Greetings [NAME] I will assist you with your questions to install Windows on your XPS: 1.  Dell has embedded Windows key in BIOS and Microsoft keeps a record of the (digital) license tying with the hardware ID.  Anytime you reinstall Windows and connecting online, it will activate automatically, so you have no need of keeping the license.  However, search online will yield several methods to find your key if you want to. 2.  Samsung does have driver for consumer NVME SSD listing on their website.  However, you can do Windows installation without the driver and you can update the driver afterward if you prefer.  Otherwise, Microsoft will use standard NVME driver for your storage.  After Windows installation you will need to install your system chipset driver and IME driver after that, the remaining drivers will be installed when you connect online, you can also find them in optional updates. 3.  Raid or AHCI is based on how you want to run your storage.  If you don't want to set up any array, then change your BIOS settings to AHCI so any future update or replacing drive will not giving you issue when booting. 4.  A fresh install of Windows is the best way to avoid Dell bloatware.  Just go to Microsoft website and download a utility to create a Windows installation USB.  There won't be any of Dell bloatware, just Windows. There are some questions people failed to ask and they are usually depending on what type of person you are.  How to install Windows without a Microsoft account and create as a local account?  It is for people who value their privacy and don't want to put too much private information in Microsoft hand.  How to configure all the settings in Windows as the default settings are allowing Microsoft to collect and sending your information to them.  If you want your PC to act as an assistant who can remember your personal info, knowing your bank account, etc., then those features are good and required. I hope these are the answers you are looking for and don't hesitate to ask if anything I missed.  
I have spent the day searching through the community forum and haven't found a specific answer to my question. Honestly I came out more confused and unsure than I was before I started researching. If this has been specifically addressed I must have missed it.  I recently purchased Costco's version of the XPS 8940 with these Specs: I want to upgrade from the 512GB SSD to the 2TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 NVMe. It is Gen3 x4 and 2TB which is compatible according to the pdf file DELL has on the specs for my model. It also is the right size and plugin shape. The hardware should fit and the specs match. Since this is a new PC I can do a fresh install of windows and don't need to preserve any personal files with cloning. So it should be simple. I just need to find a clear tutorial, lots of ppl update their drives all the time, no biggie.  I have cloned a HDD to a SDD twice before when upgrading. However, I followed a step-by-step process both times, specific hand-holding instructions. I assumed I'd do that this time, but as I researched I came across all of the hang-ups people were having specifically when upgrading to Samsung and their needing to change the SATA Operation from RAID to AHCI to clone their Samsung SDDs. Some of those threads talked about Specific Samsung Drivers needed, Safe start mode, etc. But the hang up for me is that for all of these threads everyone was cloning. Then someone would mention a fresh install of windows as an alternative option but with no instructions on how to go about that and whether or not the fresh install just alleviated the SATA settings issue or all of the issues.  I can, of course, youtube this process in general instructions. And I have. But I still have a couple of questions that seem relevant to the Dell XPS and the Samsung SDD specifically before I can proceed: 1.) What's the process for the Windows key we used to need back in the day with a fresh windows install? I saw a mention that it's now stored in the BIOS... Is this true? Should I find it and write it down just in case?? 2.) Does the Samsung issue with drivers still apply with a fresh Windows install? Plus, are there any other system drivers I need to hunt down and install when doing a fresh install of windows? 3.) The whole reason a fresh install appeals to me is because I think* it bypasses the need to mess with changing the SATA Operation from RAID to AHCI. And I'm hoping* it avoids the added steps needed when using specifically Samsung's SSD. Is this assumption true?  4.) Finally, I'd like to avoid all of DELLs bloatware... IS there a specific way to do a fresh install to work around this? Are there any downsides to this I should be aware of? PS: Am I even asking the right questions? Lol Should I be going about this differently? I appreciate the time ppl take answering these questions and I am grateful for any advise!
XPS 8940, upgrade 2TB SSD Samsung 970 EVO Plus, fresh Windows Install