Install an NVME SSD into a Dell OptiPlex 9020, 7020 or 3020 and modify the BIOS for native support. 

Edit: I was able to get the Dell 3020 Mini-Tower to boot from the NVME SSD m.2 drive by changing settings in the BIOS and doing a fresh install of Windows 10 from a USB flash drive. The computer still won't boot when I clone a disk image using Macrium Reflect from my current SATA SSD to the NVME drive. The BIOS settings I needed to change to boot from the NVME drive and install a fresh copy of Windows 10 were to disable legacy boot options (x2), disable all SATA ports, and select UEFI boot mode only. I can't seem to boot from the NVME drive? I was able to follow all of the steps - which thank you so much for posting! - and now I have it set so my system recognizes the NVME drive, confirmed by the bios which shows up exactly as the picture shows in the blog post, interfacing perfectly, and I even used Acronis Clone Disk software to clone my boot drive information from my SATA SSD to the new NVME drive and everything seems to have copied over with no issues (file sizes match perfectly, which I can view in windows explorer with no issues), but my Dell Optiplex 3020 MT won't boot from the NVME drive. I did try disabling the SATA ports on my 3020 too, but that doesn't seem to have forced it over. Is there an additional setting I am missing?

I just wanted to say thank you for this detailed tutorial! No issues with creating the new bios, but I was hoping for a little more tweaking on the bios end to get it to work (UEFI). I spent a lot of time switching things around and then giving up. I had cloned the new drive like you did originally but drive wasn't showing up as boot drive in bios. Ended up just installing a new windows to my m.2 via recovery and then spending even more time messing around with configurations until I FINALLY got it working! Dont ask me what I did, but I'm just grateful it works lol. Thank you again for all your help with the new bios!

Great video, actual saw the blog post first. Liked and subbed

I did all the procedures you listed in your guide and the speeds I got when I put the nvme in the black x4 slot of my optiplex 9020MT (the blue one is used by my GPU) are impressive, and luckily I was able to clone my old ssd to the new one nvme, thank you very much for your guide.

Hello, do you know I'd this mod works for the small 1x pcie slot? Because I also have a rx 6400 taking up the big pcie

This is cool , it would also be useful to add USB 3.0 booting (via PCIE card addon)

thank you very much for your guide， the operation steps are very clear and in detail.

Please make a video for inspiron 660s

Tried this and inside the command prompt for the very first copy and paste step for Intel ME System tools v9.1… etc shows this system cannot find the path specified im assuming it’s because there is a newer version of this software anyone know the command prompt for the new version ?

I did everything and my NVMe hard drive still isn't being detected as a hard drive... I'm not sure what to do other than retrace my steps.

THANK YOU

I am stuck on downloading IMEC from Dell, its just says platform not supported,I have found correct service code for 9020 and still no joy

. Hi, interesting. I am wondering what it would take to get this kind of performance on the 3020m (mff micro) Thanks in advance, Leo .

No work in 3020. Error 284: fail to load driver (PCI acces for windows). Tool needs to run with an administrator priviledge account.

it is support Crucial P3 Plus 500GB PCIe 4.0 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD ??? i know gen 3 ssd support ! what abour gen 4 ssd ???

I now have an m.2 nvme ssd on an adaptor card working in a Dell 3020 small desktop. It runs Windows 11 fine. However, CrystalDiskMark shows only a read rate of 880 MB/s. A colleague using the same card in a different PC but with a different nvme ssd gets a much higher value. Any ideas? Would the brand of ssd make a lot of difference? By the way, the A20 bios for the small form factor version of the Dell 3020 had the DXE driver section in a different place, but I added the driver after the last entry in the list as you state in your blog....

if you install an SSD just like you did there on a 7020 you basically cant install a GPU because ur taking the pci2 slot ?

Hi what if I want to boot from SATA SSD and use NVME on adaptor as storage? Do i still need to go through this procedure?

hello, i wanted to know if i can also do this with a dual m.2 adapter as well, pci card with 2 m.2 ports. and if so will windows see the drives separately, can this modded bios handle this as well?

Thank you for this guide. I am planning to turn my old 7020 into a Type1 Hypervisor. Is there a way to update the machine to use NVME add on card without having to install an OS on it first to push these updates?

Will there be a variant for the Optiplex 9010 MT as well?

