Is M.2 compatible with NVM-E by default?

[JB-]

I've been reading about NVMe and I'm trying to figure out if I will be able to buy a Samsung M.2 NMVe SSD and pop it in any notebook with a M.2 SSD connector or if only specific NVMe compatible M.2 connectors will work?

 

I would really like to know if I could put a Samsung 950 Pro M.2 SSD into the new Dell XPS 15 that I presume is using M.2 for the SSD and experience the NMVe speeds.

[skimmilk5]

NO! NVMe is not the same as M.2! You would experience PCIe speeds almost to NVMe speeds, but not NVMe. What a bummer. HOWEVER, at that point, unless you're copying large video files as a video editor or animator (like I am, and I sure hope that if you are, you aren't editing off your internal SSD and rather are using a NAS or external redundant storage...), at which point it becomes barely noticeable.

M.2 operates off of the AHCI system. NVMe operates off of the NVMe system, which is a brand new class.

[JB-]

NO! NVMe is not the same as M.2! You would experience PCIe speeds almost to NVMe speeds, but not NVMe. What a bummer. HOWEVER, at that point, unless you're copying large video files as a video editor or animator (like I am, and I sure hope that if you are, you aren't editing off your internal SSD and rather are using a NAS or external redundant storage...), at which point it becomes barely noticeable.

M.2 operates off of the AHCI system. NVMe operates off of the NVMe system, which is a brand new class.

 

Thanks Kimsejin5! So to be clear this 950 Pro SSD will connect to any M.2 interface and work fine at PCIe speeds but will not come close to the advertised (2500MB/s & 1500MB/s) NVMe speeds unless connected to a suitable NMVe M.2 connector?

 

Or are the speeds advertised there the actual speeds of that M.2 NVMe drive plugged into a standard M.2 interface?

 

Appreciate your help!

[skimmilk5]

Thanks Kimsejin5! So to be clear this 950 Pro SSD will connect to any M.2 interface and work fine at PCIe speeds but will not come close to the advertised (2500MB/s & 1500MB/s) NVMe speeds unless connected to a suitable NMVe M.2 connector?

 

Or are the speeds advertised there the actual speeds of that M.2 NVMe drive plugged into a standard M.2 interface?

 

Appreciate your help!

To clarify, NVMe is NOT M.2! M.2 operates off of AHCI, not NVMe, and so you'll be getting just shy of NVMe speeds. Either way, that's an excellent SSD, and you should have no problems with it. But it will connect by M.2.

[JB-]

To clarify, NVMe is NOT M.2! M.2 operates off of AHCI, not NVMe, and so you'll be getting just shy of NVMe speeds. Either way, that's an excellent SSD, and you should have no problems with it. But it will connect by M.2.

 

Thanks for you help mate. To be honest I'm left a little more confused than when I started as they advertise that SSD as a NMVe SSD but you're telling me it is not NMVe.. I'm probably missing something simple.

[flaviu.vlaicu]

Thanks for you help mate. To be honest I'm left a little more confused than when I started as they advertise that SSD as a NMVe SSD but you're telling me it is not NMVe.. I'm probably missing something simple.

M.2 is a form factor also called NGFF New Generation Form Factor, and NVME is Non Volatile Memory Express, a new technology. Samsung 950 PRO is NVME M.2 Drive, so it connects to a M.2 slot and has NVME capability.

 

There also are drives on the market that are M.2 and fit in a M.2 slot but are not NVME capable.