Do I need PCIe 5.0 for my M.2 storage setup?

Some games can indeed benefit from the speed of PCIe 5.0, especially with DirectStorage. Just be cautious with smaller PCIe 5.0 drives; they can have some performance issues due to the way the NAND flash is configured. I'd recommend looking for an SSD that's around 1TB to 2TB for a good balance of speed and size without the risk of performance hits.

You really won’t notice a performance difference between PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 for gaming, so don't stress too much about which one to choose. And seriously, skip going for only 256GB; that’s way too small for a system drive these days. A 1TB or more SSD is a better choice—you won't regret having the extra space!

It's all about speed! PCIe 5.0 is faster, but that extra speed might not matter for gaming. Also, bear in mind that if your motherboard's M.2 slots only support Gen4, then you'll only get Gen4 speeds even with a Gen5 SSD. You should check that first! And honestly, if it's just for gaming, a solid 2TB NVMe might be a better choice than 256GB.

Honestly, going for a Gen5 SSD isn't that necessary unless you have a specific need for it. If it's just for your OS, a Gen4 SSD will work just fine and save you some cash. You could just grab a 4TB Gen4 and have everything you need there without sacrificing performance for gaming.

Why not just get one big NVMe SSD? That way, you can add more storage later if you need it without any hassles.

256GB for your OS is kinda cramped. I suggest bumping it up to at least 512GB for better longevity and performance. Also, I’ve heard that partitioning a single storage device can have its downsides, but honestly, you’ll be fine with partitions if set up correctly.