What's the difference between M.2 and SSD? [New Details]

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Written By

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Last Updated on April 22, 2024

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When it comes to SSD types, you mainly have two options - M.2 and regular SSDs. The latter includes both external and internal SSDs, while M.2 drives are typically inserted into the motherboard. They're also referred to as NVMe M.2 drives. This article will help you understand the differences between M.2 and standard SSDs.

What Are M.2 and SSDs?

An M.2 or NVMe M.2 drive is also a solid state drive, but with a different interface, faster speeds, and designed for internal storage. NVMe stands for "Non-Volatile Memory express." They provide a faster data transfer bus type, have large storage capacities, and can only be installed in an M.2 slot. If you plan on buying one of these drives, make sure your motherboard has the compatible slot.

An SSD or solid-state drive can be used as both an internal and external drive. Since we're comparing it to M.2, the internal SSD drive is what catches attention. Similar to HDD, they offer SATA support and are way faster than a standard HDD.

However, this kind of built-in solid-state drive is much slower than an M.2 SSD. Why? Because this SSD is actually plugged in like a traditional hard drive (2.5-inch SATA SSD), while an M.2 SSD is directly connected to the motherboard, allowing it to have a faster bus speed and resulting in much quicker transfer speeds.

For more information about M.2 SSDs, click the link below:

How to Check M.2 SSD Performance [3 Effective Ways]

This article will provide you with detailed answers about M.2 SSD performance and recommend a convenient and professional tool to check M.2 SSD performance.

What is the difference between M.2 and SSD?

Which one is better is a tough question to answer. Both devices have their respective use cases, and it depends on specific needs. If you're building a computer based on your work type, you have to consider that when making your decision. They're designed for different purposes.

If you frequently play demanding games, edit videos, or work with graphics that require heavy processing, you'll want a fast hard drive. In this case, it's recommended to go for a high-capacity M.2 SSD with speedy read and write speeds. However, if your usage is more basic, like checking emails, and you just want your computer to be a bit snappier, a smaller capacity 2.5-inch SSD would suffice. It just needs to hold your operating system.

It all depends on your budget, but it pays to make a sensible choice, otherwise you are killing a fly with a sledgehammer.

To gauge the performance of an SSD, you can use specialized benchmarking tools to run tests. Click on the button below to learn about specific testing tools:

How to Add and Use an M.2 or Solid State Drive

It's not just about installing them, either: configuring SSDs and M.2 drives can be tricky, too. They don't work like HDDs, which you can simply power up and let the operating system take it from there.

Since these are flash drives, it's important to enable trim for each drive to extend its lifespan. Any unnecessary writes to an SSD or M.2 can shorten its life, so it's important to set this up.

How to Install an M.2 or SSD on Your Computer

#1. Install the M.2 SSD

Step 1: Remove the screws around the M.2 slot on your motherboard. If your OEM came with a heatsink that sits on top of the drive, remove that first.

Step 2: Carefully insert the M.2 SSD with the metallic contacts end going into the slot.

Step 3: After positioning it, gently push down on the other end and align it with the screw hole. Hold it in place and screw it back in, but be careful not to tighten it too much.

#2. Install the 2.5-inch SSD

Step 1: Like an HDD, you'll need to connect the cable to a SATA port on your motherboard. Make sure you have enough cable length, then slot the SSD into its bracket.

Step 2: Connect the SSD to the adapter, making sure to attach both the power and data cables.

Step 3: Secure the SSD in place, if necessary. Many modern cases have designs that allow for easy installation of an SSD without screws.

How to Set Up an M.2 or SSD

These drive types are set up similarly, as they have the same underlying storage structure. You can use the Partition Master tool to initialize an M.2 or SSD. The software provides all the necessary functions for managing storage drives, including partitioning, merging, cloning, and OS migration options.

The software comes with an integrated wizard that allows you to partition using its new disk wizard. You can create partitions on one computer as needed and then attach it to another PC.

Upon launching the app, it will display all the partitions on the drive. Right-clicking any of them allows you to perform various operations, such as cloning, formatting, data wiping, splitting or merging partitions, and more.

Migrating to a new operating system

One of the most significant use cases for many users is migrating the operating system. If you need to replace an installed HDD or SSD, you don't have to reinstall everything. The software offers a “Transfer OS” feature that lets you move your system from an HDD to an SSD or M.2 drive without losing any data and switch seamlessly.

Steps to migrate your operating system to an HDD/SSD:

Run Partition Master and select "Clone" from the left menu. Check "Migrate OS," then click "Next." Select the SSD or HDD as the target disk, then click "Next." Note: All data and partitions on the target disk will be deleted. Make sure you have backed up your important data beforehand. If not, please do so now. Then click "Yes." Preview the layout of the target disk, and click "Start" to begin migrating the operating system to the new disk.

4. Click “Restart Now” or “Finish” to decide whether you want to restart your computer from the new disk immediately.

“Reboot Now” means to save the changes immediately, while “Done” means you will need to manually restart your computer later.

Note: If there is not enough unallocated space on the target disk, the OS migration to SSD or HDD will delete existing partitions and data on the destination disk. Back up any important data to an external hard drive beforehand if necessary.

A disk-partitioning tool will initialize the SSD/M.2 drive, and then copy the old drive sector by sector to the new one. This means that when you switch over, your operating system, applications, and everything on the drive should work as before.

The number of partitions will be the same as on the old disk, though you can add more if you like. A preview is shown before the process begins.

If you're using an older SSD/m.2 drive, note that this process will wipe it. So, make sure to back up anything important beforehand.

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Conclusion

When it comes to buying a computer, considering a solid-state drive (SSD) has become crucial. They not only speed up data transfer rates but also significantly enhance the overall internet experience thanks to their high write speeds.

If you're on a budget, you can opt for a 250 GB SSD at least for installing the operating system and programs, and use a regular HDD for storage and backups.

When choosing between an M.2 and a standard SSD, the former is generally the better option. They are faster, more reliable, and offer superior performance for gaming and processing.