[SOLVED] Should i go with m.2 or SATA SSD for 2nd drive?

[luneki]

For my new build i went with a Samsung 980 500 GB, and i thought i'd add a 1 TB HDD as a 2nd drive, but it's not much more to get another SSD.

However i'm really confused as to how PCI lanes work, and if my 2nd drive should be another m.2 or a SATA SSD.

I'm running an i7-13700K with a ROG Strix B660-A Gaming WiFi D4 motherboard, which says:

Intel® 13th & 12th Gen Processors
M.2_1 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280/22110
- Intel® 13th & 12th Gen processors support PCIe 4.0 x4 mode.

Intel® B660 Chipset
M.2_2 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 4.0 x2 mode)
M.2_3 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280/22110 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode)

I understand that the first m.2 goes through the CPU, and the other 2 through the chipset. With my GPU and the m.2 all 20 of the i7's lanes are full right? So no problem there so far.

What i don't understand is the PCIe 4.0 x2 or x4 modes, and if that means that using those slots would lower the performance of my GPU or drop it from x16 to x8 (even if they go throught the chipset and not the CPU).

Can you help me understand what the best choice would be?

 

[rgd1101]

chipset have it own pcie lane

 

[Math Geek]

none of the chipset ports mess with the cpu ones.

so you'll get the full speed of the first m.2 slot and pcie slot.

i don't see anything in the manual about conflicts with the second and third slots. so based on the specs alone, the third m.2 slot would be better to use since it is x4 and not x2 like the middle one. you can go with an m.2 drive or a sata ssd. whichever you prefer really. real world speed is almost the same and prices have dropped a lot for both types lately.

 

[Bob.B]

For my new build i went with a Samsung 980 500 GB, and i thought i'd add a 1 TB HDD as a 2nd drive, but it's not much more to get another SSD.

However i'm really confused as to how PCI lanes work, and if my 2nd drive should be another m.2 or a SATA SSD.

I'm running an i7-13700K with a ROG Strix B660-A Gaming WiFi D4 motherboard, which says:

Intel® 13th & 12th Gen Processors
M.2_1 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280/22110
- Intel® 13th & 12th Gen processors support PCIe 4.0 x4 mode.

Intel® B660 Chipset
M.2_2 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 4.0 x2 mode)
M.2_3 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280/22110 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode)

I understand that the first m.2 goes through the CPU, and the other 2 through the chipset. With my GPU and the m.2 all 20 of the i7's lanes are full right? So no problem there so far.

What i don't understand is the PCIe 4.0 x2 or x4 modes, and if that means that using those slots would lower the performance of my GPU or drop it from x16 to x8 (even if they go throught the chipset and not the CPU).

Can you help me understand what the best choice would be?

Get a 2.5 ssd and the problem is solved.

 

[luneki]

none of the chipset ports mess with the cpu ones.

so you'll get the full speed of the first m.2 slot and pcie slot.

i don't see anything in the manual about conflicts with the second and third slots. so based on the specs alone, the third m.2 slot would be better to use since it is x4 and not x2 like the middle one. you can go with an m.2 drive or a sata ssd. whichever you prefer really. real world speed is almost the same and prices have dropped a lot for both types lately.

Thanks!
I'll go with the 2nd m.2 then