Good evening, I am writing to you from Venezuela, my question is if you can continue using the HDD that comes with the equipment as a storage disk and the nvme m.2 as a boot drive, I appreciate your response, thank you

Hello, friend! I knew your channel only now after having already connected my nvme ssd adapter to the motherboard of my Dell Optiplex 3020. can I follow your instructions even with it plugged in or do you think it's better to remove it?

Wow, very impressive. I got a Optiplex 3070 with a Samsung 970vEvo plus but it's stuck around 1600Mt/s, can't get it reach its maximum speed around 3500. Do you if there is way to do this ?

Why did you put usb drive in the port after all this methods still do we need to put the bootable files into the usb drive?😢😢😢😢😢

Hello, I have free os version of 3020. Can it be done under Linux ?

Hi, I got a Question do you think that this mod works for the variant of the optiplex 990 ?

I have a question I can not place the NVMe in the PCIe x4 port since in the x16 I have a graphics card

Do you think it would be possible for my Dell R5500 workstation which has as I belive fully legacy Pheonix BIOS?

Can i install nvme in optiplex 790???

How this upgrade linux use ? Graphic Card after run ok ? i think first use clover boot nvme, risic modification (flashing) bios. Search solution for grub setting. I'am only arch linux user, Microsoft systems not secure and not open source (i no know how windows working only use in the Virtual Machine and networking off - if have problem and not linux solution, or test multi system aplications..

Can you put nvme on a Dell Optiplex 760? It has a pcie 16 slot and I was wondering about one of those cards.

Bro please tell me for optiplex 3010

I can use ssd again

I can install Windows 11 formatting the machine without problems

I followed all the instructions in both the video and the online guide on my 7020sff. While I am able to use the drive in Windows, I have had no luck booting off of my Samsung 980 ssd. If i go into bios, it has an option for PATA SS, which I assume is the drive, but if I boot off of it, I'm told "selected boot device failed" If anyone has any ideas on what I could do, I would be grateful.

Tf lol

Can u share a video for Dell optiplex 3040MT using M.2 nvme with PCIE x1 adapter and boot window 11pro???

I came across this video by accident, looking for something about the new 970 EVO Plus. The instructions seem pretty straight forward, but I am new to this world and would like to know why someone would want to set the new SSD up like this versus it's normal install. I saw speed had a lot to do with it, but is there more than that for a reason? Also is the Dell OptiPlex 3020 that different from an Dell Inspirion 3020 as I have the later. I'm just not sure if I want to take this on, but I like a good challenge. I just am not sure it is worth it. The PC will be used in a doctors office to store patient data in an MS SQL database. It's not a busy office either.

u seem like the guy to do this is it possible to enable writing to the bios from the os? or change HWID by flashing a modified bios? haha for educational purposes!

Bro, thank you so much for your help! It all worked out here in my 3020. Success there for your channel. Hugs from Brazil. ❤

THANK YOU SO MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH MY OS IS NOW RUNNING ON MY M.2 NVME SSD (im using dell optiplex 3020)

Thank you! Your procedure worked perfectly on my Optiplex 9020 Rev A25.

It works perfect. I upgraded my Dell Optiplex 9020 SFF following by this video

Hi Paul. I did everything exactly according to the instructions, the "mass storage" disk is visible in the bios, I also boot from SATA, I see my nvme in the explorer, the speeds are impressive. However, when removing sata and booting from a USB flash drive, the bios swears that there is no hard drive, press f1 ... blah blah. When installing windows, I see nvme in the disk partition selection dialog, but the installer shows a warning in the form - it is impossible to install Windows on this disk because the computer hardware does not support booting from this drive. Make sure that the device controller is enabled in the BIOS. Optiplex 9020 sff. Nvme and adapter is working 100% and booting in HP z440. Maybe there is another driver for this mobo?

Hello good afternoon, greetings from Venezuela, I have already done the procedure on an Optiplex 3020 and it works very well, I only have to correct the message to press F1 to continue. My question is: how would I correct this message and have the PC start normally? Thank you for your time and teachings, I will be attentive to your response.

