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My laptop is Asus N552VW which runs Intel 6700HQ for the CPU, it comes with a M.2 SATA SSD model: MZNLF128HCHP-00004 128GB and from what I see, my laptop's M.2 slot is a B+M key slot:

B+M Key Slot

More pictures:

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Asus provided various storage options and screen resolutions etc. for this model, which is what confuses me, from the storage options on the tech specs documentation available on the website, I have marked my storage with a red rectangle on the following picture, as you can see this model also has NVMe SSD options but my model came with a SATA SSD:

Tech specs

So does my laptop support an NVMe SSD such as the Samsung M.2 970 EVO Plus? Since my laptop came with a SATA SSD does that indicate the motherboard does NOT support NVMe even though it has B+M key slot?

Update:

Seems like Asus updated their specification page after I posted this question:

https://web.archive.org/web/20220615133017/http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.asus.com%2FLaptops%2FFor-Home%2FVivobook%2FVivobook-Pro-15-N552%2Ftechspec%2F&oq=cache%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.asus.com%2FLaptops%2FFor-Home%2FVivobook%2FVivobook-Pro-15-N552%2Ftechspec%2F&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i58j69i60l2.1258j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://web.archive.org/web/20220511090135/https://www.asus.com/Laptops/For-Home/Vivobook/Vivobook-Pro-15-N552/techspec/

And seems like I was at fault, the slot is an M key and the SSD is a B+M key.

My research:

NVMe support - implicit or explicit?

Will an M.2 M Key motherboard connector always support NVMe, or does NVMe support need to be explicitly stated in the manual?

Trying to upgrade my laptop SSD, 1mm too big to fit in the slot

How can I tell if my motherboard has M.2 NVMe Support?

Does my motherboard supports NVME SSD or SATA ssd

Does Asus M580VD support NVMe SSD? Refer Image

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  • I am confused. You are asking if an M.2 slot that supports B&M keyed devices supports M keyed devices? If the specifications, for your device, specifically indicate it supports NVMe devices, then it will support the Samsung NVMe drive you want to use.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 12:18
  • The specification page for your specific laptop, only lists SATA SSDs, which means it does NOT support NVMe devices. You can disregard the size(s), your laptop is not restricted, by the size of storage device it can use. The sizes are based on a static point in time, and the list of supported interfaces for storage devices is based on hardware compatibility.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 12:20
  • Basically, my laptop has B&M key and from what I understand, the Samsung 970 Evo Plus SSD uses an M key but I'm not sure if having a B&M key slot means it supports NVMe in the first place. @Ramhound
    – Shayan
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 12:34
  • I see only one key notch in the M.2 slot.
    – Daniel B
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 12:37
  • @DanielB oh you mean the plastic bulge? So the other one is not a notch, that means the slot is M key and the SATA SSD that came with the laptop is B&M key if I'm not mistaken.
    – Shayan
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 12:39

2 Answers 2

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So does my laptop support an NVMe SSD such as the Samsung M.2 970 EVO Plus?

Your laptop only supports M.2 SATA devices as specified on the ASUS website.

Since my laptop came with a SATA SSD does that indicate the motherboard does NOT support NVMe even though it has a B+M key M.2 slot?

B+M is an indication of the type of the device. While NVMe devices are typically the same size, there are smaller and larger NVMe M.2 devices that exist, so you have to also pay attention to the length of the device.

A B+M NVMe device would use 2 PCIe lanes while an M keyed device would use 4 PCIe. However, if the M.2 slot is connected to the PCIe bus, is left up to the motherboard's design.

Based on the specification your device only supports 2.5" HDDs and M.2 SATA devices.

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  • I can't believe this. Did Asus actually update their website like an hour ago? You can check the archives and see NVMe being listed there: web.archive.org/web/20220511090135/https://www.asus.com/Laptops/… I literally took that screenshot an hour ago or so.
    – Shayan
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 12:32
  • I can only go off the specifications ASUS provides.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 12:50
  • Hello @Ramhound can you please check the link again: asus.com/Laptops/For-Home/Vivobook/Vivobook-Pro-15-N552/… Asus is listing NVME on the storage options again, does that mean my laptop supports it or not? This is so confusing, why did they change their website for 1 day and removed NVME and now it's back?! Asus and MSI seem to be both very unreasonable and careless with their documentations, please check the comments on this answer: superuser.com/a/1530488/856975 to see what I mean. If I can't go base off of the manufacturer's documentation, what should I do?
    – Shayan
    Commented Jun 16, 2022 at 16:28
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A B+M keyed SSD can fit in B, M or B+M slots. Whether it actually works depends on the functionality used.

An M keyed SSD can only fit in an M keyed slot, not B or B+M.

A B keyed SSD can only fit in a B keyed slot, not an M or B+M

Note that the keying is in the slot and will not fit an incompatibly keyed card.

enter image description here

Image from Wikipedia M.2

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  • "An M keyed SSD can only fit in an M keyed slot, not B or B+M." - Wait? What? I thought the purpose of a B+M is to provide a single slot for both types of keyed devices. The Wikipedia article seems to suggest, that M.2 slots that are keyed for B+M devices, would be limited to 2 PCIe lanes regardless if they were M or B.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 13:20
  • @Ramhound B+M does indeed allow a "multi compatible" SSD to work in either slot, albeit at either SATA or PCIe x2 speeds if both are supported by the daughter board, but if the slot itself is keyed that way then it will block every other type. It's a simple fact of the positive slot keying that an M key will not fit in a slot which has a B key because it lacks the cutout for it. B+M is a nice magical "should work either way" device but other keys are more restrictive. It is the slot keying that is the problem in this question.
    – Mokubai ♦
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 13:25
  • That goes against what you have stated for B and M individually keyed devices, or I have misunderstood, what you have written.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 13:39
  • @Ramhound A B+M daughter card can fit in any slot, and it is up to the daughter card to support whatever is on the other side of the connection. A B+M slot can only allow B+M daughter cards. The difference in in which side has the keying. I think I'm being clear, but admit that the terminology is somewhat murky.
    – Mokubai ♦
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 13:52
  • It down to where the keys are. Keys in the slot make the system more "exclusive" and block out compatibility. Keys on daughter cards are "inclusive" and allow functionality in more host key types.
    – Mokubai ♦
    Commented Jun 15, 2022 at 13:56

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