I'm currently using a Samsung 970 EVO Plus with 500GB of storage, and after three years of working on my personal projects, I'm looking to add a second SSD to my setup. I'm considering the Samsung 9100 Pro M.2 with 2TB, but I'm a bit unsure about how well it will work with my existing SSD. Additionally, I've had a friend recommend that I get a hard drive for backup purposes, but I'm not sure if that's really necessary. What should I know about mixing these SSDs and whether I need an HDD?
4 Answers
Definitely check that your motherboard has an extra M.2 slot available for the new NVMe SSD. If you only have one slot, you may need an adapter. About the speeds, keep in mind that newer SSDs like the 9100 may not perform to their full potential if your motherboard can only handle older PCIe versions. Lastly, while SSDs are quite reliable, HDDs can be useful for larger storage, so think about your specific needs for backups!
You can definitely mix SSDs from different brands and capacities without any issues. Just ensure that your motherboard has the necessary slots to support the new drive. In fact, I have multiple brands running together in my PC and it works fine. Also, I'd say skip the HDD if you're on a budget; SSDs are much faster and more reliable these days.
You can definitely use both SSDs together! Just be aware that newer SSDs like the Samsung 9100 are top-tier, and depending on your motherboard, you may not be able to utilize its full speed. As for the HDD question, most users today are satisfied with SSDs for their speed and reliability, but HDDs can still be handy for storing large files that you don’t access often.
Adding the 9100 Pro can be an excellent choice, but you should consider how much of its speed you can actually use with your motherboard. SSDs have improved reliability over the years, and many setups run perfectly fine without an HDD. Still, if you're producing a lot of large files, an HDD can serve as a good backup for storage.
I've been using userbenchmark.com to check compatibility, and it looks like my setup should handle the upgrade just fine!