Best NVMe M.2 SSD Options for B450 Tomahawk
Asked by
GamingNerd42
Hey everyone! I'm relatively new to PC building and I have a question about the best NVMe M.2 SSD to use with a B450 Tomahawk motherboard. I realize this board is a bit outdated, but I'm running low on storage and want to add an NVMe drive for extra space, mainly for games. I've noticed a lot of the SSDs available are PCIe 4.0, and I'm unsure about what's compatible with my PCIe 3.0 setup. Also, does 'Gen3' simply mean it's compatible with PCIe 3.0? I feel a bit clueless and would like to avoid making a purchase mistake. I've heard great things about Samsung drives, so if anyone has recommendations, I'd love to hear them!
Answers
Great question! The good news is that PCIe is backwards and forwards compatible. So, if you get a PCIe 4.0 drive, it'll work with your B450 Tomahawk, just at the same speed as a PCIe 3.0 drive. Given the small price difference now, if you find a good deal on a 4.0 drive, go for it! And yes, Gen 3 is indeed the same as PCIe 3.0.
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Yes, Gen3 and PCIe 3.0 are literally the same thing. You can definitely use a PCIe 4.0 SSD on a board that only supports PCIe 3.0—it just won’t perform at its max speed. I recommend checking out the Teamgroup MP44L for a good option. If you're willing to spend a bit more, the Samsung 990 Evo Plus is another excellent choice!
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