What’s the Difference Between SATA, PCIe, and NVMe SSDs?

So, SATA SSDs are basically the older style of solid-state drives that connect to your motherboard via SATA ports. They’re slower in terms of file transfer rates compared to the newer options. On the other hand, NVMe and PCIe SSDs use the M.2 slots on your motherboard and are much faster because they leverage PCIe lanes. For gaming and OS installations, NVMe drives are the way to go since they provide significant speed advantages without being much pricier than SATA options.

It’s a bit more complex than just the speed, too! You've got different form factors. The two main ones are the 2.5" SSDs (SATA) and M.2 SSDs (which can be either SATA or NVMe). SATA was the traditional protocol, while NVMe is the newer, faster way of accessing data through PCIe lanes. Sometimes you’ll find M.2 drives that still use SATA, so be sure to check before buying. Overall, if you want something speedy for games and applications, an NVMe SSD is your best bet.

One thing to note is that while NVMe drives are faster, for most games, you likely won’t see a huge difference in performance. Even with newer titles using DirectStorage, the difference isn't massive unless you're comparing side-by-side. If you're getting an entry-level NVMe drive at a similar price point to a SATA SSD, definitely go for the NVMe, but if you're just playing casual games, a good SATA drive with DRAM can still work well for you.