Sata/m.2/nvme/pcie? Please help.

[Spiretec]

So i finally upgraded to windows 10 recently and the boot times have been horrible ever since. Facing many bugs on many different applications so i finally decided to do a fresh install.

 

So i thought it would be a great time to get an ssd. But i have been confused with all the jargons relating to them. 

 

Spent some good hours researching sata vs m.2 but then there are m.2 nvme/m.2 pcie, i don't know something something stuff and i am lost now since even the m.2 port has different generations and someone said a older m.2 port will bottleneck a fast m.2 ssd so it's not worth getting and all.

 

 

 

So basically, i am lost.

 

I am currently planning on the Samsung 860 evo 250gb.

 

I have an Asus Maximus VII Ranger motherboard. 

 

What ssd should i get? Sata/m.2/pcie/m.2nvme whatever those things are. 

 

 

[Enderman]

Just get an 860 EVO, it's more than enough for the average consumer.

[Spiretec]

17 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Just get an 860 EVO, it's more than enough for the average consumer.

But which one? The sata or the m.2? If m.2 is faster, will my mobo bottleneck it or no?

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, Spiretec said:

But which one? The sata or the m.2? If m.2 is faster, will my mobo bottleneck it or no?

There exactly the same speed, if you don't want the wires get the m.2, otherwise get whats cheaper.

[Spiretec]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

There exactly the same speed, if you don't want the wires get the m.2, otherwise get whats cheaper.

Well i hate wires, and my psu is not modular so alot of cable clutter. So i would prefer a m.2. Also no slot for a sata ssd in my cabinet.

 

But will my mobo bottleneck my m.2 drive?

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, Spiretec said:

Well i hate wires, and my psu is not modular so alot of cable clutter. So i would prefer a m.2. Also no slot for a sata ssd in my cabinet.

 

But will my mobo bottleneck my m.2 drive?

the drive will work fine in your system. Id get it for this use.

[Enderman]

8 minutes ago, Spiretec said:

But which one? The sata or the m.2? If m.2 is faster, will my mobo bottleneck it or no?

The 2.5" sata one.

[5ir5ly]

i would go the m.2 anyday of the week, It's important to note the difference between an M.2 SSD and an NVME M.2 SSD. NVME is lightning fast whereas normal M.2 SSDs are quite similar to your standard 2.5" SSD.

[Enderman]

9 minutes ago, 5ir5ly said:

i would go the m.2 anyday of the week, It's important to note the difference between an M.2 SSD and an NVME M.2 SSD. NVME is lightning fast whereas normal M.2 SSDs are quite similar to your standard 2.5" SSD.

He clearly does not need NVMe speeds and shouldn't waste money on it.

A regular sata 2.5" SSD will be faster than anything he does will need.

A sata SSD is MUCH faster than an HDD and is a great improvement.

NVME is not noticeably better than a sata SSD except in specific workloads.

[5ir5ly]

6 minutes ago, Enderman said:

He clearly does not need NVMe speeds and shouldn't waste money on it.

A regular sata 2.5" SSD will be faster than anything he does will need.

A sata SSD is MUCH faster than an HDD and is a great improvement.

NVME is not noticeably better than a sata SSD except in specific workloads.

it all depends on what he wants to use it for,  if its just games and general use then yeah a 2.5 ssd would be fine, like he said he hates cables, so maybe a standard m.2 sata ssd would be the go...

 

[Enderman]

4 minutes ago, 5ir5ly said:

it all depends on what he wants to use it for,  if its just games and general use then yeah a 2.5 ssd would be fine, like he said he hates cables, so maybe a standard m.2 sata ssd would be the go...

 

In that case he needs to check that his board's M.2 connector supports sata and so does the SSD, and that the motherboard supports booting from it.

[5ir5ly]

2 minutes ago, Enderman said:

In that case he needs to check that his board's M.2 connector supports sata and so does the SSD, and that the motherboard supports booting from it.

1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M Key, type 2260/2280 storage devices support (PCIE mode)

 

[Spiretec]

Thanks for the help guys, cleared my confusion. I will certainly  be going for the 860. As for m.2 or 2.5inch one im still confused. Since the speeds are same. The m.2 is around 12-13 dollars costlier, but no cable, but the green looks ugly :( (i wish they were black like the 900 series). 2.5 is cheaper but cables >.<

ANyways thanks for your help :)

3

[Spiretec]

5 minutes ago, 5ir5ly said:

1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M Key, type 2260/2280 storage devices support (PCIE mode)

 

???

So a sata ssd won't work?

[5ir5ly]

i dont think you can use the sata varient of an m.2 in that slot. im pretty sure bieng a pcie m.2 you would have to use the nvme type... or just use a normal 2.5" sata hard drive like enderman pictured abov

Edited November 28, 2018 by 5ir5ly
got clirifcation.

[5ir5ly]

pretty have much 2 options, a standard 2.5" ssd(cables) Or a nvme m.2 ssd, as that m.2 slot on your motherboard only supports PCIe m.2, your cheaper option is the 2.5" ssd.

[Spiretec]

Aww man

Well then can't be helped eh?

Thank you guys for your help, much appreciated