Replacement from a SSD PCIe to M.2 ? Alienware 17 R4

Hi guys, new here, I really enjoin all topics what I find here and all help you are giving.

I have some questions regarding a change of SSD in the new Alienware 17 R4, I did my search but I do not find the exact answers to all my issue's related to a new SSD.
And yes, sorry about my English, I'm dutch and never really write in English…

I ordered a new Alienware 17 R4 a month ago and I was wondering something.
I did a kind of mistake and have chosen in the configuration an SSD PCIe of 128 Gb + 1To hard drive. Now I see that dell is proposing the system SATA M.2 (I do not know if I miss this on the configuration or they added recently or maybe the dutch site of dell…) but it really intrigued me…

Now, can I change my current SSD to a SATA M.2 model ? Does my motherboard support this (slot, placement,…) ?
If it is the case, could you please advise me on one of the best model in the market for this kind of change ? what is the difference between all those models : M.2 PCIe, M.2 NVMe, M.2 SATA… ???

Now of curse if this is all possible, I will need to replace my current Windows 10 (now in SSD PCIe of 128 Gb) to the new one. Is this possible ? how do we proceed to this in a really proper way ?? I mean that I do not what to loose the Alienrespawn, sound drivers, alienFX, ect… but the exact same Windows what Alienware has given me the first day.

I'm sorry this can be some noob questions but I'm really not used to it. And want to learn…
I really appreciate all help

 

Follow these steps if you're using RAID and want to change to AHCI. First, switch to safe mode and change drivers from RAID to AHCI. Google it to find out how. Its very easy. Or simply clone it to new SSD using Samsung's free tool or Macrium Reflect.
EDIT: As @Maxed Out said, PCIe SSD are way better than SATA drives for IO intensive applications. For general use, you won't notice a difference between PCIe and SATA.

 

Do yourself a favor and do not use a SATA m.2 drive. Get the Samsung 960 Pro or the 950 Pro. SATA has a limit of ~600MBps and these Samsung drives are PCIe X4 NVMe drives and the 960 Pro can do ~3500MBps while the 950 Pro does ~2500MBps.

I have 2 Samsung 950 Pro 512GB in RAID0 in my machine and am waiting for a deal on some Samsung 960 Pros. I also have the Samsung 850 Pro 1TB which is a SATA drive, huge difference.

 

Ok super ! Thanks for your answers guys!


So if I understand it right they should be no problems with the replacement of the SSD PCIe slot to NVMe M.2 in the Alienware. Super !

Where I'm stock a bit is regarding the replacement of SSD related with the RAID/AHCI, What have Alienware actually by default ? I suppose RAID ?

I do find tutorials, but I see also so many different ways and problems concerning this (do not recognize the SSD, impossible to install correct drivers,…). I'm a little bit lost on what I need to do first with all this (changing BIOS then install the drivers then clone ? then change system to RAID again ? ect…) What is actually the best and easier way to deal with that and coming back to exactly same system SSD/HDD that where by default ?

I see all kind of methods, clone, transfer, migration… Can I not simply install the SSD and install a clean Windows (10) on it, the current one has only windows on it, I do not care to clone or transfer the exact same partition on the new one, I just want the Windows that Alienware has giving me (AlienFX, control center...) the first day.

Thank guys !!

 

Yes you can. I actually did that and besides a few issues (Make sure you set it to AHCI before you install or you will have to do the safe mode trick).

Install M.2 PCI SSD
Set it to AHCI in BIOS
D/L instace of windows 10 mfro you machine from Dell
Make Bootable thumb drive
Install windows
Install drivers and software for your machine
install Magician and drivers if Samsung drive

 

If you are installing one drive only (a second isn't that much more ), you would use only AHCI, but if I am not mistaken, RAID is the default setting.

In AHCI, you don't need to do anything special as far as I know, but in RAID you need the IRST (intel Rapid Storage Technology) driver on the flash drive you are using to install windows.

You could use the Dell restore disc, but I have always reinstalled my machines from a vanilla disc/iso from MS. This way I control the crap I have installed. I only lost the Alienware wallpapers and themes, the power profile (not a huge deal) the OEM info and logo in the Windows about screen.

 

From what I see there are 2 M.2 slots in the 17 R4 so can you stick the new drive in the 2nd slot and clone to it? I may buy one tomorrow from BB and they have the one I want only it has the 128 GB ssd + 1TB spindle so I figured I would just buy a Samsung 960 EVO and replace the 128 GB one the laptops comes with. It would cost me the same price I can get the EVO for to upgrade the drive to 500 GB if I buy direct from Dell and I have no idea what drive I would be getting.