M.2

[Phred_2468]

Whats the difference between a M.2 SATA III ssd vs a M.2 PCI-E ssd vs a M.2 SATA 6Gb/s ssd?

 

SAMSUNG 850 EVO M.2 2280 500GB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal SSD Single Unit Version MZ-N5E500BW

WD Blue M.2 500GB Internal SSD Solid State Drive - SATA 6Gb/s - WDS500G1B0B

SAMSUNG 960 EVO M.2 500GB NVMe PCI-Express 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-V6E500BW

 

EDIT:

Also what is NVME?

 

[W-L]

3 minutes ago, Phred_2468 said:

Whats the difference between a M.2 SATA III ssd vs a M.2 PCI-E ssd vs a M.2 SATA 6Gb/s ssd?

 

SAMSUNG 850 EVO M.2 2280 500GB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal SSD Single Unit Version MZ-N5E500BW

WD Blue M.2 500GB Internal SSD Solid State Drive - SATA 6Gb/s - WDS500G1B0B

SAMSUNG 960 EVO M.2 500GB NVMe PCI-Express 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-V6E500BW

 

EDIT:

Also what is NVME?

 

M.2 is just the form factor or in simple terms to shape of the drive (stick). The NVME (PCI-E) is the method of interfacing to the system, where those types are much much faster than M.2 sata style drives which just use the M.2 slot as a sata III connection. The960 EVO is an NVME drive that has much greater reads and writes speeds than the two other options. 

[HunterSkater429]

pcie can have faster speeds than sata, so if its PCIE but under sata speeds dont get it, and m.2 can be PCIE if your mobo has m.2 pcie and the ssd is pcie in the m.2 formfactor

 

other wise its only for formfactor  and what slot is better for you to use.

[Phred_2468]

6 minutes ago, W-L said:

M.2 is just the form factor or in simple terms to shape of the drive (stick). The NVME (PCI-E) is the method of interfacing to the system, where those types are much much faster than M.2 sata style drives which just use the M.2 slot as a sata III connection. The960 EVO is an NVME drive that has much greater reads and writes speeds than the two other options. 

 

6 minutes ago, HunterSkater429 said:

pcie can have faster speeds than sata, so if its PCIE but under sata speeds dont get it, and m.2 can be PCIE if your mobo has m.2 pcie and the ssd is pcie in the m.2 formfactor

 

other wise its only for formfactor  and what slot is better for you to use.

so the pcie m.2 doesnt mean that its plugged into a pcie slot (as like the gpu) right? Instead into the m.2 slot in the photo below?

[DXMember]

Just now, Phred_2468 said:

 

so the pcie m.2 doesnt mean that its plugged into a pcie slot (as like the gpu), instead into the m.2 slot in the photo below?

B-key does SATA

M-key does PCIe

[W-L]

2 minutes ago, Phred_2468 said:

so the pcie m.2 doesnt mean that its plugged into a pcie slot (as like the gpu), instead into the m.2 slot in the photo below?

Yes and no, a PCI-E or NVME M.2 drive will use a PCI-E lanes like a GPU to communicate with the system and can even plug into a regular PCI-E slot using an adapter such as this, or a dedicated M.2 slot built into the motherboard.

[Phred_2468]

1 minute ago, DXMember said:

B-key does SATA

M-key does PCIe

I dont really get this. It seems more and more confusing...? Sorry

[Phred_2468]

1 minute ago, W-L said:

Yes and no, a PCI-E or NVME M.2 drive will use a PCI-E lanes like a GPU to communicate with the system and can even plug into a regular PCI-E slot using an adapter such as this, or a dedicated M.2 slot built into the motherboard.

same with a sata m.2 drive right? Basically SATA and Pcie m.2 means that thats how the drive communicates with the system but does not have to be plugged into a SATA slot or PCIE slot respectively

[W-L]

1 minute ago, Phred_2468 said:

same with a sata m.2 drive right? Basically SATA and Pcie m.2 means that thats how the drive communicates with the system but does not have to be plugged into a SATA slot or PCIE slot respectively

Yes it will just use the sata controller still going through the M.2 slot instead of going through a PCI-E communication say with NVME designed dives, which is why as shown in the diagrams that the pins or cut outs on the drives themselves are different. 

 

The method in which it communicates usually is configurable within the BIOS to ensure compatibility between both sata and NVME styles of M.2 drives. 

[Phred_2468]

Just now, W-L said:

Yes it will just use the sata controller still going through the M.2 slot instead of going through a PCI-E communication say with NVME designed dives, which is why as shown in the diagrams that the pins or cut outs on the drives themselves are different. 

 

The method in which it communicates usually is configurable within the BIOS to ensure compatibility between both sata and NVME styles of M.2 drives. 

Thank you very much for clearing up my beginner confusion!

