I'm looking to upgrade my setup by adding a 4TB WD_Black Gen 4 NVMe SSD. I currently have an MSI PRO Z690-A motherboard with an M2_1 slot occupied by a 1TB SSD and empty M2_2, M2_3, and M2_4 slots. Since I mainly use my storage for gaming and photos, I'm wondering if I actually need to install the new SSD in the M2_1 slot for better performance, or if I can just throw it in one of the other slots instead. Do I need to go through the hassle of cloning my current drive and relocating it, or can I just plug in the new SSD and call it a day?
2 Answers
You can stick the new SSD in the M2_2 slot without needing to do any cloning. It really won’t matter which slot you use. Just make sure it has a good heatsink, especially for gaming.
Lower speeds in M2_3 are likely but for gaming, you probably won't notice the difference. Just go for what's easier!
You can totally use that 4TB as a secondary storage! Most games won't have issues running from a secondary drive, though there might be a couple that prefer the C drive. Personally, I've always managed fine with a smaller C drive and then a larger one for games and media.
Just to add, SSD performance shouldn't be a huge issue for gaming; it's more about how you want to organize your files.
Thanks for the info!
What if I throw the new one in the M2_3 slot instead? I’d really like to avoid messing with my graphics card!