Question SSD compatibility.

[Hudson_G]

Doing good folks? I hope so, since the help you give us, amateurs, must be rewarded accordingly!

So, last time I've been here, I wanted help with RAM upgrade, which by the way, was solved, and I just don't know how to mark it as so. Thanks to you guys I could choose the right RAM for my PC.

So, I'm here to repeat the process. Now, I'd like to know if there is anything I should know (compatibility related) with SSD. I'm using HDD for long, and I would like to test this "new" tech, since people say good things about it and its advantages.

Knowing my Motherboard, and the fact that not all RAMs would work with such, here comes my questions:

1. Does this same compatibility issue apply to SSD (like, do I need to check SSD brands carefully to get it to work with Motherboard)? In my first post example (about RAMs), some Crucials RAM would not be compatible, so I had to choose the right one for me (I believe I chose something like CTG16AFRA32, or something like that).
2. If so, how can I check SSD x Motherboard compatibility?
3. If you have any brand recommended, what would these be?
4. PCIe and NVMe are really the same thing?
5. I heard that SATA is much inferior than PCIe/NVMe, is that really a thing?
6. I don't really care if I reinstall the Windows entirely (that means I don't think I want to clone the HDD, I'd be okay with a brand new reboot). Considering that, how would I install and boot to SSD step by step?

Thank you in advance.

 

[CountMike]

Doing good folks? I hope so, since the help you give us, amateurs, must be rewarded accordingly!

So, last time I've been here, I wanted help with RAM upgrade, which by the way, was solved, and I just don't know how to mark it as so. Thanks to you guys I could choose the right RAM for my PC.

So, I'm here to repeat the process. Now, I'd like to know if there is anything I should know (compatibility related) with SSD. I'm using HDD for long, and I would like to test this "new" tech, since people say good things about it and its advantages.

Knowing my Motherboard, and the fact that not all RAMs would work with such, here comes my questions:

1. Does this same compatibility issue apply to SSD (like, do I need to check SSD brands carefully to get it to work with Motherboard)? In my first post example (about RAMs), some Crucials RAM would not be compatible, so I had to choose the right one for me (I believe I chose something like CTG16AFRA32, or something like that).
2. If so, how can I check SSD x Motherboard compatibility?
3. If you have any brand recommended, what would these be?
4. PCIe and NVMe are really the same thing?
5. I heard that SATA is much inferior than PCIe/NVMe, is that really a thing?
6. I don't really care if I reinstall the Windows entirely (that means I don't think I want to clone the HDD, I'd be okay with a brand new reboot). Considering that, how would I install and boot to SSD step by step?

Thank you in advance.

1. /2. SATA 2.5" SSDs are same as HDDs, same connectors and cables just much faster. As an OS drive it should have RAM cache.
3. I prefer Samsung but there many other ones.
4. NVME drives are both with PCIe interface except some are made for PCIe x4 to x16 slots and some for M.2 slots.
5, Yes NVMe drives are much faster than SATA. Better used as OS drives.
6. OS installation is same as on HDDs. SATA or NVMe.

 

[Hudson_G]

1. /2. SATA 2.5" SSDs are same as HDDs, same connectors and cables just much faster. As an OS drive it should have RAM cache.
3. I prefer Samsung but there many other ones.
4. NVME drives are both with PCIe interface except some are made for PCIe x4 to x16 slots and some for M.2 slots.
5, Yes NVMe drives are much faster than SATA. Better used as OS drives.
6. OS installation is same as on HDDs. SATA or NVMe.

But can I choose any SSD brand and it will work with my Motherboard?

In RAMs case, for example, some wouldn't just be compatible, so I had to pick the right ones.

 

[Lafong]

Here are the storage specifications for your motherboard.

This means it will accept any ordinary SATA drive; up to 4 of them.

and it will accept ONE M.2 drive; apparently either SATA or NVMe will work. NVMe support is limited to Generation 3, so there's no point in getting a Gen 4 drive. It would work, but only at Gen 3 speeds.

Brand should not matter. Decent brands are Western Digital, Samsung, Crucial...but any should work if not defective.



- 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
- 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket, supports M Key type 2242/2260/2280 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s) (with Matisse, Picasso, Summit Ridge, Raven Ridge and Pinnacle Ridge) or Gen3 x2 (16 Gb/s) (with A-Series APU, and Athlon 2xxGE series APU)*

 

[Hudson_G]

Here are the storage specifications for your motherboard.

This means it will accept any ordinary SATA drive; up to 4 of them.

and it will accept ONE M.2 drive; apparently either SATA or NVMe will work. NVMe support is limited to Generation 3, so there's no point in getting a Gen 4 drive. It would work, but only at Gen 3 speeds.

Brand should not matter. Decent brands are Western Digital, Samsung, Crucial...but any should work if not defective.



- 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
- 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket, supports M Key type 2242/2260/2280 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s) (with Matisse, Picasso, Summit Ridge, Raven Ridge and Pinnacle Ridge) or Gen3 x2 (16 Gb/s) (with A-Series APU, and Athlon 2xxGE series APU)*

Awesome answer, thank you.

For some reason tho, sellers here have Gen 3 more expensive than Gen 4, for whatever reason.

I think this post can be considered solved.

 

[CountMike]

But can I choose any SSD brand and it will work with my Motherboard?

In RAMs case, for example, some wouldn't just be compatible, so I had to pick the right ones.

They are all standard.