Maximum disk capacity T480

[bkahler]

I currently have a T430 with 512 Gb SSD in the SATA drive, 256 Gb MSata in the WWan socket and a 2TB mechanical drive replacing my DVD Tray.

Now, I am thinking about replacing it with a T480 and obviously I cnnot get as much storage into it (I think) T480 appears not to support the 4TB SSD disks, since they seem to come only in 7mm 2.5" form and T480 only supports the narrower M.2 2280 format. However, some time ago when I ran the Lenovo configurator, I seem to rememberthat I was provided with the a 1TB HDD option, but as of today it is gone.

What I did find out of, was that despite not being on their website, they offer a 2TB SSD in the main dock in NVme M.2 PCie 2280 form. IT also appeared that in the secondary slot (the WWAN) only a 128 Gb SSD is available (NVME PCIe M.2 2242 form).

So, It seems that 2 TB + 128 Gb is the maximum capacity.

Can anyone think about a way to get a larger capacity.?

[saperkus]

So, It seems that 2 TB + 128 Gb is the maximum capacity.

Can anyone think about a way to get a larger capacity.?

You can buy a Toshiba RC100, which is a M.2 2242 PCIe SSD. It have up to 480GB capacity, so in total you'll have M.2 2280 PCIe 2TB + M.2 2242 PCIe 480GB. I'm afraid there's no way to get it higher.

[w0qj]

Well, if you really must have big internal capacity, try these new (expensive!) solutions:

ThinkPad P1 Workstation which has 15" LCD form factor, with: Max 4 GB = 2 x 2GB PCIe NVMe SSD.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=126850

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme also 15" LCD form factor, with: Max 2 GB = 2 x 1GB PCIe NVMe SSD
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=126955

[jdrou]

If you are more concerned with capacity than performance you could put a 4 TB SATA SSD in the main bay. The M.2 2280 slot is an adapter in the 7mm 2.5" drive bay.
I believe that the 2242 slot may have better theoretical performance than than the 2280 slot. From what I've read it sounds like the 2242 slot uses PCIe x4 while the adapter in the main bay limits speed to PCIe x2. Unfortunately the Toshiba 2242 drive appears to be only x2 though so that would be a bottleneck on that side. I've got the parts to test this (240 GB RC100, 1 TB Samsung 970 Pro, and an NVMe extension cable) but haven't gotten around to it yet.

[Natakranta]

I thought a bit of thredomancy will be better then opening new thread regarding same matter

I recently purchased new T480 with the m.2 256GB SSD in main bay.
I'd like to add 2nd SSD to WWAN m.2 slot to install Linux on it to dual boot.
I haven't opened the laptop yet, only read so far it must be m.2 NVME (not SATA) SSD in 2242mm form factor.
Not easy combination to get hold on. I found SAMSUNG PM991 NVME M2 SSD 256GB which is 2230mm, a 12mm shorter
So I wander if anybody could point me to an extension that could be used to properly mount it in the slot with the screw.

[jdrou]

Extension boards are out there on ebay, etc.
I think this place had the lowest price:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/660620483/ ... on-bracket
I assume he's doing 3D printing in small batches.

Main drives available (some in both 30mm and 42mm sizes):
Western Digital/SanDisk SN520 (or newer SN530 up to 1 TB)
Toshiba/OCZ RC100 (BG3 is OEM version of this) (or newer BG4 available by opening up a Tuff Nano 1 TB external drive)
Sabrent Rocket Nano (up to 2 TB)
That Samsung one seems to be new; WD and Toshiba drives have been out for quite a while.

[RealBlackStuff]

An extension bracket like that can also be easily made from an old credit card.
Cut one in a few strips of ~20mm wide.
Strip 1 is ~15mm, strip 2 is ~12mm, strip 3 is ~8mm long.
Glue strip 1 and 2 together, so that edges B and D are together.
Glue strip 3 under strip 2, so that edges A and E are together.
Use e.g. Superglue, or use Kapton tape to hold them all together.
The NVME card slides in the !!!! space between strips 1 and 3.
At the BD-end you make a tiny cut or hole to fit the "bracket" mounting screw.

strip 1: A =============== B
strip 2: C !!!!============ D (where !!!! = ~3mm space for NVME)
strip 3: E ==========

The lengths of strips 1 and 2 are estimates, and could maybe be a mm longer or shorter.
Worst case you may need two strips 2.
Easy to measure once you have that NVME.

As for durability, I have used pieces of credit card as mounting brackets for half-size wifi-cards in full-size wifi-slots, where they all worked perfectly.

[roscop]

Hello,

For the secondary mpcie slot with 2242 card type (the wwan m.2 slot), another option is to buy a Western Digital SN500. NOT the SN550

Max capacity : ~500GB for often 80$ or less.

You'll see a 2280 type drive, but all component are grouped in the first 30 millimeters. You can saw it for fitting a 2242 drive type.
WD made

I'm currently using such drive, work like a charm since months.

Best regards

[Natakranta]

Thanks guys for all your comments and advises, appreciated!

