It makes no sense to select an M.2 SATA SSD to replace a SATA SSD. With a limited number of M.2 slots on the motherboard, most people would rather spend more money on an M.2 PCIe SSD than an M.2 SATA SSD at a lower price.įrom my point of view, you should pick an M.2 PCIe SSD as it gives better performance, particularly when you are upgrading from a 2.5-inch SSD to the M.2 form factor. However, this isn't a great barrier that could prevent users from purchasing M.2 PCIe SSDs. Need better performance? I think you should use PCIe x16 SSDs instead of the M.2 form factor.Īs for the price, M.2 PCIe SSDs are relatively more expensive than M.2 SATA SSDs. Perhaps M.2 slots that support x8 or x16 lanes of PCIe will appear soon enough in the short future. Most new M.2 slots support up to 4x lanes of PCIe 3.0, which has a maximum transfer speed of roughly 3.94 GB/s. In reality, the transfer speed of M.2 PCIe SSDs couldn't reach that ideal number. If they are in an actual race, an M.2 PCIe SSD will leave SATA SSDs in the dust. It's even a lot faster with the next PCIe generations, such as PCIe 4.0, PCIe 5.0, PCIe 6.0, which have the bandwidth throughput at 64GB/s, 128GB/s, 256GB/s, respectively. While the SATA interface is capped at 6Gb/s, PCIe 3.0 has 32GB/s of the bandwidth throughput, which is a lot faster. In theory, an M.2 PCIe SSD is more like a SATA SSD on a supercar. That's why many people often reserve the M.2 slot for other purposes than using an M.2 SATA SSD.
M.2 SATA SSDs aren't actually the more popular selection as there's no improvement in the transfer speed compared to the traditional SATA form factor. It runs at 6Gb/s and is capped at a maximum transfer speed of up to 600MB/s.Īlthough the SATA interface is quite ubiquitous and most widely used, most reputations belong to the 2.5-inch hard drive form factor. The latest generation is SATA III, formally known as SATA 6Gb/s. The SATA revision 1.0 (also known as SATA I, SATA 1.5Gb/s) was released in early 2003, and since then, it has consolidated its position as one of the most widely used transfer interfaces nowadays. Let me explain a bit deeper regarding M.2 SATA SSD and M.2 PCIe SSD! M.2 SATA SSD M.2 PCIe SSD is much faster than M.2 SATA SSD, but the price is much higher. In which case should you use M.2 SATA SSD or M.2 PCIe SSD? What is the difference between them? Basically, they use two different interfaces with different speeds. That is why you need to double-check what kind of M.2 SSD your computer supports before purchasing.
For example, if your laptop has an M.2 port that supports modules with the keying notch type M and the length is up to 60-mm, then you can't attach an SSD with the keying notch type B, or the length is 80-mm. It has many different sizes and keying notches to suit each type of device. What Is M.2 SSD?Īn M.2 SSD is a solid-state drive that is designed to fit the specifications of the M.2 interface. Modules with one notch can only be used for one particular type of host connector, whereas modules with two notches can be used in two different types of host connectors. The unique key notches of M.2 modules also prevent them from being attached to mismatched host connectors. Image Caption: The difference between M.2 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110 form factor in size.īesides, the connector keying notches can be used to distinguish the different purposes and functionalities of both M.2 hosts and devices.
The most popular supported form-factors are 22. The first two digits (e.g., 22mm) define the width while the last two or three digits (e.g., 80mm) define the length of the M.2 card.
Although the appearance is the simplest observable way to recognize the difference between the M.2 cards, this standard also uses a numerical naming convention to classify the dimension, particular characteristic, and functionality of the card.