Will any M.2 SSD work on my ASUS motherboard?!

Majkiller11

Commendable
Feb 24, 2017
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So, I have an ASUS Prime B360M-K Motherboard. I'm planning on buying an M.2 SSD considering they are really speedy and save a lot of space on my case (no need for any cables). The question is, will any M.2 SSD fit on that mobo? More specifically, does it matter if it is an NVMe (PCI express protocol) or a simple M.2 (SATA). I've visited ASUS's site and I've come to a conclusion that the particular mobo is capable of handling both types. NVMes are faster and not that pricier, so I would go for an NVMe if it would be compatible. Last thing I want is to buy an M.2 SSD, only to find out that it's not working. If anyone could enlighten me with more info, I would appreciate it a lot! Thanks for your time!
 
Solution
The GPU is physically a PCIe x16 card. They usually run at x8 on mainstream PCs. Two-way SLI configurations run each card at x8. This is called PCIe bifurcation, and it's automatic. A PCIe x16 slot running at x16 can split into any smaller lane configuration. Some PCIe x16 slots run fewer lanes. My Z170 motherboard, for example, has one x16 slot running at x16 and another running at x4. It only has enough contacts for x4, but can accommodate a physical x16 card.

The B360 chipset can handle an additional 12 lanes. Whether the M.2 slot runs on CPU lanes or chipset (PCH) lanes depends on the manufacturer. The graphics card is always directly connected to the CPU.

What GPU do you have? If it's slower than an Nvidia Titan V, you...


Nice, so we know it's compatible. But... Considering you said it supports M.2 drives at PCIe x4, does that affect the CPU PCI lanes directly. What I mean by that is... Let's say Ι have an i5 8400, which has 16 PCI lanes, will having a single GPU on the x16 slot, max out my PCI lanes and make it so that I can't use the M.2 drive? Or PCI lanes don't matter at all for an M.2? Thanks for your answers!
 
It depends on the motherboard, but it will probably use chipset lanes. Most GPUs run at x8 anyway, since that's still more than enough bandwidth. Both your GPU and SSD will run at full speed. The only compromise--and this is common, even on higher-end Z boards--is that SATA ports 4 and 5 (the last two of the six) SATA ports will be disabled when using the M.2 slot. I doubt this will ever be an issue for you.
 

Searched a bit myself and found out that the port that actually gets disabled when I use an M.2 is SATA_2 and if I get an NVMe that won't be a problem, as it only disables itself if you use a SATA M.2. About the lanes, I'm pretty sure GPUs use 16x and not 8x. Having the M.2 take 4x more will make a total of 20. If the CPU I'll use has less than 20 PCI lanes, considering the 4x lanes the M.2 needs, it won't allow it to run at its max potential. Anyway, not really sure what's going on...
 
The GPU is physically a PCIe x16 card. They usually run at x8 on mainstream PCs. Two-way SLI configurations run each card at x8. This is called PCIe bifurcation, and it's automatic. A PCIe x16 slot running at x16 can split into any smaller lane configuration. Some PCIe x16 slots run fewer lanes. My Z170 motherboard, for example, has one x16 slot running at x16 and another running at x4. It only has enough contacts for x4, but can accommodate a physical x16 card.

The B360 chipset can handle an additional 12 lanes. Whether the M.2 slot runs on CPU lanes or chipset (PCH) lanes depends on the manufacturer. The graphics card is always directly connected to the CPU.

What GPU do you have? If it's slower than an Nvidia Titan V, you don't have to worry.

If you install a PCIe NVMe SSD and a gaming GPU on that board, both will work exactly like you want them to.
 
Solution