I've got that Samsung drive today and gave it a try. To my greatest disappointment it doesn't fit the slot. picture.
If I put it upside down, the narrow 5 pin tip does not fit, or rather the other side of the card does not fit. If I align long sidenof the card, the short side doesn't fit the slot. Clearly it is the wrong type card.
As per my research it supposed to be a m.2 nvme SSD card. Comparison pictures.
Is it the "B-M" thing? That this Samsung drive has only M and is missing B, like on the Toshibas below?
I'm lost now. I was going to buy this Toshiba RC100-M22242-120G SSD untill I saw its refurbished.
or same Toshiba but new, and it will take a while to get here from China.
or similar price but double storage Western-Digital

And I need to add one thing. I really don't like opening T480. I wsa so scarred something is going to snap in the process.
Working on old Thinkpads is so much less nerve wrecking.

[RealBlackStuff]

The SSD in your first picture should fit upside down in the T480.
Official Lenovo T480 M.2 NVMe drive pic here: https://www.ebay.ie/itm/283814007850
The other Tosh/WD drives are the wrong type for that machine.
Are you trying to fit that in the WWAN-slot?

[Natakranta]

Hi RBS! That eBay listing you linked expired. [fixed]

That's the thing, it should fit in but it didn't. I just took the picture the other way arround to show the label on the SSD card.
Yes, I'm trying to put it in the WWAN m.2 slot to have second drive on top of the original m.2 2280 sitting in the 2.5" bay there.

Look 1:45min and 2:00min in the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNwpxPlQhv8&t=105s

that guy is putting in SSD with two cutouts like the Toshibas I linked.
I thought 2 cutouts (like the Toshiba RC100) are SATA m.2
and one cutout (like my Samsung PM991) is NVMe m.2 . It even states on the label it is NVMe

So I'm lost, cose I thought T480 WWAN m.2 slot acepts only m.2 NVMe and it looks like it takes SATA m.2, or there is hell lot of I'm missing here.

Edit
For comparioson:
m.2 SATA 2280 in USB adapter sitting tight, perfect fit and checked working. That's from HP laptop for which I bought bigger m.2 SATA SSD.

Samsung PM991 NVMe in the same adapter, it doesn't fit the same way it didn't fit in the morning to T480 WWAN m.2 slot
If I allign from one side, the other is not fitting, picture 2

I'm writing my exam on this T480 on Thursday so I'm not that keen on disassembling and reassembling it back and forth.

[Natakranta]

This is good article explaining m.2 SATA vs NVMe
If I get it right, m.2 slot in my T480 is of a B-key (cutout on the left only), that means it needs SSC cards with B-key cutout, but still NVMe (not SATA) but just PCIe x2 speed.
The difference is B-key supports PCIe x2 while M-key supports PCIe x4 (twice faster data interface).
That Samsung PM991 NVMe is M-key card, that needs PCIe x4 interface, unfortunately T480 limits at PCIe x2 so Lenovo blocked the m.2 WWAN slot with B-key to prevent PCIe x4 SSDs to be inserted.

Now I wander if it could handle an SATA m.2 SSD like 240GB Transcend M.2 SATA III 6Gb/s SSD MTS420, it has B+M cutouts, only question if that port is SATA compatibilie, or only NVMe PCIe x2
Well, I can test when I get my T440p back. It's using exact Transcend m.2 SATA SSD

[RealBlackStuff]

For the WLAN slot (T480 uses Intel AC-8265) Intel says:

Basic requirements:
A motherboard that has an M.2 Socket with Key E, also known as:

M.2 for Wi-Fi
M.2 Socket 1

Note: You cannot install the Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 Desktop Kit with M.2 Socket 3 (Key M) or Socket 2 (Key B).

This applies to the WWAN slot.
Fibocom (WWAN-module maker) says:

The Fibocom L850 WWAN module [as used in T480] applies standard M.2 Key-B interface, with a total of 75 pins.

[Natakranta]

Hello,
For the secondary mpcie slot with 2242 card type (the wwan m.2 slot), another option is to buy a Western Digital SN500. NOT the SN550
Max capacity : ~500GB for often 80$ or less.
You'll see a 2280 type drive, but all component are grouped in the first 30 millimeters. You can saw it for fitting a 2242 drive type.
WD made
I'm currently using such drive, work like a charm since months.
Best regards

Monsieur, you talked me into douing gettho mode Never thought I'll be sawing SSD card
I've just bought Western Digital WD Blue SN500 500gb SSD for 50GBP, that came to 65EUR including postage and forwarding to Ireland. Not bad. Now let's get the saw ready.

[Natakranta]

This applies to the WWAN slot.
Fibocom (WWAN-module maker) says:

The Fibocom L850 WWAN module [as used in T480] applies standard M.2 Key-B interface, with a total of 75 pins.

That confirms my observations. T480 WWAN m.2 slot is B-key. My bad is I didn't do my homework properly before ordering that Samsung SSD.
Now I konw better the differences between m.2 SSD types

[Natakranta]

As I said above, I bought WD Blue SN500 a 500GB NVMe SSD with B & M key, but it sort of doesn't fit to my T480 WWAN m.2 slot picture 1.
So I took a metal saw, file and rotary disk to do some ghetto modding, and that's what I came up with , picture 2, picture 3
Somehow I didn't break the SSD and it works, picture 4, picture 5.

Thanks to roscop for giving the idea

[RealBlackStuff]

Nice job, good to know that such a mod is possible.