[SOLVED] I’m having trouble screwing in M.2 drives

[Fl1cks]

I’m building a new computer and installing m.2 drives is actually something I’ve never done before. I’ve had a look at the Gigabyte Z590 UD AC motherboard manual and multiple videos that show how you install it but I’m having trouble with getting the screws into the standoffs. I have gotten 3 different types of screws with the Silencio S600 case but I’m not totally sure which one is the right one. I also brought and tried a screw that I used for installing a regular SSD in the past in the computer I had before. I don’t seem to be able to get any of these screws into the standoffs. Does anyone know which screws I’m supposed to be using here? I’ve had a look at the internet and it seems like it’s a CM2x3-3.3 that is common when installing M.2 drives but I’m not exactly sure which one of the ones that I have is this kind of screw. I’m having a feeling that I’m doing something wrong or that a different screw is needed. I appreciate any help, the faster the better. Thank you!

https://imgur.com/a/j284gr8

View: https://imgur.com/a/j284gr8

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

no M.2 screws would've been provided with the case
because the case does not support M.2, the motherboard does.

the screws would've been supplied with the motherboard and preinstalled.
if you've removed and misplaced them or for some reason they were not included
you may need to contact Gigabyte.

 

[jay32267]

I'm seeing a typical size for those screws is M2 x 3 mm (no pun intended).
This doesn't mean that yours are that size....but I am finding this to be somewhat typical.

 

[Zerk2012]

I’m building a new computer and installing m.2 drives is actually something I’ve never done before. I’ve had a look at the Gigabyte Z590 UD AC motherboard manual and multiple videos that show how you install it but I’m having trouble with getting the screws into the standoffs. I have gotten 3 different types of screws with the Silencio S600 case but I’m not totally sure which one is the right one. I also brought and tried a screw that I used for installing a regular SSD in the past in the computer I had before. I don’t seem to be able to get any of these screws into the standoffs. Does anyone know which screws I’m supposed to be using here? I’ve had a look at the internet and it seems like it’s a CM2x3-3.3 that is common when installing M.2 drives but I’m not exactly sure which one of the ones that I have is this kind of screw. I’m having a feeling that I’m doing something wrong or that a different screw is needed. I appreciate any help, the faster the better. Thank you!

https://imgur.com/a/j284gr8

View: https://imgur.com/a/j284gr8

The screw should of came with the motherboard.

 

[Fl1cks]

It did actually come with the motherboard which I totally missed or forgot about! Unfortunately, there were only two screws so I am going to have to get one more from a hardware store

 

[geofelt]

Only one screw is needed per M.2
The motherboard will have several places to accommodate m.2 devices of differing lengths.
80mm is typical. You insert the m.2 into the slot where it will stand up about 30 degrees.
The screw holds down the m.2 at the end.

 

[Fl1cks]

Only one screw is needed per M.2
The motherboard will have several places to accommodate m.2 devices of differing lengths.
80mm is typical. You insert the m.2 into the slot where it will stand up about 30 degrees.
The screw holds down the m.2 at the end.

I have 3 M.2 drives so that’s why I need 3 screws

 

[mdd1963]

Assuming you have an 11th gen CPU, realize that only one M.2 slot on that mainboard supports PCI-e 4.0, with the other two limited to PCI-e 3.0, and of those two with only one supporting either SATA or PCI-e 3.0. (Just to avoid wasting money on multiple Samsung 980 Pros, for example)

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z590-UD-AC-rev-10/sp#sp

 

[geofelt]

I have 3 M.2 drives so that’s why I need 3 screws

looking at the photo, none of them are like a m.2 screw.
Can you not take one of the ones you have to the store so you can compare them?
Likely a hardware shop will not carry such a screw.
Locally, perhaps a pc repair shop would.

Past that, why not just use two larger capacity drives?

 

[Fl1cks]

Assuming you have an 11th gen CPU, realize that only one M.2 slot on that mainboard supports PCI-e 4.0, with the other two limited to PCI-e 3.0, and of those two with only one supporting either SATA or PCI-e 3.0. (Just to avoid wasting money on multiple Samsung 980 Pros, for example)

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z590-UD-AC-rev-10/sp#sp

Thanks for the info. It’s good that I have the best and most important drive at the main / first slot. Do you know how much of a performance reduction you get when a m.2 drive gets set to PCI-e 3 instead of PCI-e 4 and do you know any videos or sources that showcase this exactly?

 

[Fl1cks]

looking at the photo, none of them are like a m.2 screw.
Can you not take one of the ones you have to the store so you can compare them?
Likely a hardware shop will not carry such a screw.
Locally, perhaps a pc repair shop would.

Past that, why not just use two larger capacity drives?

Reason that I got multiple drives was to boost performance by separating everything such as the programs, project files, and media cache. I will be doing a lot of rendering inside After Effects.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

Do you know how much of a performance reduction you get when a m.2 drive gets set to PCI-e 3 instead of PCI-e 4

i've seen a few articles about it and every time they have determined that there is no noticeable difference in disk read\write speeds with an average NVMe M.2 for your average user compared to a good SATA III SSD.

so there would definitely be no noticeable difference in an average work or even gaming environment with PCIe 3.0 vs 4.0.

 

[geofelt]

Reason that I got multiple drives was to boost performance by separating everything such as the programs, project files, and media cache. I will be doing a lot of rendering inside After Effects.

Because a ssd, any ssd, has minimal latency, there is no performance value in having multiple devices. And, you will really not see the sequential performance benefit of pcie ssd devices.
The key to performance is to abandon the use of HDD devices.