Hello, good day, I have seen your video and I have tried to update my bios so that it recognizes nvme m2 on a dell Optiplex 3040 but it shows me an error 201: fptwin64.exe cannot be run on the current platform. Could you help me even though it's in service mode it's still the same please

Ok, I disconnected the old SSD drive and turned that drive off in the BIOS. I do want to reconnect it later as a possible storage device location. I then turned on Secure Boot and turned off the legacy boot settings. Suspecting the disc that hard the old OS copied onto it was a little SUS, I did a clean installation with myNVMe plugged into the blue port, just like you said annnnd IT WOOOOOOORRRRRRKKKKKKKSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA! *Ahem. Thank you!

I would like to try this. I have an OptiPlex 9010. One a question... If I make a mistake and brick my computer are there any recovery options? Or do I have to get another motherboard?

Will this work on Optiplex 9020 SFF?

Hello sir,does this tutorial work for on dell optiplex 3020 MT?

Help it says windoes cannot be installed to this disk the computers hardware may not support booting to thid disk ensure that disks controller is enabled in the computer bios

By chance will this work with a Dell optiplex 9010, i7 3770?

im having an issue whenever i have to use cmd prompt for the 2nd time it says “system cannot find the path specified

Hi, nice video. Will apply to my 9020 i7, thanks. I wonder if, with this kind of procedure, I can solve an "I is on recovery mode" message from the Dell E6420 laptop. did got some problem like this?

would this work on a optiplex 790??

When I run cmd. And copy and paste It’s telling me no path found. My install of intel engine components must not be right. Idk any ideas. I have new Samsung nvm d installed

3020 sff i have vga install i can use pcix1 ??

Hi, does this method work with Optiplex 3010?

I have a few of these around the house. Do I need to do them individually (as if each BIOS backup & mod is unique) or I can I just flash the modified BIOS to each machine? Some of them aren't running Windows right now (Linux) so I'm trying to avoid OS (re)install times.

Can i install x16 nvme adapter is it work? Or i only go with x4?

I do not have that jumper what now 3020 mt

I'm using a Dell 9020mt and put M.2/PCIeX16 in slot 4. I have set it in bios. It shows mass storage. and it shows the "PATA SS:" in boot sequence tree view. The problem I have is that I can't boot the new drive. I have turned off other drives. They don't detect the SSD and show "Alert! Hard drive not found."

Can someone help me too?

Hi, I am from Borneo Island and I just successfully modified the bios for my Dell 9020. the pc run fine with the PCI M.2 card.. The only problem is I have to keep the hdd/ssd connected to the board to skip bios menu -If no hdd/ssd, the menu F1 to continue or F2 to enter bios will appear everytime I turn on my pc. Please advice. Thanks in advance

This did not work for me. I have an Optiplex 7020. I followed all the procedures in the video and on the site and everything went smoothly it seemed but I'm still not able to boot from my M.2 nvme SSD on my PCI slot. I did clone my HDD to the SSD too before I did all of this. I need help still.

Does this happen to work with a PCIe SSD such as the Intel 750p? Trying to construct a NAS and I have populated all the ports on my 7020. The BIOS recognises the drive as a storage drive but NOT a bootable drive. Thanks in advance if you see this and reply

Can you tell me whether this process is gonna work in my Optiplex 7020 Mini Tower (the bulky one) ?

It worked for me! after following your directions, I loaded a fresh install of Windows 11 w/Secure Boot on my 9020 MT. CrystalDiskMark is reading 3285 read and 2380 write speeds from the blue x16 slot. The only thing is that I am not using the Supageek adapter which you SHOW, but I am using the adapter in your LINK to Amazon and every time I turned it on or rebooted I got the "Alert! Hard Drive not found" message and had to press F1 to continue the boot. I WAS ABLE TO FIX THIS by disabling my sata dvd drive in the bios. This thing boots like a sun-of-a-gun. Thank you for doing this!!!

Amigo una duda como configuro la BIOS no me reconoce el m.2 hice todos los pasos del vídeo

good afternoon, congratulations for your channel and the knowledge it provides, I have an optiplex 3020 and I saw the procedure to install the m.2 SSD, my question is the following, is it possible to install a third storage unit in the optiplex 3020? I would like to experiment, if possible, I appreciate your response and thank you for your time.

When I do a fresh install it says it can’t be installed on the disk

will it work with a 7010?

isnt it reduced speeds even though it works?

Great tutorial, thank you. I used the pcie x4 slot on an i7 9020 sff and am getting 1525mb read and 1431mb write and it's a huge improvement.

Hi, I am getting Error 201: [FPTw64.exe] cannot be run on the current platform Please contact your vendor