which new SSD drive, preferably M.2 ?

[termathor]

Hi there,

I thought 250 GB per partition (Windows/SteamOS) would be enough on the primary SSD disk, for my gaming rig, but have recently been proved wrong as some games are 50 + GB.
So I need to find a new SSD (500GB, I think) for the Windows partition.

I run on the Z97 chipset, and I understand there are limitations for data transfer.
Since it's a small form factor PC, I'd prefer a M.2 SSD.

Any advice ? Goal is good value for money, reliability and performance on my chipset.

 

[Eximo]

Well, an M.2 500GB is going to be kind of expensive, and if you ran out of space that quickly, you might consider a 1TB.

Aren't very many choices really.

Samsung 850 Evo, likely best quality/longevity at the lowest cost $170 for 500GB, 1TB only sets you back $300
Samsung 950 Pro, fastest excepting the SM961
Samsung SM961, probably the best available
Intel 540s is a decent compromise, slightly cheaper than the Evo.
Crucial MX200 is also out there, not really sure on its stats, but as I vaguely recall it is pretty average all around.

 

[termathor]

Well, an M.2 500GB is going to be kind of expensive, and if you ran out of space that quickly, you might consider a 1TB.

Aren't very many choices really.

Samsung 850 Evo, likely best quality/longevity at the lowest cost $170 for 500GB, 1TB only sets you back $300
Samsung 950 Pro, fastest excepting the SM961
Samsung SM961, probably the best available
Intel 540s is a decent compromise, slightly cheaper than the Evo.
Crucial MX200 is also out there, not really sure on its stats, but as I vaguely recall it is pretty average all around.

Oki, thanks for the answer. I think I may got fpr the 950 or 961.
Last question: will I get most of the drives with a Z97 chipset and NVME interface or Z97 is really a limitation ?

 

[Eximo]

Z97 supports NVMe, however the interface is on a per-motherboard basis. It may only support SATA via NVMe. The 961 and 950 Pro are going to perform at their peak only in a PCIe enabled NVMe interface.

 

[termathor]

Z97 supports NVMe, however the interface is on a per-motherboard basis. It may only support SATA via NVMe. The 961 and 950 Pro are going to perform at their peak only in a PCIe enabled NVMe interface.

Thanks a lot for this. I had a look and the Maximus VII Impact does support PCIe through NVMe.
So, I just have to verify forms factors and I'll probably go 961.

Thanks to all who answered. Such a great community, here !