Hey everyone! I'm pretty new to hardware, so please bear with me. I have an ASUS TUF GAMING B760 PLUS WIFI motherboard with a WD Black SN770 1TB SSD already installed. I'm looking to add a second 1TB SSD and found the Kingston NV3, also an M.2 SSD. The motherboard manual mentions the M.2 slots like this:
- M.2_1 (Key M) supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode.
- M.2_2 (Key M) supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode.
- M.2_3 (Key M) supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode.
Since my processor is 13th gen, does that mean I can't use the M.2_2 or M.2_3 slots for a second SSD? What should I check to ensure compatibility with my setup? Thanks in advance! <3
1 Answer
No worries! The way it’s set up just indicates which parts supply PCI-e lanes for the slots. Your CPU handles one slot directly, while the others connect through the chipset. You should definitely be fine installing your second M.2 SSD in either M.2_2 or M.2_3. But if you plan on intensive usage, consider looking for a better drive than the NV3!
Thanks! That makes a lot more sense now. I was eyeing the NV3 because it fit my budget, but I'm open to checking out better options if needed.