[SOLVED] ssd m2 compatibility / advice

[Blg79]

Hi.

I would like to upgrade my ssd primary drive.

I currently I have a Samsung 512gb m2, running in an expansion card on the second PCIe slot.
It’s a while now since the drive was set up like this, but it was done this way at the time with help / advice from a friend, as it seemed the m2 slot on my board only ran at 2x speed.

I would like to upgrade the drive to a 1tb drive. I have been looking at the 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 SSD 1TB, but unsure of compatibility etc, or if the drive would even be fully utilised with my older pc specs etc.

Would someone with way more knowledge than me be able to advise if the drive is compatible (if i can sipmly replace the old one in the PCIe expansion card slot).
And if so, tell me if its worth getting or recommend another drive that would be more suitable.
Also, any other advice / guidance you think I may need.

Many thanks in advance.


My current pc specs are…

Windows 10 pro 64
Mobo: ASUS MAXIMUS VII RANGER.
M2 drive expansion card: Asus HYPER M.2 x 4 MINI M.2 Hyper Interface Adapter.
Processor: I7-4790k,
Gpu: ASUS TUF RTX 2060 GAMING OC
PSU: corsair RM850.
Current ssd: NVMe 4x 8.0 GT/s samsung MZVLW512HMJP-00000 [512 GB]
Memory: 4 sticks of 8G - DDR3-1600 / PC3-12800 DDR3 SDRAM UDIMM
(crucial BLT8G3D1608Et3LX0)

 

[USAFRet]

You currently have the PM961 in that adapter card?

The 970 should also work.

 

[Lutfij]

Read through this thread;
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/asus-maximus-vii-ranger-and-samsung-evo-970-ssd.3333828/

I'd also advise on making sure your BIOS is up to date but I am concerned about the M.2 you're currently on running at x2 mode.

 

[Blg79]

Many thanks for the replies.

USAFRet, not sure if I have PM961. The existing ssd is ....
NVMe 4x 8.0 GT/s samsung MZVLW512HMJP-00000 [512 GB]

Lutfij, I will read than now. thanks

 

[USAFRet]

Many thanks for the replies.

USAFRet, not sure if I have PM961. The existing ssd is ....
NVMe 4x 8.0 GT/s samsung MZVLW512HMJP-00000 [512 GB]

Lutfij, I will read than now. thanks

This one:

MZVLW512HMJP Samsung Client SSD | Samsung Semiconductor

Samsung Client SSD MZVLW512HMJP specifications. Find out more information about SM961, PM961, PM971, PM971a and their outstanding performance

www.samsung.com

 

[Blg79]

This one:

MZVLW512HMJP Samsung Client SSD | Samsung Semiconductor

Samsung Client SSD MZVLW512HMJP specifications. Find out more information about SM961, PM961, PM971, PM971a and their outstanding performance

www.samsung.com

Ahh, yes thats the one.
Thanks, that confirms compatibility then.

Is there anything that jumps out to you that would suggest i am over spending.
For example, I might not be able to achieve the speeds of that ssd because of my specs, so should go for a lower price / alternative brand ssd?

 

[Blg79]

Read through this thread;
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/asus-maximus-vii-ranger-and-samsung-evo-970-ssd.3333828/

I'd also advise on making sure your BIOS is up to date but I am concerned about the M.2 you're currently on running at x2 mode.

Thanks Lutfij.
Just read that post and realised, thats the same set up as me, with the same ssd.

 

[Blg79]

Read through this thread;
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/asus-maximus-vii-ranger-and-samsung-evo-970-ssd.3333828/

I'd also advise on making sure your BIOS is up to date but I am concerned about the M.2 you're currently on running at x2 mode.

just picking up on your concern about "M.2 currently on running at x2 mode"
Does this mean i could be running the ssd in my PCIe slot, but still at 2x speed?

its currenmtly in an adpater, pluged in to the second PCIe x16 slot.

 

[USAFRet]

Ahh, yes thats the one.
Thanks, that confirms compatibility then.

Is there anything that jumps out to you that would suggest i am over spending.
For example, I might not be able to achieve the speeds of that ssd because of my specs, so should go for a lower price / alternative brand ssd?

While the 970 is "faster" (in benchmarks) than the one you have, don't expect any magical difference.

Going from an HDD to an SSD is a HUGE change.
Going from one NVMe to another NVMe, not so much.

Why are you wanting to change?
In that system, I'd probably suggest just adding another SATA III SSD. Leave the OS and whatever on that current 512GB drive.

I;m using that same processor, on a similar Z97 motherboard. A selection of SSD's (parts list below).
There really isn't a lot of "speed" difference between them.

 

[geofelt]

The value of any ssd is in the low latency.
That gives impressive performance in random I/O which is what windows does most of the time.
Sequential performance is not noticed so much.
Perhaps only in a long antivirus scan.
Running at 2x, you will get some 4x faster sequential performance compared to sata.

No reason to upgrade, except for adding capacity.
If you plan on a clean windows install, that is one thing.
But, if you need to preserve your settings and installed apps, try the samsung ssd migration aid.
You might also need to install the samsung nvme driver.
You can find them here:

Tool & Software Download | Samsung Semiconductor Global

Download various software related to your product, including Samsung Magician, designed for use with Samsung's memory products, and find related information.

www.samsung.com

You should be able to put the new 1tb drive in the motherboard m.2 slot.
Run the ssd migration app and test the results by booting to the 1tb drive.
You may find it easiest to leave things at that.
I would try to run a ssd benchmark like ASSD to see what differences there are in performance.
If it seems worthwhile, you could swap the new ssd to the x4 device.

 

[Blg79]

Many thanks for all your feedback. It’s been very helpful.


My main reason for upgrading was initially to boost space on the primary drive. I run a lot of different software and also have a few steam games etc, and was getting a bit fed up with uninstalling stuff all the time to manage space.

I’m about to do a clean reinstall of windows, so was thinking it would be an ideal time to replace the drive (if I was going to upgrade).


However, after reading the feedback and sleeping on it, I may just put up with what I’ve got for now as it doesn’t seem like I will benefit from any noticeable speed increase, only the increased storage space. Was going to upgrade the whole pc in a year or so anyway, so probably better just to wait.



USAFRet, thanks for confirming the compatibility for me and general advice.

Geofelt, thanks for the quick bullet points of info / guidance that will be valuable for someone like me or other readers with similar questions.