Can you ADD an m.2 NVMe SSD on Aspire 5 A515-51 (Model N17CA)?

AdMan2000

I have a 2017 Aspire 5 A515-51 (Model N17CA) with an Intel i5-8250U CPU @ 1.6Ghz, with 12GB of RAM and a 1TB SATA hard drive.

I am hoping someone can tell me whether I can add a m.2 NVMe SSD (256G or 500G) instead of only replacing the hard drive with an SSD.

And if I can… which brands/models are compatible? 

Would really appreciate your advice. Thank you!

Callistemon

You already have the best type of storage! SSDs overheat to extremely high temperatures and then throttle. Overheating can cause SSDs to fail in under 2 years. HDDs have had power loss protection for 23 years, by using spindle momentum to swing the actuator arm off the precious platter when the power is cut. Unlike HDDs, SSDs erase and rewrite entire blocks when anything is changed, and if the power is interrupted during a write operation, then those blocks, or even the entire SSD, become permanently corrupted. Spindles are superior, and I will likely be posting a more comprehensive comparison to the forum soon.

https://photographylife.com/m-2-nvme-drive-overheating-failure

"If you decide to use any SSD drives in your computer build (and you should, since they are extremely fast), no matter what form factor, you should plan for a very thorough and working backup solution."

Translation: If you decide to install an SSD drive in your laptop, you should plan for a very thorough and working backup solution. If your computer freezes up and you need to power it down improperly, you could lose everything stored on the SSD.

Callistemon

Check this out: https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1040067

Press the power button instead of number lock, and within seconds, files on your SSD are destroyed. Meanwhile, the HDD continues to spin away after the laptop is turned back on. Clear winner here.

AdMan2000

Interesting @Callistemon… I wasn’t aware of this issue.

The thing is… the key reason for the question is that I want too add an SSD, in addition to the HDD, if that is possible with this laptop. I was hoping to use the SSD to house the operating system and key programs that are regularly used.

The startup time on this laptop is painfully slow (too slow for my daughter) so hoping the SSD will help with faster loading since the alternative is a new laptop, which I am trying to avoid.

Anyone know whether a m.2 NVMe SSD can be added to this laptop? Does it have an open and compatible m.2 slot? Thanks.

billsey

You can put an M.2 SATA drive in that slot. It doesn't look like an NVMe drive will work. They did use a bunch of different motherboards in  that model series though, so perhaps the newest of them will work with NVMe. You shouldn't have to worry about heat, an overheating SSD is a sign the drive is failing, not a design characteristic of the laptop. You should be able to use any brand of drive, though we typically suggest one of the name brands rather than a generic, the bigger names tend to have fewer child failures.

AdMan2000

Thank you @billsey! 

Re… “They did use a bunch of different motherboards in  that model series though, so perhaps the newest of them will work with NVMe”

Is there an easy way to figure out which board I have and whether it would be compatible? What do I look for?

Thanks.