M.2 SSD specifications

[t1grm]

My lenovo thinkpad x1 carbon gen1 motherboard board just died after 7 years. I'm scrapping the laptop but want the SSD out of it to use as an external USB drive as it has critical user data (at least for long enough for me to transfer it somewhere else).

The repair shop told me it's an M.2 SSD so I naively went out and bought the first M.2 SSD to USB adapter I found (only cost a tenner). I've subsequently been sent a photo of the SSD (below) and have found it won't fit my adapter and that there are several M.2 standards out there. B key, M key and B & M key.

Seems from the photo mine is an M key but to complicate matters there seems to be several types of M key: NVME, ACHL and NGFF and despite them all fitting an M key adapter they are not cross compatible. It seems NVME adapters are more expensive than other adapters. Also many cheaper NGFF adapters are claiming to be NVME compatible but this may be bad labelling by Chinese sellers on Amazon.

So now I'm totally confused. I'm pretty sure I need an M key but what one? Can anyone tell from the photo below?

[Jinx]

From Wiki - looks like a B-Key as it has 6 pins on the short bit?

[alorotom]

I’d agree with B-Key

[t1grm]

Yes that's what I thought but small tab is on wrong side.

[HRL]

t1grm said:

Yes that's what I thought but small tab is on wrong side.

Turn it over.

[t1grm]

Lol didn't think it was reversible 😂