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.
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.