You're still thinking of the storage modules as standalone SSDs to be managed by software, rather than devices hidden behind hardware RAID. I did almost exactl

You're still thinking of the storage modules as standalone SSDs to be managed by software, rather than devices hidden behind hardware RAID. I did almost exactly the same kind of drive-swapping tests with the WD Black AN1500 [0] in an Intel PC, with the same results in terms of whether the system can boot from the device, but none of that supports the conclusion that Western Digital is locking down what drives can be used behind that RAID controller. You can swap drives on the AN1500, but almost any such operation will require you to erase and reinstall. [0] https://www.westerndigital.com/products/internal-drives/wd-black-an1500-nvme-ssd https://www.westerndigital.com/products/internal-drives/wd-b...