b150h4-em Version 2.0 SSD type?

[OliverT]

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,

[daddle]

@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

[OliverT]

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,

[daddle]

@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

[OliverT]

@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,

[daddle]

@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

. 

[OliverT]

@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,

[daddle]

 @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

[OliverT]

@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,

[OliverT]

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,