topic Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type? in Desktop PC / All-In-One

b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

OliverT — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 09:52:07 GMT

Hi,

I want to upgrade my 125G SSD to a 1T, but I'm not sure which one to get.

My motherboard is a B150H4-EM 2.0

Should I get an M.2 SSD, or can I get an NVMe?

Thanks,

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

daddle — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 10:50:28 GMT

@OliverT

Hi Oliver I do only find a B150H4-EM board; which has one M.2 SSD Socket for SATA M.2 SSDs available. This one surely contains your Boot SSD, which is a SATA M.2 SSD.

So to upgrade, you have to swap your boot ssd with the new bigger one.

Or you make use of a 2.5" notebook ssd, which will be as fast as a M.2 SATA ssd.

To be definitely sure which board with which specs you have, please name your PC with the MSN- and MD number. Thís you will find on a sticker on the bottom of the housing.

Cheers, daddle

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

OliverT — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 13:25:56 GMT

Hi,

It seems you are right. Here are the specs:

MSN: 20061843

I also have another sticker with another msn number:

Medion

ML-110000 Erazer X5342 G/C263

Model: PC MT 20

Type: MED MT 8162N

MED S/N: 1C263010010000

MSN: 10021325

Looking up the current SSD that I have (like you mentioned, it contains the boot SSD), I have this model:

MZ-NTY1280

Which is a 128G M.2 Sata SSD.

So, I guess my best option is to chose a similar 1T M.2 Sata SSD, like this one:

amazon SSD link

edit: I can't post an amazon link but it's this model that I found:

Western Digital - WD Blue SSD - SSD interne 1To M.2 SATA 3D NAND

Thanks,

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

daddle — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 17:34:51 GMT

@OliverT

Yes your Akoya X5342 G FR with its Mainboard ECS B150H4-EM_DDR4 V2 has one M.2 SSD Slot for SATA M.2 SSDs only.

So if you want to take a 1TB M.2 SATA SSD, ~~you have to replace the boot ssd. you can add one.~~ you can add one.

Your PC came equipped with a 128 GB 2.5" SSD and a 3.5" 1 TB SATA HDD.

My first input was wrong; I read in the specs a 128GB M.2 was installed already. Sorry, my mistake.. It is a 2.5" SSD installed instead.

So you can add a 1 TB SATA M.2 SSD into the empty M.2 slot.

Cheers, daddle

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

OliverT — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 16:39:48 GMT

@daddle

Thanks for the clarification. Yes, I've noticed the available empty Sata drive, in that case it would make sense and be easier to change than the internal drive. I thought m.2 sata would have a larger bandwidth, but it turns out it's the same.

Last question: I have tried to boot from the (E:Recover) partition that is located on one of the drives, I've never used it before. The goal is to do a clean install once I get the new SSD HD. But I am unable to choose a boot option by pressing different FXX keys (like F2 or F12), also tired ESCAPE but nothing happens. I also tried holding the shift key and selecting restart (from the Windows start menu), it also doesn't work and so I am unable to access the boot options or even the BIOS.

Is there a reference document that shows how I'm supposed to use that E:Recover drive?

Thanks again,

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

daddle — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 18:25:35 GMT

@OliverT

I made a mistake. The M.2 SSD Slot is empty. it lies inbetween the PCIex16 Slot for the extra video card an the proc socket.

So you could place a new M.2 SATA into it. This is the easiest way to put in more storage. And your OS can stay on the 128 GB SSD.

You cannot boot into E: Recover. What you want to do is to boot into Power Recover. This normally you do by pressing the F 11 key during switching on your PC .

If you start your PC with the F11 key pressed and hold down, you boot PowerRecover, to restore you PC to delivey state

Manual Page 37

Cheers, daddle

Edit 2:

If you want to boot into Bios, there are different ways:

1. Choose Shut down with pressed Shift key. Then press the Del key during switching on

2. Switch your PC on with the F10 key pressed (with some PCs it is the F8 key)

you can enter the " Bootmenu" which appearsx isolated on your screen, to choose a boot medium. Or a connectesd USB stick, or different other boot devices, like your boot disk, or a loaded DVD drive, if it holds a UEFI bootable disk.

