[SOLVED] Budget SSD

[vhv89]

Hi, im looking for a SSD, possibly an M.2.
Is it going to work with my AsRock Extreme Z97 motherboard?
If yes, which one would you recommend?
Im not looking for anything expensive, possibly up to 50usd, 500gb would great. I was looking at Crucial A2000 but i have my concerns about if its going to work with my mobo.

Thanks for your help

 

[kanewolf]

Hi, im looking for a SSD, possibly an M.2.
Is it going to work with my AsRock Extreme Z97 motherboard?
If yes, which one would you recommend?
Im not looking for anything expensive, possibly up to 50usd, 500gb would great. I was looking at Crucial A2000 but i have my concerns about if its going to work with my mobo.

Thanks for your help

With a Z97, I would recommend a standard SATA SSD, like an MX500. M.2 on those old motherboards is a hassle.

 

[Nemesia]

This above. Just get a SATAIII SSD.

PCPartPicker Part List

Storage: Crucial MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($50.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $50.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-12-31 18:01 EST-0500

 

[vhv89]

Thanks. It might be a silly question but does an SSD come with Sata cables? Im afraid i lost all the extra cables

 

[kanewolf]

Thanks. It might be a silly question but does an SSD come with Sata cables? Im afraid i lost all the extra cables

No. But they are available as a separate purchase.

 

[Mr.Spock]

a WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD should be fine for your use case. note the motherboard only supports up to X2 speeds so any NVMe SSD will be limited by that bandwidth.

 

[Nemesia]

M.2 compared to a SATAIII SSD. OS load as fast. Games load as fast. Go with a SATAIII SSD and save yourself the troubles.

 

[USAFRet]

I have an Asrock Z97 (specs below)

Save your $$ and brain cells, and just get a SATA III SSD.
Crucial MX500 or Samsung 860 EVO.
Direct drop in replacement for an HDD. Or as an add on.

Don't bother with an NVMe drive, at all.
You will see ZERO difference with SATA III vs an NVMe drive.


The main benefit of the solid state drives is the near zero access time. All of them do that.
And in a Z97, even the theoretical unobtanium benefit of the sequential speed of a good NVMe is lost. That M.2 port can't even do that.

 

[Mr.Spock]

there are other benefits like no need for SATA cables, a clean profile - even if you use a SATA m.2 drive - also the NVMe SSD will be more valuable in the future in terms of migrating to a better motherboard, plenty of people have 2.5" SSDs in their parts bins or as doorstops.

lots of 2-dimensional thinking around here.

 

[Nemesia]

there are other benefits like no need for SATA cables, a clean profile - even if you use a SATA m.2 drive - also the NVMe SSD will be more valuable in the future in terms of migrating to a better motherboard, plenty of people have 2.5" SSDs in their parts bins or as doorstops.

lots of 2-dimensional thinking around here.

You know that an M.2 is only better for transferring files right to and from the same or another M.2 NVMe.

And if you have 2.5" SSD used as doorstop why don't you send one to the OP? He needs one.

 

[USAFRet]

there are other benefits like no need for SATA cables, a clean profile - even if you use a SATA m.2 drive - also the NVMe SSD will be more valuable in the future in terms of migrating to a better motherboard, plenty of people have 2.5" SSDs in their parts bins or as doorstops.

lots of 2-dimensional thinking around here.

A year from now, when the OP wants a whole system upgrade from his Z97...that same NVMe drive will be less expensive per GB than it is today.

And the ONLY benefit of a M.2 SATA drive might be lack of cables.


Sometimes, simple is better.

 

[Mr.Spock]

but he'll shell roughly the same for NVMe as for 2.5" right now - which part will be more useful then?

A year from now, when the OP wants a whole system upgrade from his Z97...that same NVMe drive will be less expensive per GB than it is today.

And the ONLY benefit of a M.2 SATA drive might be lack of cables.


Sometimes, simple is better.

 

[USAFRet]

but he'll shell roughly the same for NVMe as for 2.5" right now - which part will be more useful then?

Not for good quality devices.
Getting closer, but not quite parity yet.

We could go round and round with this. But an NVMe drive on a Z97 board is more hassle than warrants.
Even forcing it to be the boot drive may not happen.

And a 2.5" SSD will ALSO be useful later, even years from now.