[SOLVED] NVMe vs. Standard M.2 Storage

[julienruc]

Hi all,

I am in the market for a new SSD and would like to get me a nice NVMe m.2 drive.

The only issue is that I am having trouble discerning a standard Sata M.2 with an NVMe M.2 when browsing.

Is there a quick way to know if what I'm looking at is an NVMe drive or not? Or do I have to check the spec sheets every time?

 

[Tanyac]

Samsung print NVMe or SATA on the label and packaging. Looking at various other brands - WD and Kingston generally do the same.

I don't believe I've ever seen a 2.5" NVMe drive - only M.2

Most retailers specify the drive type on the product page. I couldn't imagine you'd have to go hunting through spec sheets very often, if at all.

Specifications wise - NVMe M.2 drives are typically listed as PCIe x4. (32GB)

Samsung's have sequential speeds of 3000-3500 MB/s read and 2000-2500 Mb/s write (depending model and size). Other brands have much lower speeds. IMHO Samsung are the best. I've compared lots of SSDs and I won''t buy anything but Samsung.

SATA drives though typically max out and 550-560MB/s read/write.

 

[julienruc]

Sorry, my writting was confusing. When I meant Sata M.2 I meant that some M.2 SSD are not NVMe and have the same speed as a 2.5" Sata SSD.

But thanks for the clarification. I'll have a look.

 

[USAFRet]

Sorry, my writting was confusing. When I meant Sata M.2 I meant that some M.2 SSD are not NVMe and have the same speed as a 2.5" Sata SSD.

But thanks for the clarification. I'll have a look.

Right.
The SATA III Crucial MX500 can be had in either 2.5" format or m.2.
Same with a Samsung 860 EVO or WD Blue.

You just have to read the specs for whatever you're looking for.