M.2 SSD installation question.


Well I finally got the M.2 installed. I found a screw that I could use and it holds it in place perfectly 👌

Now, I have to reinstall windows.

Thanks for the help 🙂
 

My Computer My Computer

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Windows 11 Home(RP) - 25H2 -26200.8728AMD Ryzen 5 5600GG.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
OS
Windows 11 Home(RP) - 25H2 -26200.8728
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Banana Junior 5600-G Series
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard
Asus ROG Strix B550-F
Memory
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
Monitor(s) Displays
28" ASUS VP28U 4k
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4K
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Primary SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus
PSU
EVGA BQ 700w 80+ Bronze
Case
Zalman i3 NEO
Cooling
ARCTIC Freezer 7 X
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Corsair
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Amazon Generic with Cord
Internet Speed
Download: 295.11 mbps Upload: 65.35 mbps T-Mobile Internet
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Firefox and Edge
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MS - Defender
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Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
I just need to reconnect the case fans and I'm all set
 

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Windows 11 Home(RP) - 25H2 -26200.8728AMD Ryzen 5 5600GG.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
OS
Windows 11 Home(RP) - 25H2 -26200.8728
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Banana Junior 5600-G Series
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard
Asus ROG Strix B550-F
Memory
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
Monitor(s) Displays
28" ASUS VP28U 4k
Screen Resolution
4K
Hard Drives
Primary SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus
PSU
EVGA BQ 700w 80+ Bronze
Case
Zalman i3 NEO
Cooling
ARCTIC Freezer 7 X
Keyboard
Corsair
Mouse
Amazon Generic with Cord
Internet Speed
Download: 295.11 mbps Upload: 65.35 mbps T-Mobile Internet
Browser
Firefox and Edge
Antivirus
MS - Defender
Other Info
Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
I'm starting to shake some, too. I can't speak for the little screwdriver that comes with that kit, but I bought this one and it's screwdriver had a magnetic pull strong enough that I didn't have any trouble either with assembly or insertion. More than likely all these companies include cheap screwdrivers that come from the same place. You'll do fine. If you fumble for 3 tries, walk away and come back to it. The more anxious you are the harder it will be. Strong light is the key.

I was proud of myself. I didn't lose a single one of the mini screws.....and I always lose screws.

I just added to my shopping cart for Jan. I have the M.2 installed, but I want to have a heat sync for it.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home(RP) - 25H2 -26200.8728AMD Ryzen 5 5600GG.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
OS
Windows 11 Home(RP) - 25H2 -26200.8728
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Banana Junior 5600-G Series
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard
Asus ROG Strix B550-F
Memory
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
Monitor(s) Displays
28" ASUS VP28U 4k
Screen Resolution
4K
Hard Drives
Primary SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus
PSU
EVGA BQ 700w 80+ Bronze
Case
Zalman i3 NEO
Cooling
ARCTIC Freezer 7 X
Keyboard
Corsair
Mouse
Amazon Generic with Cord
Internet Speed
Download: 295.11 mbps Upload: 65.35 mbps T-Mobile Internet
Browser
Firefox and Edge
Antivirus
MS - Defender
Other Info
Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11AMD Ryzen 5 560016 GBSapphire Radeon RX 6500XT (8 GB version)
    OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 5600
    Motherboard
    MSI B550-A Pro
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire Radeon RX 6500XT (8 GB version)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ Mobuiz EX2710Q QHD, Iiyama ProLite X23377HDS
    Hard Drives
    MSI Spatium M461 4TB
  • At a glance

    Windows 11Intel Celeron N4020
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer A114
    CPU
    Intel Celeron N4020
the screw must be M2 type as it's labelled "M2". i.e. 2mm M2 Metric coarse machine screws. ;-)
1702349509426.png

Well I finally got the M.2 installed. I found a screw that I could use and it holds it in place perfectly 👌
 

