How to upgrade the SSD in your Lenovo ThinkPad P52

The Lenovo ThinkPad P52 is a beefy mobile workstation with up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8850H vPro processor (CPU) and NVIDIA Quadro P3200 graphics (GPU). Its size allows for a lot on internal hardware, including dual M.2 PCIe NVMe solid-state drives (SSD), which can be swapped out with relative ease thanks to a quick-access panel on the bottom of the laptop. Whether you're looking to supplant or upgrade your storage options, nosotros have everything you lot need to know correct here.

Hardware and software to get the chore done

Thou.two PCIe NVMe SSD: Samsung 970 EVO Plus (From $86 at Amazon)
SSD enclosure for cloning: ElecGear Yard.ii PCIe enclosure ($fifty at Amazon)
Cloning tool: Macrium Reflect seven (Free at Macrium)
Prevent damage: Rosewill anti-static wristband ($6 at Amazon)
All required tools: ORIA PC toolkit ($33 at Amazon)
Mobile workstation: Lenovo ThinkPad P52 (From $1,349 at Lenovo)

How to upgrade the SSD in your Lenovo ThinkPad P52

Notation: Before start whatsoever upgrades on a PC, information technology'southward a practiced idea to back up your information in the unlikely effect something should go wrong. You'll too want to ensure you're non working in a static-filled surroundings, as it tin can cause impairment to a PC's internal hardware. Consider investing in an anti-static wristband to avoid unnecessary damage.

Lenovo's ThinkPad P52 can exist customized quite extensively because it has plenty of room inside for hardware, including dual slots for M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs. Basic models come up with merely a hard-disk drive, but you lot might have a model that already has one or two M.2 SSDs installed. In any case, you can easily upgrade or swap them out thanks to a quick-access console on the back of the laptop.

When upgrading an SSD in a laptop with only one K.2 slot, an external enclosure is recommended for easy cloning of your data, including Windows 10, to the new SSD. However, because the ThinkPad P52 has two M.2 slots, you can add an SSD to the extra slot and clone your information over to it from either the original M.two SSD or 2.v-inch hard-deejay bulldoze (HDD). If you're but looking to add more storage and want to proceed Windows 10 where it is, all you accept to exercise is install the SSD and check to be sure information technology's formatted properly so that it'due south recognized by the organization.

If your ThinkPad P52 came from the mill with two M.2 SSDs installed, you can still bandy hardware piece by piece and clone data as you go. Alternatively, y'all can grab an external enclosure and clone one or both drives to the new hardware earlier calculation it to the laptop.

We've had success using Macrium Reflect equally cloning software, and nosotros've even written a complete guide that can help you through the process. If you get with Samsung's 970 EVO Plus SSD, which nosotros recommend, you lot'll besides accept access to Samsung's cloning tool. There's likewise the selection of doing a clean install of Windows x, but you'll be essentially starting from scratch.

Once you've backed up your data and decided which route you lot'll have with whatsoever necessary cloning, clear out a well-lit workspace and ability off your ThinkPad P52 before proceeding with the steps below. In this instance, we'll testify you the full process of how to remove an M.2 SSD and supplant it with a new one. If y'all're only adding an Grand.2 SSD to an empty slot, skip step 5.

Unscrew the six fasteners on the quick-admission console using a Philips-head screwdriver. The screws can't be removed completely to ensure none are lost.
Lift up the admission panel with a pollex or pry tool. Notice in that location'due south a notch along the edge to easily get it up.
Pull up the plastic shielding over the M.2 SSD slot. Do not remove it completely.
Unscrew the single fastener at the terminate of the Grand.2 SSD. The sometime SSD should popular upward and sit down at an angle.
Slide the old M.2 SSD away from its slot. It should come away with relative ease.
Insert the new Thousand.two SSD at a slight angle into the slot. Observe that it is keyed and will only fit one fashion.
Screw in the unmarried fastener at the end of the M.2 SSD. Exist sure you don't overtighten.
Supervene upon the plastic shielding over the M.2 SSD.
Supercede the access console, lining up the fasteners with the silver holes.
Screw in the six fasteners fastened to the access console.

Y'all can now boot up your ThinkPad P52 to bank check if the storage upgrade went co-ordinate to programme. If your system doesn't automatically recognize the new SSD, check out our guide on how to format a new bulldoze to get it working properly. If you want to clone existing data from either the HDD or a secondary M.2 SSD without an external enclosure, you should now be free to do so.

Our top hardware and software picks

Our choice for an upgrade M.ii PCIe NVMe SSD is Samsung's 970 EVO Plus. Information technology's incredibly fast, information technology'southward long-lasting, and it's relatively cheap for the performance you're getting.

Blazing SSD speeds

Samsung 970 EVO Plus

Unreal performance upwards to 1TB in size

Samsung's 970 EVO Plus brings blistering read and write speeds, a competitive price, and a 5-year warranty, which altogether is an impressive package. Sizes showtime at 250GB and go upwards to 1TB.

It'southward thick and it's heavy, only the ThinkPad P52 brings a powerful collection of hardware focused on blueprint and development, a beautiful 4K brandish, outstanding keyboard, and enough of ports. A quick-admission panel on the dorsum makes it piece of cake to access RAM slots, SSD slots, and 2.5-inch storage.

Mobile workstation

Lenovo ThinkPad P52

Trade functioning for portability

The ThinkPad P52 trades portability and bombardment life for outstanding performance. The 4K brandish is cute, there are plenty of ports, the keyboard is top-of-form, and you can upgrade hardware down the line to keep the laptop relevant into the time to come.

Additional Equipment

To make the upgrade process easier and less risky, consider investing in some of these affordable PC tools, and don't forget about Macrium Reflect and an external enclosure for those who want to clone drives.

ElecGear One thousand.2 PCIe enclosure ($50 at Amazon)

If you're cloning the original SSD to the new SSD, an external enclosure is needed. This selection from ElecGear fits G.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs and tin connect back to your ThinkPad P52 with USB-C or USB-A.

Macrium Reflect 7 (Free at Macrium)

We've had success cloning drives with Macrium Reflect 7, and have fifty-fifty written a consummate guide on how to utilise it properly. A complimentary edition is available, just y'all can buy a full edition with a bunch more features for those who truly accept backups seriously.

ORIA PC toolkit ($33 at Amazon)

Having the proper gear to piece of work on your PC will e'er brand the job much easier. Here you become a plethora of tools contained in a portable case.

Rosewill anti-static wristband ($6 at Amazon)

Static electricity can damage sensitive PC parts, so remove the risk with an anti-static wristband. Spike it around your wrist and clip it onto your PC for peace of mind.

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Cale Hunt

Cale Hunt is a staff writer at Windows Central. He focuses mainly on PC, laptop, and accessory coverage, besides as the emerging world of VR. He is an gorging PC gamer and multi-platform user, and spends about of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech.