Reseating an M.2 SSD in your Scorptec Ready to Run gaming PC

Most Scorptec Ready to Run computers will rely on a high-speed M.2 SSD to store at least some of your data. Your operating system should be installed on this drive by default, and will carry some of your data. The following instructions will walk you through both the removal and installation of an M.2 style SSD in your Scorptec Ready to Run PC, to allow you to take control of your data.
 

Uninstallation

1. Prepare your workspace

   You will need a clean workspace where you will be able to gently place your PC for un-installation of the SSD. Please also prepare a Philips head screwdriver, and a precision Philips head screwdriver. This will be required to remove the side panel from the computer, and then to remove the SSD depending on your motherboard's fastening system. Make sure that the PC is powered off, and completely unplugged from the wall

   

    

2. Remove the side panel and locate the M.2 slot

   Our Scorptec Ready to Run PCs ship with internal packaging to protect them in transit. Generally, the first thing you are advised to do when you receive a PC from Scorptec, is to open the side panel and remove the packaging. In a similar manner, the first step to gain access to the inside of the computer, is to open the side panel, and identify the M.2 slot on the motherboard. Generally, on an upright motherboard, they will be located below the CPU and RAM. Depending on the design of your motherboard, your graphics card, or parts of your motherboard, may actually cover the SSD entirely from view. Consulting your motherboard's manual, or Scorptec service staff may assist you in identifying where it's installed. 

   

   

    

3. Remove Motherboard heatsink (if any)

   If your particular motherboard houses your M.2 SSD underneath an integrated heatsink, you may need to remove the heatsink to gain access to the M.2 slot. Your motherboard's manual will detail how to go about this, as each motherboard is a little different. M.2 drives with the heatsink built into the drive do not need to have their heatsink removed for un-installation.

   

   If your particular M.2 installation requires you to remove your graphics card from your computer, and you're not sure how to do that, please consult our other set of instructions:
   Reseating a Graphics Card in your Scorptec Ready To Run gaming PC

    

4. Free the M.2 SSD from the board

   Your M.2 SSD will be held down either by a tool-less mechanism, as demonstrated in the image below, or with a single small Philips screw. It's very important you use an appropriately sized screwdriver for this screw, as you run the risk of stripping the screw using an under or oversized screwdriver. Un-screwing, or unlatching the drive from either mechanism, should cause the drive to spring up as demonstrated. 

   

   The drive can be pulled diagonally away from the board. It's important that you pull the NVMe drive out at the same angle it was resting at to avoid damaging the gold connectors at the head of the drive. Gently wiggle the NVMe drive loose from the connector head. Do not bend the drive up and away from the board any further than the angle it rests at.

   

   With these steps carried out, your M.2 drive should be free from your computer. 

Reinstallation

1. Identifying the correct M.2 slot

   Your motherboard may have multiple M.2 slots, and not every M.2 slot has the same capabilities. It's important to consult your motherboard's documentation to identify which slot is best suited for your M.2 and it's capabilities. It's important to remember that there are two major types of M.2 drive. SATA and NVMe. You can typically identify the type of drive you have by examining it's connector against the diagram below.

   

   The most commonly used drives in our Ready to Run computer systems are NVMe, but you may have an older drive you wish to utilise, and its important to check whether your drive slot will work with a SATA drive.

   Furthermore, not all NVMe drives are the same, and the speed and capabilities between generations make it important to ensure you are choosing a slot on your board that allows your drive to work at it's best capacity. Typically slots are backwards compatible, and slower slots will work with faster drives, but simply limit the speed you will be able to utilise. 

   We heavily encourage you to either check the motherboard's documentation for the correct slot, or to reach out to Scorptec support for best guidance if you're unsure.

   

2. Identify correct orientation

   M.2 drives will only physically fit into the motherboard slot in one way. If it seems like the drive needs excessive force, re-examine the orientation, and ensure your drive is lined up with the slot on the motherboard. We recommend gently inserting the drive, and wiggling it side to side to firmly seat it inside the slot.  

   

3. Fasten the drive down

   With the drive firmly seated in the motherboard connector, you can push down on the drive and check if it aligns with the fastening screw, or tool-less clamp. If you've installed the drive correctly, there should be very little resistance in pushing the drive down.

   

   Once the drive is in-place, either use the clamp, or re-install the fastening screw lightly with an appropriately sized precision screwdriver. Because the screw is so small, you don't need a great deal of force to tighten it down, and tightening it just with your finger tips should be sufficient.

    

4. Re-install motherboard heatsink and Graphics card

   With the M.2 drive correctly installed, you can go about re-installing any hardware that we removed earlier that was in the way. Your motherboard manual will detail how to re-install any heatsinks. If you're installing an M.2 drive into a new slot for the first time, be mindful there may be thermal pads to consider, which may need to have plastic peeled back to make contact with your drive.

   

   If you did un-install your graphics card earlier, you're welcome to follow our instructions for Reseating a Graphics Card in your Scorptec Ready To Run gaming PC.
   When all hardware has been re-installed into the PC, re-install the side-panel and clear all tools from the workspace.

    

5. Power on the PC and check for the drive

   If your Ready to Run PC is re-assembled correctly, then you should now be able to power on your PC. It's important to note that your "Windows" operating system may be on the drive that you just replaced, so if your PC doesn't boot to Windows, it may be because your new drive needs to have a fresh install of Windows. You should still be able to check for and see your drive register in the BIOS boot priority.

   If the drive you've just installed is a secondary drive to the one that has Windows installed, please keep in mind that you will need to partition your drive in Windows Disk Management utility, before you can start storing any data onto it.