Unlike SSDs, M.2 is much more than that. Here is all the information you want regarding one of the top computer connections available.
There are a number of alternatives available when you purchase a new SSD for your motherboard. Of course, the SATA drive is the outdated one. However, NVMe SSDs have been rapidly gaining in favor. They are substantially more compact and attach to your motherboard utilizing the M.2 port rather than SATA.
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What Is the M.2 Standard?
A sort of internal computer connector is the M.2 connector, formerly known as Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF). It takes the role of the mSATA standard and enables the insertion of tiny expansion cards on all devices, including desktop PCs and light and thin laptops. The M.2 connector's versatility and ability to transmit PCI Express, SATA, and USB signals enable manufacturers to create a wide variety of modules utilizing it.
M.2 modules and slots often include various keying notches to protect users from putting the incorrect module into the incorrect slot because it supports a variety of expansion cards.
The M.2 interface has existed for a long time. The PCI-SIG M.2 specification was released in version 1.0 in December 2013, and since then, it has been adopted by all types and sizes of computers.
What Are M.2 Modules Used For?
M.2 may be most known for one particular use case storage, but it also has a variety of other applications.
Solid State Drives (SSDs)
In modern times, SSDs are the most frequent reason to use an M.2 slot. Today, the majority of premium SSDs use an M.2 connection. It is not only significantly smaller than a typical 2.5-inch SATA drive, but it also offers inherent benefits in terms of speed and power consumption that eventually help SSD manufacturers as well as end users.
There are two different types of M.2 SSDs. The first one is SATA M.2, which connects via an M.2 connection rather than a SATA connection and uses the same vintage SATA interface. Then there are NVMe SSDs, which in reality utilize PCI Express lanes. Due to the ability to leverage the full PCI Express speeds often enjoyed by devices like graphics cards for your storage, this enables far quicker performance than you would otherwise have with SATA. For this reason, PCIe SSDs are superior to SATA SSDs.
Wi-Fi Cards
Wi-Fi cards are the second most prevalent use case. If you disassemble a laptop, the Wi-Fi card will be located in an M.2 slot. Similar to this, if you take out a desktop PCI Express Wi-Fi card, you'll probably discover a smaller M.2 module hidden beneath.
It has long been the port of preference for wireless cards. For obvious reasons, M.2 Wi-Fi modules and the slots designed for them typically have different keying notches than SSDs.
GPUs
It's incredible, but you can utilize a graphics card and attach it to a system since M.2 can transport PCI Express. You may connect and utilize graphics cards using M.2 adapters for complete PCI Express 16x cards. Even smaller GPUs that fit in that slot are available, however they aren't particularly good.
The M.2 Interface is Awesome
M.2 is now one of the most significant connections in computers due to its adaptability. Although you'll probably just use it for SSDs most of the time, it's good to know that it can be used for a variety of other things as well.
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