M.2 SSD

[hdawg12]

Quick question(I already looked online but couldn't find a clear answer) regarding M.2 SSD.

I am still a bit unclear about what it does? I am thinking about customizing my own laptop and I run into an option to purchase an M.2 SSD. If I purchase it, would I need to purchase a hard drive as well or would the M.2 SSD suffice? I currently have a Samsung 850 Evo SSD already installed on my current laptop and probably will have that installed on my new customized laptop.

 

[Darren]

It's simply a different interface for storage than a standard SATA hard drive connection. Storage is still roughly the same for the price with the added advantage of smaller form factor and faster speeds. Basically like sticking a flash drive onto your motherboard for storage, can be the only form of storage you need if you've got enough space on it.

 

[hdawg12]

Ah, ok, so what your saying is that I can use that M.2 ssd as a single storage and not buy another storage(if I wanted to). but if I do have another storage, I can use M.2 SSD as well as my Samsung SSD Evo 850(in my case) and have faster transfer speeds(files, folders, movie files, etc) to go into my Samsung SSD Evo 850(by way of M.2 SSD)?

 

[Intel_man]

Does your laptop actually support M.2?

What laptop do you have?

 

[hdawg12]

i have an macbook pro 2011, so it doesn't but i'm looking at ibuypower.com and customizing my own laptop and one of the customizations has M.2 SSD as an option, so I wan't uptodate on what it did

 

[Intel_man]

Yea the Macbook Pro from 2011 will definitely not support M.2

M.2 is a smaller form factor slot that looks like a mini PCI-E slot, and SSDs in that size come with either a NVME or SATA controller. NVME is the new super fast standard for ssds and are only supported by recent computers that are 1-2 years old.

 

[hdawg12]

based off the specs from samsungs website, it looks like the SSD 850 evo drive I have is compatible with M.2. Correct me if Im wrong. I attached a screenshot

 

[Intel_man]

No, that's not how that works.

In the picture below, the bottom device is a M.2 ssd and the upper device is your traditional 2.5" ssd.

 

[hdawg12]

so are you saying that the M.2 ssd and 2.5 ssd(assuming both hold the same amount of space) are pretty much the same thing(in terms of storage) except that the M.2 ssd is much faster than the 2.5 ssd?

 

[Intel_man]

so are you saying that the M.2 ssd and 2.5 ssd(assuming both hold the same amount of space) are pretty much the same thing(in terms of storage) except that the M.2 ssd is much faster than the 2.5 ssd?

No. M.2 and 2.5" is a form factor size difference.

Speed difference is described via SATA3 vs NVME where the latter is a new~ish standard that allows for the much faster speeds.

You can have a M.2 drive with a SATA3 controller, or you can have a M.2 drive with a NVME controller. However, with 2.5" ssds, they're mostly SATA3 controllers. There are a few 2.5" ssd drives that run on the NVME controller, but uses what we call it an U.2 plug.

 

[hdawg12]

"No. M.2 and 2.5" is a form factor size difference." - correct, I forgot to mention that.

Besides the size difference, If I wanted to JUST use an M.2 drive ssd for my laptop, am I able to do that?

 

[Intel_man]

If your laptop has a M.2 slot, yes.

You can't just fit a M.2 ssd into a 2.5" sata slot.

 

[hdawg12]

gotcha. One last question. If I wanted to use a 2.5 ssd drive and m.2 ssd, will a laptop in todays world allow for that? I'm assuming the answer is yes. If so, I plan on installing my OS on the M.2 ssd and all my files on the 2.5 ssd.

 

[Intel_man]

Yes, if the laptop supports M.2 and has room for a 2.5" drive.