Does my GA-Z97X-UD5H support M.2 NVMe SSDs?

[sl1210user]

Hi, I am trying to work out if my GA-Z97X-UD5H MB supports M.2 NVMe SSDs?

The wording says the M.2 provides access to SATA3 and PCIe.

But does this mean that it supports NVMe SSD drives?

Thanks

 

[Barty1884]

Yes, NVMe = PCIe.

On Z97, you'll be limited to Gen3 x2 / Gen2 x4, but it'll "work", yes.

 

[sl1210user]

Hi Barty,

So I could purchase one of these https://www.scan.co.uk/products/240gb-corsair-force-mp300-m2-22x80-pcie-30-x2-nvme-ssd-tlc-3d-nand-read-1580mb-s-write-920mb-s-110k

It looks like most of the better SSDs are Gen 3 (4x) and may not work with my board.

Or will they still work and run at 2x?

I am probably going to upgrade my MB in the new year so I don't want to purchase a Gen 3, (x2) if I can help it.

Thanks

 

[USAFRet]

It will "work", but not nearly at what it should.
Little better than a SATA III SSD.

Prices on these drives are dropping weekly.
Don't buy one now, in hopes of potentially using it on a different motherboard later.

Buy the drive later as well, and probably save some money on it.

 

[sl1210user]

It will "work", but not nearly at what it should.
Little better than a SATA III SSD.

Prices on these drives are dropping weekly.
Don't buy one now, in hopes of potentially using it on a different motherboard later.

Buy the drive later as well, and probably save some money on it.

Hi, my intention was to buy one now and put it in my new motherboard in a couple of months time.

But I don't want it to be running at no better than SataII or it defeats the point. I was just trying to see how I could get some better performance drive wise on my existing MB which has an M.2 slot.

This brings me onto the next question about what Motherboard I should be looking at to take full advantage of M.2 NVMe SSDs?

For example with the prices of M.2 NVMe drives coming down it would make sense to go for a MB that has multiple M.2 slots so that I can fit more than one drive into the PC.

But how many PCie lanes would each M.2 slot support?

It looks like the standard drives currently on the market are M.2 MVMe PCIe3 (x4) and it would be nice if my M.2 ports on the new motherboard could support x8, and x16 so that I embrace newer drives in the future.

Thanks

 

[USAFRet]

It looks like the standard drives currently on the market are M.2 MVMe PCIe3 (x4) and it would be nice if my M.2 ports on the new motherboard could support x8, and x16 so that I embrace newer drives in the future.

Thanks

PCIe 3.0 x4 is the current standard. There is no "x8".

 

[sl1210user]

It looks like the standard drives currently on the market are M.2 MVMe PCIe3 (x4) and it would be nice if my M.2 ports on the new motherboard could support x8, and x16 so that I embrace newer drives in the future.

Thanks

PCIe 3.0 x4 is the current standard. There is no "x8".

Yes you are right.

The problem is that when I buy it the next standard will come out.

Could I use a PCIe3 (x8), M.2 expansion card to add the PCIe3 x4 NVRMe drives?

Or is is just my MB that is the problem.

Thanks .

 

[Barty1884]

If you worry about the "next standard" potentially being around the corner, you'd never buy anything in the PC space.

Yes, you could use an x4 M.2 in an x8 slot via expansion card, but the card and M.2 are still only going to be capable of x4.
x8 or greater does not yet exist for M.2 or M.2 expansion cards.