What’s the Difference Between NVMe and NGFF?

NGFF stands for Next Generation Form Factor, but these days, most folks just call it M.2. The main thing to remember is that NGFF/M.2 refers to the physical connection for the SSD, while NVMe is the protocol it uses to communicate with your computer. Although most M.2 SSDs are NVMe now, some can still be SATA, so be careful when you’re shopping!

You’ll find that NGFF SSDs usually utilize the SATA standard. Just a heads up, most AM5 motherboards don’t support SATA M.2 drives, which is important to consider!

NGFF was the name for M.2 when it was first introduced back in 2013. NVMe is basically the storage protocol that allows M.2 drives to operate at super fast speeds.

NGFF is essentially an M.2 connector for SATA drives, while NVMe uses a PCIe interface via the same connector. They also have different keying methods. It’s crucial to know that AM5 boards only support NVMe, so even though a SATA drive might fit in the slot, it won’t be recognized by your system.

To put it simply, SATA is an older standard that peaked in speed at 6Gb/s, which seems slow compared to modern standards. NGFF was a step forward in connecting SSDs without using cables. NVMe, on the other hand, brings the controller onto the drive itself, allowing SSDs to utilize the full potential of PCIe slots. More and more new boards are skipping SATA altogether, so if you’re building a new system, going for NVMe is the way to go!