I have an ASRock B450M Pro4 motherboard that features 4 SATA 3 ports and 2 M.2 slots: one is for ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3x4) and the other is for M.2 SATA. I'm currently using a 512GB PCIe 3.0 SSD in the ultra M.2 slot, but I need more storage. I'm looking to add a second SSD, but I'm confused about what type I should get for the second M.2 port. Can I use a faster SSD and move my current one to the other M.2 slot? Does that slot require a SATA 3 SSD? I'm not very familiar with SATA 3 and its implications. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
Your motherboard only has one M.2 slot that supports NVMe (PCIe) SSDs. So, while you currently have one NVMe SSD installed, you can't just add another NVMe SSD. You have a couple of options: either replace your existing SSD with a larger NVMe drive or add a secondary SATA SSD. This can be either an M.2 SATA drive or a traditional 2.5" SATA drive that you connect with cables.
Thanks for the info, everyone! This clears up a lot for me.
Just to clarify, M.2 can function with either NVMe or SATA drives. Your motherboard has one M.2 slot for NVMe (PCIe) and one for SATA. If you plan to use the SATA M.2 slot, yes, the new drive will need to be SATA 3, but don't stress; all SATA SSDs are typically SATA 3. The speed difference may not be super noticeable for everyday tasks, so using that slot for less demanding tasks is fine. Just keep in mind that using the SATA slot may disable some other SATA ports on your board, so check your motherboard manual for details.
M.2 just refers to the physical connection type, while PCIe 3.0 and SATA are about the data transfer interface. Most modern M.2 drives are PCIe-based since they're faster, but some are SATA like the WD SA510. You should check compatibility based on your needs.
Related Questions
Lenovo Thinkpad Stuck In Update Loop Install FilterDriverU2_Reload