I am new at this and would like to know if the secondary storage is still accessible as internal storage. I would like to know if I can get my own or if it is better for me to buy it from framework. Is it an external harddrive?
Welcome to the community!
If you mean when configuring a FW 16, the secondary storage option is referring to the second M.2 slot on the motherboard. There are two slots for internal SSDs. So you can order it with either one or two, internal solid state drives. If you order it with just one, you can always buy another one later and install it yourself.
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The secondary storage refers to the onboard M.2 2230 connector. Any 2230-sized M.2 NVMe SSD drive should work. You can either buy the WD SN740 Framework offers, or any other drive of the same size. Although there is a heatpad transferring the heat to the chassis bottom, you should better purchase an energy efficient M.2 2230 SSD aimed at notebook or handheld users like those mentioned here: The best SSD for the Steam Deck in 2024: Fast NVMe drives for gaming on the go
Reference: What Storage drives are compatible with the Framework Laptop 16?
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What about the SD option? Is that external an external one? Or can it be added to the secondary storage?
I guess you are referring to the SD Expansion Cards:
All drives connected via expansion cards are treated as external drives, also including the Storage Expansion Cards, as well as any drives connected via USB-A and USB-C.
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For what it’s worth, you can also use the “secondary” 2230 slot as your primary storage. I had a 2 TB 2230 lying around that I put in my 16, leaving the “primary” 2280 slot open for potential future expansion. No issues at all with this configuration in my experience.
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