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Hi guys,
my GK3V mini PC died (I suppose that the internal SSD Hoodisk died). I want to replace the SSD with a new one. Can I install only 2.5" a SATA SSD with Windows boot, leaving the internal M.2 slot empty?
Or am I forced to replace the M.2 SSD with a new one?
Do you have any advice about reliable SSD brand/model?

Tx,
Daniele

dciuca,

You don't have to have internal storage installed for the unit to be able to run from a 2.5" SATA SSD, so you have a few options. It's kind of like a regular desktop computer motherboard that has an m.2 slot(s) and SATA connections. You can use either one, as in the 2.5" SATA with no m.2, the m.2 with no 2.5" SATA, or even both if you want one for extra storage or even a second OS.

Any of the more popular brands of drives will work, and probably even some of the cheaper brands, though the more popular ones tend to be more trustworthy. Samsung, Crucial, Western Digital, Sandisk, Kingston, etc. I've even used a few TeamGroup products over the last couple of years and they've worked well too. 2.5" HDDs will work as well, though with the price of most SSDs now being close to HDDs, the SSD is the better choice, both for speed/responsiveness and longevity.

However, regarding the admin's reply here, I'd contact them via email first to see if they'll replace the drive for you, even if it's a year old. You never know, and you could save some money. Plus, with the internal storage being m.2 SATA, a 2.5" SATA SSD wouldn't give you any speed advantage. If it would, I'd say go the 2.5" SATA way, but being that it wouldn't, getting the internal replaced by them would be advantageous, unless you're pressed for time, that is. This is just my opinion, of course. Ultimately it's up to you.

Thank you very much Gabe, really appreciate your support.

You're quite welcome.

Hi,

I have bought this pc and I think it's really cool. I am trying to add a Samsung 2.5 SSD into the provided bay however, once I added it and when I check in the bios (and Windows) the drive is not loading. Can you help me?

My goal here is to leave the existing m.2 drive as it is and use that to run windows 10 however I would like to use the provided bay expand my drive space. I've tried plugging in a USB drive and that is not recognised in Windows either.

Is there a firmware update that I am missing? If so, do you know the latest file?

FMM,

Make sure that the connector is fully pushed in all the way into the end of the drive.

You also might want to try something like MiniTool Partition Wizard to see if it can see the drive, and if so, make an active partition on it so it shows in both Windows and the BIOS.

Hi yes, all done and the same result

I know the new drive works ok because I have tested it in 3 other machines and works perfectly. I have tried the bios reset that was recommended in another post and still nothing, the drive is not recognised in the bios. I have even tried putting the working 2.5 SSD in a USB enclosure and trying to access it in Windows as a USB device and it is still not recognised so there is definitely something weird going on here with drives.

Can you help advise on the best course of action. I understand that I can add a 2nd SSD to the unit correct?

Thanks, in advance.

I would contact either the seller or barry, a tech for the company, at barry@minipcunion.com, or both.

For reference, yes, the unit does support the addition of a 2.5" SSD.

I've been able to install and boot a GK3V off the 2.5" SATA drive. If it doesn't show up in the BIOS, there could be something wrong with the drive, even if you say it worked in another machine. If you have that many machines to test with, you probably have another 2.5" drive sitting around that you can try, so do that and make sure it shows up in the BIOS.

Regarding the newly installed SSD that cannot be recognized by the BIOS, it is because the new SSD does not contain the system boot file, so it cannot be recognized; the SSD needs to be formatted before installing the system.
1. If you have another computer, you can download [DiskGenius] to format the SSD.
2. If there is no other computer, you can create a PE system and enter the PE system to format the SSD.

It is recommended to refer to the following video for formatting operations:



PE file:

https://mega.nz/file/gn0mkSTT#FXZUx9m6c ... PQS1S9q5Yk

Tutorial on installing PE system: