[SOLVED] M.2 vs SATA3 SSD for NON-gaming usage?

[zenrunner92]

Which of these 3 options would you pick for an OS drive (Win7 x64), and why?

a) Samsung Evo 860 1TB SATA3 SSD, $134 @ Amazon
or
b) Samsung Evo 860 1TB M.2 SSD, $145 @ Amazon (+$15 PCi-e adapter)
c) Samsung Evo 970 1TB M.2 SSD, $180 @ Amazon (+$15 PCi-e adapter)

System: 6 year old build, Intel i5 with Asus Z-87C mobo, 500GB Samsung SATA SSD (I'd move this to a different machine), 32GB RAM, single monitor, Win7 x64.

Right now it's pretty zippy for my uses: web, Office, productivity apps. Zero gaming or sound/video editing.

Just wondering if options b) or c) would yield any perceptible speed improvements given my undemanding everyday use.

 

[USAFRet]

Option A, the 2.5" 860 EVO.

• That Z87 may not be able to (probably can't) boot from the 970 in a PCIe slot.
• For a gaming system, you'd see zero difference even if it could.
• Performance of the 2.5" 860 and the M.2 860 is identical. Just a different method of connection.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

I agree with USAFRet.

Your motherboard does not have any M.2 slots. In addition your motherboard has only one PCI-e 3.0 x 16 slot which is used for a graphics card. The remaining long slots are PCI-e 2.0 slots. Best bet would be the Samsung 860 EVO plugged into one of the six SATA 3 ports on the front edge of the motherboard.