienyc wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 14, 2020 3:36 pm

If I might resurrect this year-old thread, I'm trying to sort out the suitable replacement for my P51, PN 20HHCTO1WW. It came with 256GB SSD PCIe MLC OPAL2 and a 1TB 5400rpm HDD I use for data. I'd like to upgrade the SSD with a ~500GB (or 1TB if it's not too much $$). What are my options here? I've tried digging around Lenovo's partslookup site, and the only thing it delivers is the OEM Lenovo 500GB drive for $279. Today's prices top out at $170, so I'll be looking to Amazon, NewEgg, etc.

I want this to be a clone-and-go solution, with support for everything the original drive has (will have had). Do I need to stick to Samsung 970? Evo, Evo Plus, or Pro? These are going for $100, 120, and 170, respectively according to Samsung. Or do I need Samsung drive at all? I want to be cheap but also get something that will be excellent. These are the same reasons I bought a ThinkPad!

Cheers,
-Charlie

Thanks so much for this.

Does the P51 have a heatsink in place or should I be looking for an M.2 with one?

You can probably look at the numerous ThinkPad P50 (Youtube) Videos that will show shots of the innards of the P50 to find out.

Most likely there would be *no* heat sink for the M.2 PCIe NVMe "2280" SSD slots; you would have to add it in after-market (if it fits).