3. The last entry in the bootmenü always is "Setup". If you choose this, you'll enter Bios (UEFI) as well.

Cheers, daddle

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

OliverT — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 18:25:24 GMT

@daddle

I think you were initially right.

From what I see there is only 1 M.2 sata slot, and it's used by the current OS SSD, as seen on this pic.

I don't think there's another slot, and the hardware diagnostics I ran confirm this is the only one.

Like you said, I do have a free 3.5" Sata slot available.

Regards,

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

daddle — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 19:19:18 GMT

@OliverT

Following the data base for your MSN you have got a 2.5" SATA SSD, and a 3.5" HDD, An the one and only M.2 Slot should be empty. If there is a M.2 SSD built in already, some other User had one put in. Was it a second hand PC?

I'll post a picture from your Mainboard:

ECS B150H4-EM_DDR4 S1151 IPO W10 V2

The red arrows show the position of the M.2 SSD Port.

Cheers, daddle

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

OliverT — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 21:04:19 GMT

@daddle

No, what you had described in your initial post was correct.

The picture I uploaded doesn't seem to show up, so I'll try a link instead:

https://postimg.cc/xJN7tF85

I have bought the PC as a new one, not a second hand. I have not made any changes to it, but it is exactly as you had stated:

The OS SSD is the 125G M.2 Sata that is shown on my picture.

I also have a secondary 1TB HDD drive.

And there is an additional available 3.5" sata slot that is not used, placed under the DVD drive.

As for the M.2 slot that is used, it is the only one there are no additional slots.

Thanks,

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

OliverT — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 21:13:45 GMT

As an addition to my post above, I have looked at the specs for the link you sent me.

It confirms that the OS SSD is the one we were talking about initially, not an 2.5 or 3.5" SSD, as per this link:

https://www.medion.com/gb/service/product-detail/10021325

When you look at the reference for the SSD, which is also what I have, it is indeed an M.2 version:

MZNTY128HDHP

So it goes back to what we were talking about in the first posts. So the solution would be to use a 2.5 or 3.5" Sata SSD in the free slot under the DVD, in which case I would just need to change the boot order.

Could you confirm on your side?

Thanks,

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

daddle — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 22:16:39 GMT

@OliverT

@OliverT schrieb:
@daddle
No, what you had described in your initial post was correct.
The picture I uploaded doesn't seem to show up, so I'll try a link instead:
https://postimg.cc/xJN7tF85

The OS SSD is the 125G M.2 Sata that is shown on my picture.

Seeing your picture is interesting ( @Fishtown look at it. My initial fault was an expression of some phenomenal foresight. 😉 ).

You are sure this is the boot ssd? Please check in device management and in "Disk management"

So I only can guess some entries in the database are incorrect.

So your way would be exchanging tjhe 128 GB M.2 with a bigger model.

For this you should before make an image from the M.2 SATA 128 GB bootssd, save it onto the HDD, and after swapping the M.2 SATA SSD to a bigger model, you can restore the image onto the new M.2

Edit: Or indeed you do install a 2.5" SSD like in my first post suggested. But it is not necessary to klone the OS to it, you just could leave it on the M.2 SSD. As you like. The speed for both types is similar ; both have SATA III 6Gb/s

Cheers, daddle

Edit II:

As an addition to my post above, I have looked at the specs for the link you sent me.
It confirms that the OS SSD is the one we were talking about initially, not an 2.5 or 3.5" SSD, as per this link:
https://www.medion.com/gb/service/product-detail/10021325

Just to make it clear, this link still wrongly says it is a 2.5" SSD, not the in reality in your PC built in M.2 SATA SSD.

