I don't think this system is M.2/SSD - compatible. The problem with M.2 expansion slots is that it allows to use connector TYPE, not necessarily provide COMPATIBILITY. That is: depending on the implementation of the system board manufacturer it can be all, any or either of PCIe, SATA or USB.
All depends on the wiring and components.There is nothing in the documentation on the E5550 that it's M.2 is SATA compatible. In fact, nothing says anything on compatibility of those slots, so it's safe to assume it's only PCIe/USB or just USB compatible. But you'll never know, so best bet is to try first - search for friendly repair shop and ask them to fit one mSATA drive to test it works.EDIT: M.2 support of SSD depends on how the slot has been implemented on the specific motherboard.
Amazon.com: Protronix SATA Optical Bay 2nd Hard Drive Caddy, Universal for 12.7mm CD/DVD Drive Slot (for SSD and HDD): Computers & Accessories.
If pins are wired according to M.2/SATA standard, then all is good - M.2 SSD will be connected to onboard SATA controller. However, it obviously requires paths being laid on the motherboard between M.2 slot and SATA controller. If M.2 is implemented as PCIe-only, it will be connected to chipset (simplification), if as USB - then it will connect to USB hub. If as full M.2 (all-compatible), then it will accept any device in proper factor and connector-type. But it's most expensive to do (as it requires extra hardware), so it's rare in laptops, especially low-mid range.EDIT2: M.2 is a new version of mSATA. There is physical connector difference, for starters.
![Ssd caddy for laptop Ssd caddy for laptop](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125642963/537620949.png)
But: mSATA is an essentially SATA-compatible drive with connector of the size and format of mPCIe slot. It differs from mPCIe in pin arrangements. So, in essence, mSATA looks like mPCIe but it's not, however if motherboard manufacturer so chooses, the slot will support either (or more;). Usually manufacturers both mark and market given motherboard/system as having mSATA connector. Same with M.2 - it needs to be manufactured as supporting SSD drives and usually will be marked as such.Other difference is that M.2 is not limited to connecting to SATA controller (like mSATA was). It can use PCIe bus, which is waaay faster.I hope answer is now clearer, as my mental shortcutting in the original version could be very confusing.
I have recieved following response from Dell support (translated to english):In our tech-specs database I have found following supported diskmodels for this model (E5550): Haswell: 500GB 7200rpm HDD 128GB SSDDell Fast Response Free Fall Sensor and HDD IsolationBroadwell: 500GB 7200rpm HDD 128GB SSD 256GB SSD 128GB mSATA 250GB7200 HDD 1TB 5400 HDD 512GB SSD 256GB SED SSD 500GB 5400 SED + FIPS(Hybrid) Dell Fast Response Free Fall Sensor and HDD IsolationAbout the M.2 port:The new Dell Latitude series use the M.2 Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) cards for the mini-card slots. This new type of expansion slot has replaced the older mini-card slot.This new form factor is smaller than the original mini-cards and half mini-cards in size, and is based on PCI Express x3, SATA 3 and USB 3.0 technology, making the NGFF card much faster than the older mini-cards. Primarily, these cards are used for wireless options including WWAN and WLAN.
They also support multiple function add-in cards including: the WiFi and Bluetooth combo module, Global Navigation Satellite Systems, Near Field Communication (NFC), Hybrid Digital Radio, Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig), and Solid-State Storage Devices.There are two expansion card slots offered with the Dell Latitude systems: 1 WWAN/HCA and 1 WLAN/BT/WiGig.I have also found information for this model that mSata SDD should not be put in the WWAN cards slot (unlike in previous models) but uses the space for HDD. See attached photos:This is the only offically supported scenario and the M.2 slot is very small so it would be difficult to find a disk that would fit in - so it is not suitable for M.2 SSD installation.
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![2nd 2nd](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125642963/795617071.jpg)
Search first - avoid reposting. Flair your posts!. No reposts, spam, self-promotion or rehosted content. Don’t editorialize titles or submit clickbait. No selling No affiliate linksCommon Links.General SupportDell support on Twitter:Dell product support:. Hey, I'd be interested if it is possible to use two hard drives in a Latitude 5580?It seems that the manual does not allow for this, but has anyone tried it? There might be enough physical space for a 2.5' without housing (most 2.5' hay a quite small PCB).Also, for both (2.5' and m.2) there are special accessories.
There is a bracket for the m.2 and a hdd cage and cable for the 2.5'. So if I order a model with only the m.2, will I also get the accessories for the 2.5', so I could swap them later?. As many commentators have posted, there's a single 2.5' drive bay which is intersected by the m.2 bay, meaning that if one is present there's not enough room for the other.However, my desire for a second drive in my Dell 5580 was quite strong. I did look over small form factor USB 2/3 sticks but they didn't seem like satisfactory solutions.
In the end I reasoned that I just needed a shorter 2.5' SSD to fit the available space. My google-fu seemed to only find a few industrial models that fulfilled this criteria and they were rejected on the grounds of both small capacity and large cost.In the end I took a gamble and took a Sansdisk 2,5' SSD to the bandsaw.I ordered the caddy kit from ebay at a cost of about 10GBP, although this was mainly for the connector from laptop mobo to standard SATA. I ended up not electing to use the caddy, as the fit was quite snug and simply used a piece of insulation tape, although cutting down the caddy would have been easily achievable. It fits perfectly in the space left over in the 2.5' bay and as a result I'm now the happy owner of a Dell 5580 with twin SSDs.edited for typoIt seems there's little that brute force and a band saw can't overcome. I contacted dell support this morning about part numbers for the caddy and was told that the part is not available and the part number was not in their system.
I tried to be creative and I found a 5580 in the dell store that came with a 2.5' drive and found the item code W5HKH and had the support guy search for that but he can't decode it I guess without the matching service tag.So, what I think I need is for someone who has a 5580 that came with a 2.5' drive to contact Dell support and try to find out the replacement part number. I would be appreciative if anyone was willing to do this and post the part number information here.Thanks for the ebay link but it is for a caddy for an E5580 not a 5580. I'm not sure that they would be the same, and if they were I would think that some savvy seller would list it as being 5580 compatible.I'm supposed to get my laptop in the mail this week and i'll probably open it up and verify everything right away.
I purchased the drive caddy from Ebay and I opened up my laptop. I found that1) Adding a 2.5' drive along with the M.2 drive is impossible because they would both occupy the same space if secured with the drive caddy2) I have the 6 cell battery and installing a 2.5' drive is impossible due to the battery taking up all of the space.Here is a picture of the insides of my 5580:Here is a picture with the battery removed:And here is the caddy laid in where it should go to show how it overlaps the M.2 drive:. Hello,So first of.
I don't think it is possible from Dells standpoint, so asking their customer service won't give you any good results.But I think there might be enough space (if you have the smaller battery!!) to fit a 2280 and a 2.5' without case or shortened case in there. But this might be a dodgy solution.This is an example of the currently available samsung SSDs:Remember: the case of an SSD is usually also the heatsinkThe two things I don't know: is there actually enough space to add two drives?Is possible with the used electronics/software to have two drives in parallel?
I hope so.Do you have the tools and want to try it? I would be really interested into seeing some pictures if this is possible.Edit: you will also need to buy the 2.5' cable from ebay if you only have the m.2 installed currently.