The first SSDs that reached the market had a 2.5-inch format, but in recent times that format has become outdated in favor of M.2 SSDs , much smaller and adapted to the new times since they allow them to be installed directly on the motherboard base, saving space and cables involved. If you are about to buy an SSD in this format, in this article we are going to tell you what you should take into account to be successful in the purchase.
To begin with, you should know that M.2 is simply the format and has nothing to do with the interface or the performance of the device. In fact, although when we talk about the M.2 format we are referring to the most widespread size, 2280, in reality there are different length dimensions within it. Likewise, you must take into account aspects such as the interface, since the sockets on the motherboard are linked to one or the other.
What to consider when buying an M.2 SSD
Let’s get into the matter, what should you take into account before buying an SSD in this format?
The length and format of the M.2 SSD
Almost all modern motherboards have M.2 2280 and lower sockets, and for that reason you will see that they have several anchors in a row, so that we can use any of the three lengths within the M.2 format (2280, 2260 and 2242).
In any case, before launching to buy an M.2 SSD you should check that your motherboard has the anchor compatible with the device’s format. As we have mentioned before, the most used is the 2280, but it is not the only one there is.
the interface
Despite the fact that almost all SSDs in M.2 format have a PCI-Express interface , there are many that have a SATA interface (and you will know it at a glance by looking at their technical parameters, since even if they did not indicate it (something that would be strange) , its speed would be equivalent to that of an SSD in 2.5-inch format and SATA 3 interface. In any case, you must make sure which interface the SSD you are about to buy has and check that your motherboard supports it.
There are motherboards with several M.2 sockets, and not all of them necessarily have to be with the same interface (there are those that, for example, have a SATA socket and another PCIe socket). To all this, you must bear in mind that there are also several generations of PCIe SSDs, and although a PCIe 4.0 SSD will work in a PCIe 3.0 socket, you will be losing much of its performance and perhaps you should have opted for a cheaper option with a PCIe interface. 3.0 (since PCIe 4.0 are substantially more expensive).
What capacity do you need?
Of course, one of the biggest dilemmas when buying one of these devices is its capacity. Currently, SSDs with SATA interface are quite cheap and you can buy 1 TB models or even more for little money (relatively), but if you go to PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSDs the price goes up considerably, even more if you have a platform compatible with PCIe 4.0 and you want to take full advantage of its huge bandwidth with one of these devices.
So, as usual, it will depend on your budget to choose one or the other capacity, but you must also take into account the use that you are going to give the device so as not to buy an SSD of a capacity that you are not going to use. As always, it will depend on your needs but the purchase must be done with head, unless you have more than the money or you are looking very forward.
As a general rule, these are the recommended capacities according to the type of use and based on our own experience:
- PC for office automation: between 120 and 240 GB.
- PC gaming: between 500 and 1000 GB.
- Professional use / storage: the most you can afford.
