2.5 inch SSD install on laptop

Tamas · 25 Aug 2021 at 14:13

I have got my new laptop NL50RU Clevo with AMD 7 CPU. I was trying to install my 2TB Samsung 860EVO SSD with the SATA flex cable provided but my BIOS can not see the SSD. Any specific trick i have to do during the installation process? I was disconneting the battery first, then install the blue ribbon cable on the motherboard and lastly plugged the SSD into the sata slot of the cable then fixed it on the caddy. Everything is brand new, exept the SSD which is around 2 yrs old purchased from overlockers. On my old laptop the SSD works well so i am pretty sure there is something with the installation on the new hardware. I was checking the ribbon cable 5 times already connecting on the right way to the motherboard, all looks okay.
What can be the problem then??

Orcvader · 25 Aug 2021 at 14:25

Finally worked out how to make your own thread

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I can't find any pictures of the laptop opened up, but I can see it does have a m.2 slot. Have you tried taking out the m.2 drive, and then seeing if the BIOS can see the SATA SSD afterwards? Some systems will disable the SATA port if a m.2 drive in SATA mode is slotted in.

Tamas · 25 Aug 2021 at 16:46

I try to paste a picture here about my layout if possible...
https://ibb.co/kXndg2F

As you can see on the picture, on the left around middle there is an NVME SSD. Below there is a space for 2.5 inch SSD (left side of the battery). On the right side of the NVME SSD that blue cable is the SATA flex cable.

Tamas · 25 Aug 2021 at 16:53

Orcvader said:
Finally worked out how to make your own thread .

I can't find any pictures of the laptop opened up, but I can see it does have a m.2 slot. Have you tried taking out the m.2 drive, and then seeing if the BIOS can see the SATA SSD afterwards? Some systems will disable the SATA port if a m.2 drive in SATA mode is slotted in.

No, i have not tried yet..If i take out the NVME SSD and the bios will see the 2.5 inch SSD then what? Shall i just place it back the NVME and all good? As my system is on NVME but all my data is on 2.5 inch so definiatelly i need both to work fully.

Orcvader · 25 Aug 2021 at 19:16

Wait, I'm a little confused. Is Windows already installed on the m.2 drive? Are you just trying to add a second drive to expand storage? Does Window's disk management see the SSD?

When you mentioned BIOS, you don't mean Windows right?

Can you get the model number of the m.2 drive? It might be a SATA drive using the m.2 interface and not an NVMe drive. The laptop could be redirecting the SATA port to the m.2 slot if that's the case. This is why I suggested unplugging the m.2 drive to see if BIOS can see the SATA SSD.

Tamas · 25 Aug 2021 at 19:38

Orcvader said:
Wait, I'm a little confused. Is Windows already installed on the m.2 drive? Are you just trying to add a second drive to expand storage? Does Window's disk management see the SSD?

When you mentioned BIOS, you don't mean Windows right?

Can you get the model number of the m.2 drive? It might be a SATA drive using the m.2 interface and not an NVMe drive. The laptop could be redirecting the SATA port to the m.2 slot if that's the case. This is why I suggested unplugging the m.2 drive to see if BIOS can see the SATA SSD.

Hang on, this laptop running on linux. I do not use windows at all.
You can find all the details about the laptop here:
https://laptopwithlinux.com/product/clevo-nl50ru-amd/

The SSD is 500GB M.2 PCie NVMe Samsung. This is the main SSD. (Model no.: MZ-V8V500)
And yes, linux is already installed and i want to add a second drive to expand storage. BIOS I mean the BIOS...System meaning the OS i am running on the laptop, in my case Arch linux.
And nothing can see my SSD. Not BIOS, not Arch linux, not Debian, not from live USB Gparted, not even Clonezilla. I was trying all of them...

The 2.5 SSD is a 2TB Samsung 860EVO with almost full of data, working great on my old laptop.

darael · 26 Aug 2021 at 08:23

The laptop might not support an NVME and SATA drive installed at the same time. Have you checked that this is actually possible, rather than just physically possible?

My first port of call would be to update the BIOS, but CLEVO's site is hardly forthcoming with basic details such as a changelog. Failing that, contact their support.

Here are some links that you might have already tried:
BIOS: https://my.hidrive.com/share/yze8mg-wf8#$/BIOS and EC Firmware/CLEVO/N_Series/NLxxx/NL5xRU (linked from CLEVO's site, in case you question the HiDrive source)
Contact page: https://clevo-computer.com/en/contact-form

Tamas · 26 Aug 2021 at 08:42

darael said:
The laptop might not support an NVME and SATA drive installed at the same time. Have you checked that this is actually possible, rather than just physically possible?

My first port of call would be to update the BIOS, but CLEVO's site is hardly forthcoming with basic details such as a changelog. Failing that, contact their support.

Here are some links that you might have already tried:
BIOS: https://my.hidrive.com/share/yze8mg-wf8#$/BIOS and EC Firmware/CLEVO/N_Series/NLxxx/NL5xRU (linked from CLEVO's site, in case you question the HiDrive source)
Contact page: https://clevo-computer.com/en/contact-form

Thanks, but i would rather wait for sellers's respond. As i have 14 days return back the laptop if i not satisfied with the product. However they are selling this laptop as nvme & 2.5 inch ssd combo.
Currently i am doing email ping pong with the seller.

Tamas · 27 Aug 2021 at 11:58

I did some investigation on the SATA flex cable.
https://ibb.co/vvDcR6n
https://ibb.co/GMWZkpT

As you can see at the mark "20624" between 0 and 6 the copper thread might be broken. Maybe that is causing the issue. i do not know. I was also trying remove the NVME SSD and boot with only the 2.5 inch ssd but the BIOS can not see.
All i can do is trying with an other ribbon cable. I was ordering from ebay one, will arrive around Tuesday next week. ( i was trying to buy the same one but could not find, so i do not know how will it work)

darael · 27 Aug 2021 at 21:55

You could test that cable with a multimeter if you have one to hand. Otherwise just wait to see if your new cable works.

Did you damage the cable, or did it arrive damaged? I would be speaking with the seller if it arrived damaged.

Tamas · 27 Aug 2021 at 22:19

darael said:
You could test that cable with a multimeter if you have one to hand. Otherwise just wait to see if your new cable works.

Did you damage the cable, or did it arrive damaged? I would be speaking with the seller if it arrived damaged.

It has arrived like this. I do not have multimeter so can not check the cable but does not matter as this is a wrong cable anyway sended by the company as mistake.
Today they were sending me an email about this:
"We have already done some tests and found out what the problem is. Apparently, the NL50RU needs a different (wider) flex cable than an NL51CU/LU. Although the laptop is almost identical, the SATA flex cable of the NL50RU is slightly wider. We did not know this at all. We have sent you a flex cable from the NL51CU/LU thinking that it is the same."
So hopefully problem will be solved with the new cable. Probably next week i can get it.