Can I add an extra SSD to my Lenovo Legion 5i laptop?

Anthony wants to know if he can add a 1TB M.2 SSD in the secondary slot without losing performance - we help out.

Question by Anthony from United States | Answered by in Laptops on

Hi, I have a Lenovo Legion 5i with a 512 SSD preinstalled. Can I add a 1TB M.2 SSD in the secondary slot without losing performance?

This is my first gaming laptop, and not sure how to upgrade things yet.

Hi Anthony,

I had to do a bit of research for this one! It appears, from the several reviews I have gone over, you shouldn't have any issue installing a second m.2 SSD in the other slot. Performance shouldn't be affected from my research, but you should stick with Gen 3 NVMe solutions for cost savings.

Can I add an extra SSD to my Lenovo Legion 5i laptop? 1

Another thing to note, as you can see in the image above (credit to Michelle from Toms Hardware for the fantastic image), you will have to remove the installed 2.5-inch drive to gain the space needed to install a second m.2 drive correctly. If this is for a secondary game drive, it may be worth going with a higher capacity SATA drive in this case as the game load performance will be similar, and you can get more for your money; with less hassle in the end.

Drive recommendations for NVMe M.2 would include Samsung 980 for a budget option all the way up to the Hynix Gold P31 or Sabrent Rocket. SATA, I would go with Samsung 870 EVO or WD Blue.

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