Is It Worth Upgrading to an M.2 SSD for Gaming Over a SATA SSD?

M.2 drives are basically the fastest out there, thanks to NVME technology. Sure, some M.2 drives are still using the SATA protocol, but if you plan on running your operating system on it, definitely go NVME—it makes a huge difference! For most games, SATA is fine, but titles using DirectStorage will perform better on NVME.

If you're looking at the same storage capacity, I'd definitely recommend going for the M.2 SSD. They tend to be much faster than SATA SSDs, and you won't have to deal with extra cables. Sure, some 2.5" SATA SSDs have DRAM, but for gaming—where it's mostly reading data—M.2 is the better choice even if it’s pricier.

Honestly, M.2 is just the better choice all around. But if budget's tight, a SATA SSD will still do the job well enough. Just make sure to avoid HDDs!

Get the NVME SSD! You won't regret it.

Only go for M.2 if you can get it for a decent price compared to a SATA SSD, or if you're running out of slots. If the SATA is way cheaper, stick with that. A SATA SSD is still a solid option for gaming.