M.2 vs SSD

[User1868]

Which is better for a system?

Which is better for gaming?

Yes I know that m.2 is also a ssd

Advantages and disadvantages ?

[SkywardKkalox]

M.2 is much faster than a regular SATA3 SSD, though in size the 750 series from Intel are the first to bring the performance of an M.2/PCI SSD on the size of a normal one.

An SSD DOESN'T and I repeat DOESN'T affect gaming performance, only the how fast the game/program will launch.

Advatages of a 2.5 inch SSD: Low cost. Disadvatages: Low speeds compared to an M.2 one.

Advatages of an M.2 SSD: High read/write speeds Disadvatages: Extremely high cost a lot of times.

@User1868

[IMPERIUS]

the m.2 ssd is better but also a lot pricier. 

It doesn't affect gaming performance except for loading times

 

What skyward said, I'd take an ssd since it is very fast compared to a hdd and you can spend the money saved on the ssd for a better cpu or gpu r other parts

[jonathanwu607]

M.2 is much faster than a regular SATA3 SSD, though in size the 750 series from Intel are the first to bring the performance of an M.2/PCI SSD on the size of a normal one.

An SSD DOESN'T and I repeat DOESN'T affect gaming performance, only the how fast the game/program will launch.

Advatages of a 2.5 inch SSD: Low cost. Disadvatages: Low speeds compared to an M.2 one.

Advatages of an M.2 SSD: High read/write speeds Disadvatages: Extremely high cost a lot of times.

@User1868

Not entirely correct.

M.2 is referring to the form factor. The performance is determined by whether it's a PCIe M.2 SSD or a SATA3 M.2 SSD.

The former is faster and more expensive; the latter being the same as a mSATA SSD or a 2.5" SSD you're familiar with.

 

(PCIe SSD also comes in PCIe x1, x2, x4 though...)

[Columbo]

M2 is a form factor which is usually for small devices like Apple products or laptops that use drives much smaller than 2.5" form factors. The M2 is limited by the same memory technology that holds back standard 2.5" drives. The bus speed is much faster because M2 is a newer form factor. I doubt you will see a difference in speed between a very fast 2.5" SSD and M2 because both use the same (NAND) memory technology. Things like memory controllers used in high quality SSD's can overcome the performance difference of the form factor architecture. Essentially M2 is a micronized SSD, since it's a newer form factor efficiencies exist in the memory architecture that give it a faster theoretical speed than standard 2.5" SSD's.

 

I use mSata in some of my slim laptops. This is the same form factor as M2 but the layout of the memory board is a different size and shape in M2.