What should I keep in mind when buying an M.2 SSD?
What's an M.2 SSD?
An M.2 SSD is a storage system for in your computer, just like a 2.5-inch SSD. These modern SSDs are smaller, thinner, and you can install them directly onto your motherboard. Thanks to this, you won't need an extra bracket, power cable, or SATA cable and you'll have more room left. When you choose an M.2 SSD, it's important to keep the manual of your motherboard at hand. Not all M.2 SSDs fit onto your motherboard.
M.2 SATA SSD vs M.2 NVMe SSD
M.2 SATA SSD: smaller than 2.5-inch SSD, slower than NVMe
If you want to keep more room in your PC, an M.2 SATA SSD is what you're looking for. The read and write speeds of an M.2 SATA are similar to the ones of a 2.5-inch SATA SSD. That's because both SSDs use the SATA protocol. Despite this, the drives are still 10 times faster than the common HDD. Check the manual of your motherboard to see if it supports an M.2 SATA SSD. In some cases, it's just SATA or NVMe, or both.
M.2 NVMe SSD: very high write and read speeds
When it comes to the internal storage, the M.2 NVMe SSDs are the best of the best in terms of speed. With speeds up to 7000Mb/s, you can transfer large files within a couple of seconds. These SSDs use the NVMe protocol, which is up to 6 times faster than SATA/AHCI. Make sure your motherboard supports this protocol. Check this in the manual of your motherboard.
What's the difference between a B key, B+M key, and M key?
M.2 SSDs have a "key" for in your motherboard. This isn't a physical key, but the connector of the SSD. A B key only works on a B slot, and the same hols for an M key and M slot. A B+M key fits on both, but doesn't always work together with an M slot. The SSDs with M key reach a much higher speed than SSDs with a B key. Make sure to check the manual of your motherboard which slot you have. We'll list it for you here:
- B key: a large connector with a small, 6-pin connector.
- M key: a large connector with a small, 5-pin connector.
- B+M key: a large connector in the middle, with a 5-pin connector on the left and a 6-pin connector on the right.
Which length should my M.2 SSD have?
Besides the fact that the key needs to fit on your motherboard, your SSD also has to fit physically. An M.2 SSD comes in different sizes, such as 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110. The first 2 digits of a size indicate the width in millimeters. As you can see, an M.2 SSD is always 2.2cm wide. The lat 2 digits indicate the length in millimeters, so 4.2cm, 6.0cm, etc.. The 80mm version is the most common and most commonly used on a motherboard. As always, we recommend you to check the manual of your motherboard for the right size.
