SSD upgrade for ROG Zephyrus G15 ga503rm-hq122

[rynk35]

Hello,

1 of 2 SSD slots of my laptop is occupied. I want to upgrade a 1tb SSD to the 2nd slot. I took an advice from Asus support in my country that I should upgrade an M.2 SSD but I need more info.  So far, Samsung 980 Pro PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe 7.000MB-5.000MB/s M.2 (2280) with heatsink took my attention. However I read that some laptops don't support SSDs with heatsink, and if the SSD doesn't have heatsink it can overheat with reading speeds like 7.000MB-5.000MB/s. My laptop is already overheating so I don't want this problem. Also, I don't have any idea what type of slots my laptop have. They say overheating problem valid for Gen4 slots, so I don't know if it's valid for me.

I am very confused about this issue, so if you can help me I would be very grateful. Also, if you have any suggestions on a different SSD, I would be happy to hear them.

[Anbby_ROG]

Hi @rynk35 ,

Due to the possibility of unforeseen compatibility issues with additional hardware, we are providing you with the brand and model information of the SSDs we have tested. 
 MICRON/MTFDKBA1T0TFK _ P4X4  1TB M2 2280 NVME 

Please evaluate and consider them based on your own usage needs. Thank you.

[rynk35]

Hi,

Do you know what reading speeds does the 2nd slot in my laptop support? As far as I looked, the product you suggested has 5000 MB/s, but doesn't it cause an overheating problem when it's this fast? Also, do you know if my laptop is compatible with heatsinks?

[Anbby_ROG · Accepted solution]

Hi @rynk35 ,

The loading speed depends on the SSD you have installed, and it is not recommended to use an SSD with heatsinks. 
Regarding your concerns about cooling, it is suggested that you adjust the fan performance through Armoury Crate to enhance the cooling effect. Thank you.

[rynk35]

Thank you!

[pwyller]

How about testing an ACTUALLY usable NVMe SSD?  The one you 'recommend' is a dinosaur...

[QQ02]

Well, to be fair, the ga503rm-hq122 is a 2021 model so most drives tested are from 2021 or older. That means, among other things, that the M.2 slots are only PCIe 3, not PCIe 4. While PCIe 4 SSDs will work, they will leave performance unused. So if you plan to keep using the same SSD when you get a next device and thus want some futureproofing, go with 4. If you don't, you can get PCIe 3 drives cheaper. Any NVMe drives should work, so beyond that check reviews for how the different SSDs hold up over a longer time.

Specs information as read here: https://rog.asus.com/laptops/rog-zephyrus/2021-rog-zephyrus-g15-series/spec/

[pwyller]

Apologies, but I'm having a devil of a time getting answers around upgrading the SSD on my GA401QM-211 - which is not a 2021 model.  Specifically, I need to know how thick the NVMe can be 😊