T430 - how can I use ExpressCard slot?

[br1anstorm]

I have an T430 which I use as a spare/backup laptop. I notice it has an "Expresscard" slot (filled by a dummy plastic tray). I cannot recall ever using an Expresscard - indeed I'm not entirely sure what they look like or can do, and I understand they are more-or-less obsolete.

However.... I'm just wondering if it is possible to find an adapter which goes into the Expresscard slot and which holds a small ("half-size") mSATA SSD?

I ask because I have already successfully fitted an mSATA SSD into the WWAN slot inside the T430 - which gives me one extra drive. It just occurred to me that it would be useful to have another drive. Doesn't have to be bootable - it could just provide storage capacity for data.

But I'm not entirely sure what to look for and what the detailed spec needs to be for such an Expresscard/mSATA SSD adapter (assuming such a thing exists). An online search throws up a range of items, most of which seem to be for building into desktops, not sliding into an existing Expresscard slot in a laptop

[RealBlackStuff]

Have you considered replacing the CD/DVD with an SSD caddy and SSD drive?

[br1anstorm]

Have you considered replacing the CD/DVD with an SSD caddy and SSD drive?

Ah, you must be clairvoyant! Yes, been there, done that ... and it is an easy and convenient modification. But right now the caddy is on the shelf, the SSD is in another laptop, and I have reinstated the original CD/DVD drive - because I still use discs.

So yes, I could go the CD/DVD caddy route again. But I was just interested in exploring what - if anything - could be done with the Expresscard slot as another possible option.

I guess what I'm looking for is something like this https://thinkmods.store/products/expres ... me-adapter, which takes an NVMe (m.2?) SSD. I'd like a similar adapter which takes an mSATA SSD like the one that fits in the WWAN slot. Does such an adapter exist?

[axur-delmeria]

I'd like a similar adapter which takes an mSATA SSD like the one that fits in the WWAN slot. Does such an adapter exist?

No, it doesn't exist, because it's more trouble than it's worth-- an Expresscard is basically a hotplug-capable PCIe x1 slot. In order to make an Expresscard --> mSATA adapter, you'd need to squeeze in a PCIe SATA controller chip while leaving enough open space for the mSATA SSD. It might be possible to design (though I have serious doubts), but frankly, it's pointless because mSATA is a niche SSD format.

Also, regarding that Thinkmods NVMe adapter, don't get it. The owner has been MIA for a while: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comme ... thinkmods/

Someone tested a different adapter: https://ounapuu.ee/posts/2022/10/04/tes ... d-adapter/

[br1anstorm]

Thanks @axur-delmeria, that helps to clarify things a bit.

Just to add to the information, my enquiry was prompted in part by seeing this YouTube video https://youtu.be/cfi-GSLijG8?si=XopTKPqwDMlHzwex.

I wasn't looking to try the NVME option, which seemed to be a step further (and perhaps more of a mod) than just adding an mSATA SSD. And I thought that physically, an mSATA SSD might be more compact and so easier to fit into an Expresscard casing than an NVME drive.

But if no-one has tried it and there is no source of supply (not even AliExpress from China) then it does look like a non-starter.

[axur-delmeria]

An mSATA SSD is physically larger than an M.2 2242 SSD, as seen in this photo:


Top left: M.2 2242 SSD
Top right: mSATA SSD
Bottom: M.2 2280 SSD

Unless you're thinking of a half-length mSATA SSD, though AFAIK these are less common.

[TPFanatic]

Expresscard to nvme works well for me, the adapter is $30 or so on ebay and aliexpress and small 2230 nvmes are affordable on ebay. Biggest ive gotten is 512gb but they go up to 2tb i think at a large premium.

[dr_st]

That's a T430, not T430s, right? So it should have an SDXC slot where you could fit an SDXC card up to 2TB, I believe.

[Tinstaafl]

I used the ExpressCard slot on my W500 to add 2 x USB 3 ports. The card sits flush with the case so I don't have to worry about knocking it around, unlike something that protrudes.

[kfzhu1229]

Doesn't have to be bootable - it could just provide storage capacity for data.

Have you tried perhaps buying a large sized sdcard and leave it permanently plugged inside? I do that all the time on my devices that the sdcard inserts all the way with, this way if I want to try out another laptop and want much of my data with it, I can quickly do so.

[Jake.Werecat]

Why tinker so much? Wouldn't it be easier to just get a standard 2.5" SATA SSD with 2,4 or 8TB of space? Those are easily accessable, not so darn expensive anymore and work with not extra modifications and no problems.