[DXMember]

5 minutes ago, Phred_2468 said:

same with a sata m.2 drive right? Basically SATA and Pcie m.2 means that thats how the drive communicates with the system but does not have to be plugged into a SATA slot or PCIE slot respectively

[LucasRem]

You need NVM drives, but you can get SSD ATA on M.2 ports too, just as you can get Kaby on X too.

 

Just buy NVM only drives now, as fast as you can, forget 3d now next year toy, but remove all native HDD and ATA support from UEFI as soon as you can!

[Phred_2468]

Just now, LucasRem said:

You need NVM drives, but you can get SSD ATA on M.2 ports too, just as you can get Kaby on X too.

 

Just by NVM only, and remove all native HDD and ATA support from UEFI as soon as you can!

sorry im new to pc's can you explain?

[LucasRem]

If you motherboard supports NVM on M.2, only buy NVM drives! Don't go for the old ATA on M.2 drives. Read about NVM on wiki or where ever, you need to know all about it! Just read!

[Phred_2468]

Just now, LucasRem said:

If you motherboard supports NVM on M.2, only buy NVM drives! Don't go for the old ATA on M.2 drives. Read about NVM on wiki or where ever, you need to know all about it! Just read!

Ok thanks!

[Phred_2468]

1 minute ago, LucasRem said:

If you motherboard supports NVM on M.2, only buy NVM drives! Don't go for the old ATA on M.2 drives. Read about NVM on wiki or where ever, you need to know all about it! Just read!

So as you said my motherboard of choice should support both SATA and NVME if I want both. heres the link: https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/ROG-MAXIMUS-IX-CODE/specifications/

I think it supports both, right?

[W-L]

2 minutes ago, Phred_2468 said:

So as you said my motherboard of choice should support both SATA and NVME if I want both. heres the link: https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/ROG-MAXIMUS-IX-CODE/specifications/

I think it supports both, right?

Yes that board has two M.2 slots and one is capable of both PCI-E and sata connection. 

 

Quote

1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M Key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (both SATA & PCIE mode)*2
1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M Key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices support (PCIE mode only)*3

 

[LucasRem]

Maximus is a great board by ASUS, overpriced but great to start with, good support for everything, and well documented in forums and other nerd communities, never owned one my self, but do own ASUS boards, and keep buying only them after 20 years.

 

Dual M.2, so you need to think about raid too, if your budget is enough, you can buy 2 fast M.2 drives and connect them is a raid setup.

 

There are a lot of ATA and ATA express ports on the board, if you got HHD drivers or DVD things, i would not recommend connecting them, NAS would be better, just some old junk PC on the Network, but if you need, the Maximus can host all drives you need, future 3D memory on NVM too.

 

For this gen, it would be the best to buy M.2 only, only go for PCIe 3.0 x4 cards if your board does not have any M.2 or U.2, U.2 for server builds, these will be the standard builds the next 5 years on consumer PC's, U.2 as a small in case format, M.2 onboard.

[Phred_2468]

1 minute ago, LucasRem said:

Maximus is a great board by ASUS, overpriced but great to start with, good support for everything, and well documented in forums and other nerd communities, never owned one my self, but do own ASUS boards, and keep buying only them after 20 years.

 

Dual M.2, so you need to think about raid too, if your budget is enough, you can buy 2 fast M.2 drives and connect them is a raid setup.

 

There are a lot of ATA and ATA express ports on the board, if you got HHD drivers or DVD things, i would not recommend connecting them, NAS would be better, just some old junk PC on the Network, but if you need, the Maximus can host all drives you need, future 3D memory on NVM too. 

raid? what's that?

[LucasRem]

Sorry, you need to read that on wiki or where ever, it will give you better speeds or better fail save options.

[Phred_2468]

2 minutes ago, LucasRem said:

Sorry, you need to read that on wiki or where ever, it will give you better speeds or better fail save options.

ok but how would raid be affected by my mobo?

[LucasRem]

Raid is just a way to connect drives to drive controllers, if you connect 4 on 1 controller, you can see them as one drive, so that drive has 4 data lanes for access, more speed, controller for drives is on your mobo, or buy a raid controller on a PCIe 3.0 slot, not needed!

 

NVM controllers need PCIe lanes, read that on wiki too! how many PCIe lanes you get on Kaby!

[Phred_2468]

1 minute ago, LucasRem said:

Raid is just a way to connect drives to drive controllers, if you connect 4 on 1 controller, you can see them as one drive, so that drive has 4 data lanes for access, more speed, controller for drives is on your mobo, or buy a raid controler on a PCIe 3.0 slot, not needed!

Thanks for staying with my "noobness," I really appreciate your help

[LucasRem]

NVM is a problem for many, a lot of gamers are not getting that. I worked with them some years now, they are just drives, forget about all the backward compatibility gamers, just buy SSD if that is fast enough, if you don't own SSD drives, skip that step and go straight to using NVM on M/U.2 only! please don't buy hybrid DVD/SSD/HHD/NVMe combination drives that do backward compatibility or what ever they need to sell you now!