7mm SSD Enclosure for T420s

[bapatterson]

I have a few Dell Adamos at the office with 256GB Samsung SSDs in them. Due to the size of the Adamo, they are mounted without enclosures (i.e., just the board with the chips on it).

I want to buy a T420s and install the Samsung drive in it, but I can't locate a source for the 7mm SSD enclosures so I can place one of the Samsung drives in it.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for an enclosure?

[Q-Ball]

You're going to get an enclosure when you order the T420s- since it comes with a hard drive installed anyways.

I'd make doubly sure those Samsung drives are 7mm, then just get a T420s with the smallest hard drive since you won't use it anyways.

[bapatterson]

Two different things. By enclosure, I mean the exterior case for the SSD, not the slot in the T420s where the guts of the SSD in its case fits.

The bare SSD chips and the board on which they are mounted are probably 3mm. I just need the 7mm exterior case in which to place them.

[Q-Ball]

I hope you mean "External enclosure to put a spare hard drive/SSD in" because you won't find re-shelling for SSD's to make them thinner so that they can actually fit into the T420s.

To answer that other question, Newegg.com has some pretty good ones.
You don't need a special frame (or if you do the enclosure comes with one) to put the SSD into the case.

[erik]

bapatterson: with this being a micro-SATA SSD, you would need to adapt it to a standard SATA socket for it to physically interface with the T420s.   there might be a few 1.8" to 2.5" SATA adapters out there that are built on a flat bread board, allowing you to rig something up to make it work.   unfortunately there aren't any direct solutions for the problem you have.

the blue circuit board adapter from this setup just might do the trick: http://www.newmodeus.com/shop/index.php ... cts_id=300

it would need so sort of shim (plastic, foam, etc.) to keep it from being able to move vertically in the chassis.   you could potentially use the factory 7mm rubber rails and make up the difference with plastic or foam.


Q-Ball: i think you're a bit confused on the situation here.   the SSD in reference here is a bare circuit board with no outer shell.   no metal or plastic surrounds the board.

here is a photo of the 128GB version of this SSD: http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqYOKkQE1r ... lQ~~_3.JPG

[bapatterson]

Q-Ball:

Since I want the SSD to be my primary drive, an external enclosure would be worthless to me.

SSDs are in cases, so I assume somewhere there is a source for them. I just haven't been able to find one.

If not, I may be able to mount the bare drive in the T420s, but I will have to deal with some flex issues.

[bapatterson]

Thanks erik.

I have to admit that I thought the Samsung drive was a 2.5" drive. Didn't even realize it was 1.8".

The solution you linked to will be a big help.

Much appreciated.

[Greg Gebhardt]

If you are replacing your current drive the IBM 160GB SSD fit perfectly when you remove the plastic spacer that is attached from the factory.