What size screw does 2.5in drive trays & caddies use?

M3 × 3–5 mm for drive bays, laptop caddies and SSD brackets.

How long are the screws in 2.5in drive trays & caddies?

The records range from 3 to 5 mm depending on the position, so match each screw to its own hole.

What is the thread pitch of an M3 screw?

0.5 mm (coarse), which is the standard pitch for M3 machine screws; a 0.35 mm fine pitch exists but is uncommon. The tap drill is 2.5 mm and the normal clearance hole is 3.4 mm.

What screwdriver do I need for 2.5in drive trays & caddies?

The sources do not name the drive. For M3, Phillips heads normally take PH1 and Torx heads T10; socket heads take a 2.5 mm hex key.

Can I use an imperial screw instead of M3?

No. Imperial look-alike: #5-40 (3.18 mm) or #4-40 — neither interchanges with M3. Use a true M3 screw so it does not cross-thread or strip the hole.

Where can I buy replacement screws for 2.5in drive trays & caddies?

TechSpareWarehouse (our own store) lists M3 x 3mm, M3 x 4mm and M3 x 5mm, which match lengths in the records above.

2.5in drive trays & caddies screw size

M3 · 3 to 5 mm long

Our records put 2.5in drive trays & caddies on M3 screws in lengths from 3 to 5 mm.

The record covers drive bays, laptop caddies and SSD brackets.

This entry is marked confirmed and comes from forums.tomshardware.com.

An M3 screw is 3 mm in diameter with a 0.5 mm pitch, tapped with a 2.5 mm drill; imperial look-alike: #5-40 (3.18 mm) or #4-40 — neither interchanges with M3.

2.5in drive trays & caddies screw specifications

One row per fitment record. Head, drive are shown only where the source states them; pitch is the ISO coarse pitch for the thread.

Thread	Length	Pitch	Head	Drive	Where it goes	Status
M3	3–5 mm	0.5 mm	not stated	not stated	drive bays, laptop caddies and SSD brackets	Confirmed

Fitment records and sources

M33-5mmconfirmed

drive bays, laptop caddies and SSD brackets

pitch 0.5 mm · tap 2.5 mm · clearance 3.4 mm · PH1 / Torx T10

Source

How to check the screw before you buy

A screw that is even 1 mm too long in a laptop base can push into the keyboard, battery or a board trace, so match the length position by position.
Diameter: across the threads an M3 screw measures about 3 mm with calipers (usually a hair under). If yours measures noticeably more or less, it is a different thread.
Pitch: 0.5 mm from one thread crest to the next (20 crests per centimetre). A thread pitch gauge or the pitch-gauge tool settles it in seconds.
Length: measure from under the head to the tip for pan, button, wafer and cap heads; countersunk (flat) heads are measured overall.
The records span 3–5 mm, which means different positions take different lengths — match each hole to its own screw.
Driver: the source does not name the drive. Standard M3 heads take PH1 for Phillips and T10 for Torx, and a 2.5 mm hex key for socket heads; a bit that fits loosely will cam out and strip the head.
Tightening: no device-specific torque is published in these records. The site's general figure for M3 is about 80-130 N·cm into metal threads and 35-60 N·cm into plastic bosses; snug it up and stop.

Common mix-ups with M3

3.5in drives and 5.25in bays are 6-32; 2.5in drives and motherboard standoffs are M3. Keep the two bins apart.
3.5in desktop and enterprise hard drives are 6-32 UNC imperial, not M3 - only the 2.5in form factor is metric.

Pitch gauge · Screw size finder · Torque guide

Buy these screws at TechSpare Warehouse

In stock and shipped from South Carolina. Our black screws are Phillips wafer head (low profile); match the head style and length to the original before you order.

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The same screw also fits

Devices whose records share a thread with 2.5in drive trays & caddies, closest length match first.

Lenovo B590 also M3 × 4 mm
HP Compaq nx9420 also M3 × 3 mm
Lenovo YOGA 500-14ISK also M3 × 4 mm
Lenovo E49 also M3 × 3 mm
Dell Inspiron 14 5491 also M3 × 3 mm
Dell Inspiron 14 5485 also M3 × 3 mm
HP nc8230 also M3 × 4 mm
HP ProBook 6470b also M3 × 3 mm

Questions about 2.5in drive trays & caddies screws

What size screw does 2.5in drive trays & caddies use?: M3 × 3–5 mm for drive bays, laptop caddies and SSD brackets.
How long are the screws in 2.5in drive trays & caddies?: The records range from 3 to 5 mm depending on the position, so match each screw to its own hole.
What is the thread pitch of an M3 screw?: 0.5 mm (coarse), which is the standard pitch for M3 machine screws; a 0.35 mm fine pitch exists but is uncommon. The tap drill is 2.5 mm and the normal clearance hole is 3.4 mm.
What screwdriver do I need for 2.5in drive trays & caddies?: The sources do not name the drive. For M3, Phillips heads normally take PH1 and Torx heads T10; socket heads take a 2.5 mm hex key.
Can I use an imperial screw instead of M3?: No. Imperial look-alike: #5-40 (3.18 mm) or #4-40 — neither interchanges with M3. Use a true M3 screw so it does not cross-thread or strip the hole.
Where can I buy replacement screws for 2.5in drive trays & caddies?: TechSpareWarehouse (our own store) lists M3 x 3mm, M3 x 4mm and M3 x 5mm, which match lengths in the records above.

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