Adding a second M.2 Samsung 970 EVO

[Rob D 88]

Good morning all,

Just after a little bit of advice.

Last year in October time I got my build from PC specialist.

It was a fairly standard spec as it was my first gaming PC as I was always a console player. I love it now and don't know why I didn't jump ship sooner.
I began upgrading it already. See below my spec.

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX MB530P ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT Six Core CPU (3.8GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS TUF GAMING B550 PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
External Hard Drive
2TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim External HDD, USB 3.0, Black
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
NONE
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence

I immediately regretted not adding a fully moduler Power Supply! I have since got a lot more experience with these types of PC's and done a fair bit of research. It's a if only I knew then what I know now scenario.

Anyway before I get to the point I would like to point out I made some upgrades.

I was lucky enough to get a 3070ti Auros GPU but with this needed to change the power supply so I got a NZXT 850w fully moduler and installed it!

My next step is I would like to know if I can add a second M.2 NVME drive to my motherboard? I have made another spec on PCS and it does allow my to add two drives without any issues. Just wanted to be sure! I have seen a diagram of my motherboard and I think I know where it would go but just need confirmation. I will also be adding another 16gb RGB RAM just becuase it looks better! Oh dear...

Next year will be a Ryzen 7 or 9... Why not?

I will be taking my fans out and adding some better CoolerMaster ML120 ARGB fans along with the MasterLiquid illusion cooler. Do I go Radiator at the front and 3 fans blowing air through with another 3 fans at the top sucking air out along with the one at the rear? Or 3 fans at the front and the radiator at the top sucking air out and and 1 fan at the rear?
I do not think it would be a good idea to have the front 3 fans sucking cool air along with the 3 on top with the radiator sucking and only having 1 exhaust at the rear!

Advice on the radiator and fans would be highly appreciated.

Thank you.
Robert

 

[Steveyg]

Radiators are almost always best placed on the roof so if it fits on the roof then put it there. It helps guarantee the health the pump more than anything which in the AIO cooler is the most import aspect but it also works as a powerful exhaust.

B550 does have two M.2 slots yes one is above the GPU and I believe one is behind a heat sink to the right of the PCie slots off the top of my head. I'm sure someone here can confirm.

Be careful when selecting RAM though, you want to make sure it's as close as possible to the RAM you currently have installed. RAM can do funny things when they are slight differences and can cause a whole host of issues. Generally as long as it's the same speed from the same brand then it should be fine but be vigilant for little errors or system inconsistencies as it can be caused but the RAM just decided it doesn't want to play nice with a new pairing

 

[RobertsE]

Looking at the motherboard, yes you can add another m.2, im assuming that the first is put into the top slot, so if you want to add another there's a long cover at the bottom of the motherboard that you can unscrew. Just be carefull and check if they have already added a standoff for the m.2 drive, last thing you want to do is screw the m.2 into the motherboard.

And for the ram, just make sure you buy the same brand, and preferably the exact same kit. every manufacturer makes their ram differently and it can sometimes cause issues if for example, the new ram is faster than the ones you already have.

 

[Rob D 88]

Radiators are almost always best placed on the roof so if it fits on the roof then put it there. It helps guarantee the health the pump more than anything which in the AIO cooler is the most import aspect but it also works as a powerful exhaust.

B550 does have two M.2 slots yes one is above the GPU and I believe one is behind a heat sink to the right of the PCie slots off the top of my head. I'm sure someone here can confirm.

Be careful when selecting RAM though, you want to make sure it's as close as possible to the RAM you currently have installed. RAM can do funny things when they are slight differences and can cause a whole host of issues. Generally as long as it's the same speed from the same brand then it should be fine but be vigilant for little errors or system inconsistencies as it can be caused but the RAM just decided it doesn't want to play nice with a new pairing

Understood, thank you!

Yes the RAM will be identical! Corsair vengeance Pro RGB 3200mhz...

Thought so regarding the M.2, will it just be plug in and then format it and done?

Thanks
Robert

 

[RobertsE]

Understood, thank you!

Yes the RAM will be identical! Corsair vengeance Pro RGB 3200mhz...

Thought so regarding the M.2, will it just be plug in and then format it and done?

Thanks
Robert

yup, just plug in, get it screwed in and add the cover. format and done. One of the nice things about the m.2 form factor, no cables.