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Windows 7/11Intel i7-11800H32GB DDR4 3200MHzNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
OS
Windows 7/11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP/Lenovo/Asus
CPU
Intel i7-11800H
Motherboard
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro Gen 6
Memory
32GB DDR4 3200MHz
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 35WN65C-B
Screen Resolution
3440 x 1440
Hard Drives
1TB PCIe SSD
Other Info
Edition Windows 11 Pro
Version 25H2
Installed on ‎12/‎12/‎2025
OS build 26200.7462
I bought an ASUS motherboard back in 2017. It only has 1 NVME M.2 SSD slot. It was easy to put in the original SSD because the motherboard was outside the case. It was more challenging when I replaced it with a larger SSD since the motherboard was in the case. I don't want to put that screw in very often. I think I remember using a small screwdriver with a magnetized tip.

I used a PCIe card with an M.2 slot to add a 2nd M.2 NVME SSD. Again that was relatively easy because I mounted the SSD with the card outside the computer.
 

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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.6901)AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB...Crucial DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 32GB (2 x 16GB)NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.6901)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (2022)
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB RAM)
    Memory
    Crucial DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 32GB (2 x 16GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    Sound Card
    n/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 300Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 990 Evo Plus (2TB M.2 NVME SSD)
    PSU
    n/a
    Mouse
    Wireless Mouse M510
    Internet Speed
    2100Mbps/300Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
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    Malwarebytes
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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.8246)AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3DG.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3...
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.8246)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom build
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WiFi II
    Memory
    G.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3060-Ti, 8GB RAM)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung G50D IPS 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1440p/180Hz
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus (2TB] M.2 NVME SSD
    SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus (4TB) M.2 NVME SSD
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x (750 watts)
    Case
    Cooler Master MasterCase 5
    Cooling
    Scythe Mugen 6
    Keyboard
    Logitech K520 (MK540 keyboard/mouse combo)
    Mouse
    Logitech M310 (MK540 keyboard/mouse combo)
    Internet Speed
    2100 Mbps down / 300 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes (Premium)
    Other Info
    ASUS Blu-ray Burner BW-16D1HT (SATA) || Western Digital Easystore 20TB USB 3.0 external hard drive used with Acronis True Image 2025 backup software || HP OfficeJet Pro 6975 Printer/Scanner
How to correctly insert NVME SSD drive into motherboard:
(Video: 2 minutes 40 seconds)

Notice:
- use of magnetic screwdriver.
- when inserted SSD into motherboard, at angle of 30 degrees, push down into place using screw and screwdriver. In other words, don't push down using fingers. I find it works out much easier that way.
 
Last edited:

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11AMD Ryzen 5 560016 GBSapphire Radeon RX 6500XT (8 GB version)
    OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 5600
    Motherboard
    MSI B550-A Pro
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire Radeon RX 6500XT (8 GB version)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ Mobuiz EX2710Q QHD, Iiyama ProLite X23377HDS
    Hard Drives
    MSI Spatium M461 4TB
  • At a glance

    Windows 11Intel Celeron N4020
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer A114
    CPU
    Intel Celeron N4020
My motherboard is an ASUS Prime X470-Pro.
I remember the delicate operation to mount the M.2 drives on the motherboard and was thankful to have a small magnetic screwdriver, too.

After populating the two on-board M.2 slots, I expanded my number of M.2 drives with an earlier version of this card: Hyper M.2 x16 Gen 4 Card|Motherboards|ASUS USA
Depending on your motherboard and BIOS, the riser card can support 1 to 4 additional M.2 drives.
(With my configuration, the card supports only three additional M.2 drives.)
 

