Good budget M.2 drive?

[aeroencychris]

Hi,

Picking out parts for a new build and the thought of an M.2 drive didn't even occur to me. My first thought was a cheap 120GB A-Data SSD (used one before, works surprisingly well), but since I'm building in an S340 I didn't want to buy an unattractive drive since 2.5" drives are shown off above the PSU shroud. I could just peel off the sticker but that would feel a bit off to me. There's a nice looking HyperX 120GB SSD but it's about $55, which I'm still debating whether or not is worth it just for a sticker. With an M.2 drive, I could just keep it behind the motherboard and not have to worry about looks, not to mention the speeds should be a lot better (right?). Is there a good brand I should look at? So far these are decent choices I've found:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/T3fp99/transcend-internal-hard-drive-ts128gmts800

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/vPnG3C/sandisk-internal-hard-drive-sd8snat128g1122

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/nFw323/a-data-internal-hard-drive-asp900ns38128gmc

 

If the speeds aren't a lot better than the HyperX 2.5" drive I might just go for that instead.

Thoughts?

[stealth80]

You do know that the M.2 plugs and sits directly into the motherboard, so it wont be hidden? Also if going m.2, get a drive that takes advantage of the interfaces speeds such as the samsungs etc

[aeroencychris]

1 minute ago, stealth80 said:

You do know that the M.2 plugs and sits directly into the motherboard, so it wont be hidden? Also if going m.2, get a drive that takes advantage of the interfaces speeds such as the samsungs etc

Sorry, didn't look at the positioning on this particular mobo  All of the ones I've seen before have it on the back so you wouldn't be able to see it from outside the case.

I know Samsung SSDs are generally good but they're also really expensive. Are there any that you recommend?

[stealth80]

What board is it for ?

[ARikozuM]

Blue: MX300

Black: HyperX

Green: 850 EVO

 

NVMe: 950 PRO (black) or SM961 (green AF)

[aeroencychris]

10 minutes ago, stealth80 said:

What board is it for ?

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/dvrCD8
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/dvrCD8/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($191.89 @ OutletPC) 
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($29.90 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING 3X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ B&H) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($48.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Kingston HyperX Fury 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($52.99 @ Best Buy) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 480 8GB ARMOR 8G OC Video Card  ($250.00 @ B&H) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA BQ 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Accessory: NZXT Hue+ LED Controller  ($49.99) 
Monitor: AOC G2460PF 24.0" 144Hz Monitor  ($199.99) 
Total: $1129.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-13 17:26 EST-0500

[aeroencychris]

6 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

Blue: MX300

Black: HyperX

Green: 850 EVO

 

NVMe: 950 PRO (black) or SM961 (green AF)

Would you say the speeds on them are worthwhile than just getting a normal 2.5" drive? After some reading I'm seeing that a lot of them are SATA-based so they won't really have a difference over a 2.5" variant.

[ARikozuM]

Just now, cdsboy2000 said:

Would you say the speeds on them are worthwhile than just getting a normal 2.5" drive? After some reading I'm seeing that a lot of them are SATA-based so they won't really have a difference over a 2.5" variant.

If you're going SATA M.2, speeds won't change. If you go NVMe M.2, speeds will be less inhibited by the bus.If you're choosing between a large SATA vs a smaller NVMe, go for the larger since it'll help you out for longer.

[aeroencychris]

Just now, ARikozuM said:

If you're going SATA M.2, speeds won't change. If you go NVMe M.2, speeds will be less inhibited by the bus.If you're choosing between a large SATA vs a smaller NVMe, go for the larger since it'll help you out for longer.

Regardless I want a 120GBish SSD, so what do you think would be best in my situation given that I want it to look good as well? Is NVMe too expensive for a $55 pricepoint?

[ARikozuM]

5 minutes ago, cdsboy2000 said:

Regardless I want a 120GBish SSD, so what do you think would be best in my situation given that I want it to look good as well? Is NVMe too expensive for a $55 pricepoint?

There aren't any NVMe drives at $55. Your best bet would be the MX300 275GB that is $75 or so. Has a great controller, high GB/dollar, and aesthetics.

[aeroencychris]

Just now, ARikozuM said:

There aren't any NVMe drives at $55. Your best bet would be the MX300 275GB that is $75 or so. Has a great controller, high GB/dollar, and aesthetics.

Considering this is just a boot drive and speeds aren't all that important I think the HyperX drive will do. Thanks!

[ARikozuM]

3 minutes ago, cdsboy2000 said:

Considering this is just a boot drive and speeds aren't all that important I think the HyperX drive will do. Thanks!

The HyperX is NVMe as well and goes for about 100+.

 

The MX300 is your best value.

[aeroencychris]

4 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

The HyperX is NVMe as well and goes for about 100+.

 

The MX300 is your best value.

I meant the 2.5" one I linked above

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/ZvLypg/kingston-internal-hard-drive-shfs37a120g

MX300 is a bit too expensive for what I'm looking for and isn't 120GB (it's really only for Windows)

[ARikozuM]

13 minutes ago, cdsboy2000 said:

I meant the 2.5" one I linked above

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/ZvLypg/kingston-internal-hard-drive-shfs37a120g

MX300 is a bit too expensive for what I'm looking for and isn't 120GB (it's really only for Windows)

It'll be fine, then. I would save up a bit more so that your drive has a bit more space for programs.

[aeroencychris]

1 minute ago, ARikozuM said:

It'll be fine, then. I would save up a bit more so that your drive has a bit more space for programs.

This is really just a gaming rig, so I can set steam to put everything on the 1TB HDD anyways. I use a 120GB SSD now and it works fine for me

[stealth80]

if you're on a budget just get the biggest you can from a reputable brand

[aeroencychris]

1 minute ago, stealth80 said:

if you're on a budget just get the biggest you can from a reputable brand

I already know I want a 120GB SSD, and I figured HyperX was reputable. Is there a problem with that choice?

[ARikozuM]

2 minutes ago, cdsboy2000 said:

I already know I want a 120GB SSD, and I figured HyperX was reputable. Is there a problem with that choice?

It's a mid-tier drive, but the A-Data SP550 does the smae for less while the MX300 gives more power and space for roughly the same price bracket.