Most of us hear SATA SSD and think of one of these babies when actually this could be SATA as well.
So what’s the difference and which is right for you? Sounds like it’s DIYin5 time!
Hey everyone! Welcome to DIY in 5. My name is Trisha Hershberger and today we’re going
to delve deep into M.2 SSDs PC storage and the fact that there are indeed both
SATA and PCIe varieties of M.2.
Before I get into the alphabet soup of it all,
please note if you find the information in today’s video useful, please feel free to like this video,
subscribe to this channel and ding that bell so you don’t miss out on any future tech tips.
When we talk about M.2 SSDs, we are specifically talking about the form factor.
They are long and thin and look a bit like a stick of chewing gum.
(♫ The Doublemint Gum theme plays softly in the background ♫)
This form factor is ideal for computers that are lightweight and portable like laptops,
NUCs and ultrabooks as well as modern video game consoles.
They are also very easy to install. Simply plug right into the motherboard,
insert one screw and you are good to go!
Many people think the alternative to M.2 SSDs are SATA 2 and a half inch SSDs,
and while the 2 and a half inch portion is correct, SATA actually refers to the storage interface.
SATA and PCIe, or PCIe NVMe, are both types of storage interface that an SSD can use.
The primary difference between the two is performance and the protocol, or language, spoken by the SSD.
The M.2 spec was designed to accommodate both a SATA and PCIe interface for SSDs.
M.2 SATA SSDs will use the same controller currently on typical 2.5” SATA SSDs.
M.2 PCIe SSDs will use a controller specifically designed to support the PCIe protocol.
An M.2 SSD can only support one protocol, but some systems have M.2 sockets that can support either SATA or PCIe.
An easy way to tell the difference between the two drives based on appearance alone is the notches in the connection.
SATA M.2 drives will have two notches, while PCIe will only have one.
Now that we have that cleared up, what’s the difference between the two?
The PCIe interface is generally faster, as the SATA 3.0 spec is limited to around 600MB/s maximum speed,
while PCIe Gen 2 x2 lanes are capable of up to 1000MB/s.
And if you think that’s a large difference, PCIe Gen 2 x4 lanes are capable of up to 2000MB/s, and Gen 3 x4 lanes of up to 4000MB/s.
Not to say that speed is everything. M.2 SSDs using the SATA protocol will generally be
compatible with a wider variety of systems and can be better supported in older models,
plus they are usually more affordable when it comes to PCIe.
Another thing to consider is that some motherboards don’t have enough PCIe connections to support multiple PCIe NVMe drives.
You might have to decide on using the available connection between a graphics card or an NVMe SSD.
Other times there may be PCIe lanes available but only a certain type of connection will be able to use NVMe devices
at their full speed such as an M.2 connection.
If you’d like to see two side by side, a good example is the Kingston A400, SATA vs Kingston KC3000, PCIe NVMe.
The A400 has two key notches, with speed 500 MB/s read and 450 MKB/s write.
And the Kingston KC3000 on the other hand, has one key notch here on the side, and offers 7,000 MB/s read and write speeds.
So to sum up - yes, M.2 SSDs can come in both SATA and PCIe NVMe varieties.
PCIe is newer and faster, while SATA is more affordable and more widely compatible with older systems.
What you choose is up to you, but I hope these basic guidelines helped a bit in your shopping journey.
Alright, take care everyone and I’ll see you next time with more DIY in 5.