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Windows 11 Pro 26200.8655Ryzen 5 5600G24GB
OS
Windows 11 Pro 26200.8655
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Home Built
CPU
Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard
ASUS X470 Prime Pro
Memory
24GB
Monitor(s) Displays
Alienware 2518HF
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
Boot: NVME WDC WDS500G; ASUS M.2 Riser card with 3 additional NVME drives
Various Internal SDD (Samsung and WDC) and HDD drives mostly Western Digital
PSU
Seasonic Focus Gold 650W
Case
Corsair 200R
Cooling
Noctua PWM fans x 3
Keyboard
Corsair K60 SE Pro
Mouse
Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro SE
Internet Speed
500/500
Browser
MS Edge
Antivirus
Malwarebytes Premium
The first screw which is mounted on the motherboard has a stepped shoulder for the back of the M.2 drive to locate on!! then place the locking screw on.
 

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Windows 11 Pro 25H2Intel Alder lake i7 12700K32 Gb Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 XMP2EVGA 3070ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming & Intel Arc
OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
My Self
CPU
Intel Alder lake i7 12700K
Motherboard
Asus z690 Gaming WiFi D4, Bios Ver 4505
Memory
32 Gb Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 XMP2
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA 3070ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming & Intel Arc
Sound Card
Via Display port
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell AW2723DF
Screen Resolution
2560 x 1440 @ 280Hz G-Sync mode
Hard Drives
WD Black SN850 1Tb NVME (Boot Drive)
WD BLACK SN850X + Heatsink 1Tb NVME
Samsung 870 Qvo 1Tb SSD,
Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-219L
WD Black SN850x NVME 2Tb x3
PSU
Corsair RM850
Case
Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Tempered Glass
Cooling
Be Quiet Shadow Rock 3
Keyboard
Logitech G Pro
Mouse
Logitech G903, Lightspeed + Powerplay Mat
Internet Speed
900Mb/900Mb Fritz!Box 7590ax v2
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
MS Defender
Other Info
Logitech C930e webcam
Synology DS218 play 2 x 4Tb Synology HAT3300-4T
Yes, it is called a Standoff, and is a bit chunkier, hence should be easier to fasten down than the M.2 screw.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11AMD Ryzen 5 560016 GBSapphire Radeon RX 6500XT (8 GB version)
    OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 5600
    Motherboard
    MSI B550-A Pro
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire Radeon RX 6500XT (8 GB version)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ Mobuiz EX2710Q QHD, Iiyama ProLite X23377HDS
    Hard Drives
    MSI Spatium M461 4TB
  • At a glance

    Windows 11Intel Celeron N4020
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer A114
    CPU
    Intel Celeron N4020
I'm starting to shake some, too. I can't speak for the little screwdriver that comes with that kit, but I bought this one and it's screwdriver had a magnetic pull strong enough that I didn't have any trouble either with assembly or insertion. More than likely all these companies include cheap screwdrivers that come from the same place.

FYI you can magnetize just about any screwdriver by sliding a strong magnet along the shaft ten or fifteen times from handle to tip. No need to buy one special ... unless you can't find a magnet.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win11Ryzen 7 7700X32GB DDR5 G.SkillRTX 4060
OS
Win11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom
CPU
Ryzen 7 7700X
Motherboard
Gigabyte B-650 Aorus Elite AX
Memory
32GB DDR5 G.Skill
Graphics Card(s)
RTX 4060
Sound Card
On-board
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell U2518 Dell U3223
Screen Resolution
3840x2160
Hard Drives
1TB M.2 AData, Samsung 860 EVO, WD 5000AADS, WD10EZEX
PSU
EVGA 850
Cooling
AK400
Keyboard
Logi MXKeys
Mouse
Logi MX Master 3
Internet Speed
200 Mbps
Browser
Firefox, Vivaldi, Brave
magnet off the back of an old loudspeaker works well.
 

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    Win7,Win11i7-97002x16gb 3600mhz
    OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-9700
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x16gb 3600mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
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    cryorig m9i
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    win7,win11i5-84002x8gb 3200
    Operating System
    win7,win11
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    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200
    PSU
    xfx pro 450

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