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

OliverT — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 09:04:54 GMT

@daddle

Yes, the picture provided of the internal m.2 SSD is the 125G boot drive.

Attached are the Device Management screenshot, as well as the "Speccy" app I used:

In case the pics don't show up, here's a link:

https://postimg.cc/QKkNv8Sx

https://postimg.cc/xc6Nd5yj

Going back to the documentation link you sent me, indeed you are right, they mistakenly say that it's a 2.5" Sata drive. But funnily enough, they provide the correct reference of that drive:

https://postimg.cc/Sn2y6f8G

When you do a google search for that reference MZNTY128HDHP, it clearly shows that it's an M.2 drive (= the one I have).

So, to sum up and following your advice, my best bet would be to go for a 2.5" Sata SSD, since I have a convenient free enclosing, and it would avoid me having to switch the M.2 drive (which is less accessible, I would probably have to remove the graphics card too). Another added benefit I supposed, is if I ever do need to boot from the initial drive again, I can still do it.

With that new 2.5 SSD, I would just need to change the boot order (I still need to try the F10 key like you explained, or the other methods). After doing a bit more research online, I might just do a clone of my current C: drive to the new one, I which case I won't have to re-install everything.

EDIT: Actually as you say, I don't necessarily have to install a boot version on the new 2.5" SSD. I could just continue to boot from the current C:/, and use the new as an extension to have the added free space I need. Probably the easiest solution.

Regards,

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

daddle — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 22:22:33 GMT

@OliverT schrieb:
Yes, the picture provided of the internal m.2 SSD is the 125G boot drive
.....indeed you are right, they mistakenly say that it's a 2.5" Sata drive
...they provide the correct reference of that drive:

Well, by now we both knows it's a M.2 SATA SSD instead of the announced 2,5" SSD. The reference for the drive I had googled before, to confirm your sayings. 😉

If you want to do a parallel installation of Windows on the new drive, you have to take out te M.2 drive before doing this, or you get a mixed up bootloader.

Windows doesn't like installing a second Windows Bootmanager with both disks online.

So in that case you have to take the first Win Installation temporarily out, installing a new Win on the new disk, then you can replace the M.2 SSD again.

During bootup you then can choose which installation (disk) to boot from, preferably making use of the "Bootmenu". (F10 or F8 key)

Only if you do not have heavy spaceconsuming installations, like a lot of games and other big programs with a lot of Data, you can keep the 128 GB SSD for booting and the OS.

But if you want to install a lot of programs, you will need a bigger boot disk; 256 GB would do, better to be prepared for future use, is 500 GB.

Then indeed cloning your Windowsinstallation to a new 2.5" SSD, or making an image, saving it to your 3.5" HDD, then replace the M.2 SSD to a bigger sized model, 500 GB would be more then sufficient. And reflash the Image to the newly built in M.2 SSD.

If you need a lot of space for video, fotos etc, you still could add a much cheaper second 3.5" HDD with high capacity later. It is your choice,

But taking the video card out and replacing the M.2 SSD is not very difficult, you will see

Cheers, daddle

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

OliverT — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:24:20 GMT

@daddle

Thanks for the in-depth clarifications.

I have now all the required information (and more!) to be able to replace my SDD. I think I will finally opt for both an M.2 SDD for the OS, and a 2.5" with a case in the available slot.

It might be overkill, but since it's the first time I upgrade some hardware on that desktop, at least I'm set for a few more years using it. I also ordered more Ram, 32GB from the existing 16g, so now everything should run smoother.

Thanks for your time,

Regards,

Re: b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

daddle — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 22:30:31 GMT

@OliverT

In a former post you said there is an empty 3.5" SATA slot, not a 2,5"?

I also have a secondary 1TB HDD drive.
And there is an additional available 3.5" sata slot that is not used, placed under the DVD drive.

What si ever, glad to have helped. In this case please mark my post as a solution, and also a Kudo (Thumb up) for those helping posts would be nice.

Much success with the upgrading process.

Cheers, daddle