Questions about M.2 and ssd

[Mamba out]

I currently have a MSI Z370 PC PRO, and i already have a SATA SSD connected, if I buy a M.2 SATA SSD would it turn off my other SATA slots? what about NVME? is it worth it for gaming compared to SATA SSD?


Thanks for all the help!

[Omega]

Refer to the M.2 section in your motherboard manual.

[ShadowLID]

I know for my mobo the MSI X470 M7 AC if I use the #1 M2 slot it disables 2-3 of my sata ports.But like Omega said check the manual. Also I really have not noticed a difference in game load times between my SSD and nvme ssd though with crytal.mark the NVME is way faster. I think for now a regular SSD will be just fine. Oh and if your Mobo is like mine if you use the 2nd M2 slot it does not diable any of your sata ports.

[HotShot]

Ok ill try and summarise this as best as i can for you.

If you buy a sata based m.2 ssd it will disable at least two of your sata ports because it uses the same controller for data transfers like your current sata wired ssd.

If you buy an NVMe SSD, it will instead use your PCI express lanes because it has a PCI controller instead.

The difference between a wired sata SSD and an m.2 SSD is minimal to non. So if your going from SATA to SATA with SSDs you probbaly wouldnt notice any difference, even if you paid for a fast SSD.

I currently have a huge storage problem so i was somewhat forced to upgrade from my SATA m.2 bceause of the lack of SATA ports my motherboard has with the amount of hard drive storage for videos and games i currently own and want to expand.


Here is a reddit post that some people have commented on which might help you out:https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/aiaa2e/m2_nvme_vs_pcie_ssds/

[Ad Hominem]

I have the z370 Gaming M5, and yes, depending on which M.2 slot you use and if it uses PCI lanes or SATA, it will turn off some of the SATA plugs.

You need to look up your mainboard user manual and check.

If you are getting an M.2 SSD, you should get an NVMe one that will use PCI lanes instead of an M.2 SATA drive. SATA is what SATA is, M.2 is just the shape of the plug. So an M.2 SATA SSD will not be any faster than a regular SATA SSD. You want the NVMe M.2 SSD.