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Can you install an extra Mini-PCIE x1 on an IdeaPad Y500?


PlannedObsolescence

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So I took a look at the motherboard of my Y500 laptop, and I discovered something very interesting:

 

MINIPCIECARDEDGE.JPG

 

MOTHERBOARDAREAFORMINIPCIESLOT.JPGMINIPCIESLOTLCNMSATA.JPGRUBBERANDSCREWSOCKET.JPG

 

There seems to be an area on the Y500 motherboard where an extra Mini PCIE x1 could have been, and it looks like this might be true of other IdeaPad motherboards as well. I identified the card edge that was on my laptop's motherboard, and the company than made it. I tried to contact the company, but my messages didn't seem to go through. This is what I tried to ask them:

 

Quote

Hello.

 

I'm interested in purchasing a Mini-PCIE card edge for a laptop motherboard.

 

This is the link to the LCN Product that I may want to purchase:

 

http://www.linkconn.com/en/product/bc1905ec-bdbb-4440-a434-fb910f191daf

 

Is it possible for me to purchase one of these DAN08-52676-XXXX Mini PCI-E CONN LCN.LOGO.52pin,6.75H laptop connectors? Do you only accept purchases in bulk, and can you sell this item to a US buyer?

 

I have identified other Mini-PCIE slots on my laptop's motherboard that appear to be exactly the same as the one shown in the LCN product link and they have the LCN brand logo. I have also identified an area on the laptop's motherboard where an additional Mini-PCIE card edge slot could be installed. This is the exact motherboard in question:

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item-img/For-Lenovo-Y500-Motherboard-Intel-Main-board-NM-A142-11S90002676-w-GT750M/32721442636.html?spm=2114.10010108.1000017.2.6ge6ro#

 

I have also attached some photos of one of the Mini-PCIE slots on my laptop's motherboard which is used to attach an mSATA Hard Drive, as well as the area of the motherboard where I believe the LCN 6.75H Mini PCIE card edge I speak of could be installed.

 

Would you happen to know if the DAN08-52676-XXXX Mini PCI-E CONN LCN.LOGO.52pin,6.75H comes with a rubber stand and a Phillips screw socket (or whatever these two parts are called) for the motherboard as well?

 

Thank You

 

 

So the question is:  Could you install another Mini PCIE x1 to this laptop and use another Mini PCIe device with it (i.e. an mSata hard drive, another Wi-Fi card, etc.) ?

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My understanding is that this was explored early on and someone even soldered a connector and plugged in an Msata SSD though it was not recognized.  Chances are that there is no connection to a controller etc.  Bummer I know...

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Most probably its just missing the zero ohm resistors that link the traces, or in case of SATA/mSATA the 4 caps in the sata lines, my Toshiba P50 as an mSATA slot, all it need is a couple passives and its working.

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  • 2 weeks later...
23 hours ago, juhbuh said:

The controller won't recognize it, even if you add in a bus connection. System wasn't designed to accept mux'd inputs for the Mini PCIE

 

Are you sure?

 

On 2/2/2017 at 6:29 PM, IR1 said:

My understanding is that this was explored early on and someone even soldered a connector and plugged in an Msata SSD though it was not recognized.  Chances are that there is no connection to a controller etc.  Bummer I know...

 

Is this true? Has this person tried using a device that uses a Mini PCIE connection like a TV tuner or a full size Intel Wifi WiMax bluetooth card? Generally, mSata ssds don't work on Mini-PCIE.

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For cost savings Lenovo will get just a few cookie cutter mobo platform configurations from their ODM which will have optional components populated in PCB, but not actually filled in with the component (i.e. PCIE controller). The end result would be that we see connectors that look like they are empty, but in reality they're connected to nothing. According to IR1, someone took the effort the test if it works and no dice :(

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/15/2017 at 5:02 PM, PlannedObsolescence said:

 

Are you sure?

 

 

Is this true? Has this person tried using a device that uses a Mini PCIE connection like a TV tuner or a full size Intel Wifi WiMax bluetooth card? Generally, mSata ssds don't work on Mini-PCIE.

 

So it was a while ago I read it and I may be confused on what they actually plugged in, but I know a person soldered the connector and tried a device and it did not work.  That doesnt mean they plugged the wrong type of device in or did it right.  Just relaying what I read.  I can try and find the post...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Darn, I noticed this yesterday, fortunately for me, I use my y500 as a multipurpose home server (and it makes quite a powerful one I might add, especially paired with the likes of CentOS and some USB3.0 external hard drives). So if I really needed another msata port, in addition to the SSD one that is on the bottom right of the y500 when it is face down and the cover is off, I can use the wifi one because you don't need wifi for a server ;). There goes my theory of a 3rd slot though, welp.

Edited by rjmxtech
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  • 4 weeks later...

From the looks of things, it looks like there should have been an additional Mini PCIE card edge slot attached to the Y500 motherboard for a Mini PCIE TV Tuner. There is even a driver for a TV Tuner for the Y500 on the Lenovo website:

 

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/downloads/ds032571

 

I found an alternative card edge to the original card edge that is attached to the Y500 motherboards:

 

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/jae-electronics/MM60-52B1-E1-R650/670-2275-2-ND/2071034

 

This particular card edge being sold at DigiKey has a different height from the one on the LinkConn website. The card edge on DigiKey is 5.9mm in height, while the one on LinkConn is 6.75mm in height. I believe all the other specifications are the same. It was the closest available match I could find.

 

We would have to solder the card edge to the motherboard somehow. Then, we would need a nut for screwing in a Phillips screw and a rubber stand (or whatever you call it) to keep a full length Mini-PCIE card in place while it is connected to the card edge. Then we should have a working, extra Mini-PCIE slot on the Y500 motherboard for Mini-PCIE cards.

 

I suspect if the card edge was to be soldered correctly in the particular area that I have shown in the pictures along with the nut and the rubber stand, and if we were to place any of the following Mini-PCIE TV Tuners into the extra Mini-PCIE slot and install the TV Tuner driver from the Lenovo website, we would have a fully working TV Tuner on the Lenovo Ideapad Y500:

 

16 TV Tuner Module, DMB-T, Geniatech, MM7000DMBT TV TUNER 11011329 *
16 TV Tuner Module, DMB-T, Yuan, MC163 TV TUNER HYBRID MINICAR 11011447 *
16 TV Tuner Module, DVB-T, Avermedia, AM H339 DVBT Hybrid TV Turner MiniCard 101500048 *
16 TV Tuner Module, ATSC, Avermedia, AM H339 ATSC Hybrid TV Turner MiniCard 101500047 *
16 TV Tuner Module, DVB-T/ATSC, Yuan, MC907 TV TUNER HYBRID MINICAR 11013387 *

Edited by PlannedObsolescence
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