before i buy m.2 ssd

[Guest]

on M.2 ssd's i noticed it says SATA 3 and PCIe 3.0x4 so just wondering with a simple answer when it says like SATA 3 does that mean it runs at SATA 3 port speds but just fits in the M.2 slot same for the PCIe but runs faster than the sata?

 

[Paul NZ]

PCI-E may mean NVME, but you may have to update the BIOS to support NVME

PCI-E is an M2.. on a PCI-E card - NVME

 

[JanHyka]

Yep, with M.2 SATA the speed is limited to 6Gbps (theoretical max. 600MB per sec... in real closer to 560ish).

If you can afford paying a little extra, I'd recommend PCIe one for your M.2

 

[coozie7]

A SATA M2 drive will run at SATA speeds, irrespective of the M2 slot capabilities.
A PCI-E drive MAY run faster but it'll depend on your system motherboard: Not all the older Z97 'boards support PCI-E for M2 and those that do usually support lower speeds (PCI-E 2.0x2 for example) rather than the PCI-E 3.0x4 current drives can use and AFAIK none of them support NVMe.

 

[Guest]

for PCIe do i need an adapter if i already have a slot on my motherboard? MSI Z170 gaming M5

 

[coozie7]

Not if you use a M2 drive, the Z170 'board supports both PCI-E and SATA M2 drives in the same slot, and according to the MSI site it'll automatically configure for either.

 

[Guest]

so i do not need an adapter thinking about the samsung 950 Pro the 256gb version as i do not need that much space think that could work?

 

[JanHyka]

No, you just buy it and plug it and screw it in. It is also one of drives that has PCIe 3.0 4x with NVMe (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA12K4871041&cm_re=samsung_950_pro-_-9SIA12K4871041-_-Product)

 

[coozie7]

^Yep, just carefully insert the SSD, push it gently down and use the tiny, tiny screw to lock it down flat.
Hint: use a magnetic screwdriver and one that's a good fit for that tiny screw.

 

[Guest]

alright thanks for the help