The FASTEST SSD Technology Explained - M.2, U.2, and MORE

[@GhostofTrufflePast]

A better explanation for this would be: - AHCI and NVME are like the middleman between your hardware and software. AHCI is a slow middleman (protocols) and NVME is a fast one. - Since they're just middlemen, they can work off of any connection, whether it's M.2, PCIE, or SATA (specifically in AHCI devices) - Some motherboards support both protocols, while others only support one of them for boot drives. If yours only supports AHCI for boot drives, no matter what you connect your NVME drive (PCIE or M.2 slot) it won't let you boot from it. - New motherboards support both protocols so you can connect the NVME drive anyway you want and it'll work at full speed and let you boot from it. So whether you get a PCIE M.2 device or an onboard one, you'll be fine. To sum it up. PCIE, M.2 and SATA are all just data highways. AHCI and NVME are the things that dictate how fast your "car" will be able to travel in any of those given highways if the country (the motherboard) allows that speed limit. I hope that helps better explain it to anyone who's confused.

[@phaolo6]

The best explanation : )

[@SixplusonemediaAu]

great explanation!

[@morells09]

Superb explanation, thank you!

[@max03tube]

Meow Thanks

[@thiagofelipedeoliveira6979]

Still, i have a doubt (Maybe a stupid doubt) AHCI, is for SATA HDD's? In this case, i've understand that NVME is the protocol for the SSD chips that Linus showed in the video, but AHCI i didn't get it as many people have understanded.

[@MiniArts159]

2015 Linus: SATA EXPRESS IS THE FUTURE 2017: Lmao that shiz dead

[@Pienimusta]

That M.2 slot that leaves the drive just sticking up feels super sketchy.

[@Svenz0r]

If you look there are screw holes either side that iirc are for mounting a support for the drive.

[@RousedPotato]

It probably comes with (or you can get) a bracket for it.

[@TheDaidai05]

was thinking the same thing. It looks ugly to me compared to the ones that lay down too

[@Tatsumaru2005]

it has 1 tiny screw that holds it down at the end away from the connector. the drive is so lightweight it doesn't need any more than that

[@aliancemd]

I would like mine to be like that because NVMe gets very hot and it would help to cool it down.

[@JonIceInternational]

I like this kind of videos. I don't understand anything, but I like it.

[@elissitdesign]

I don't like to read comments but I read yours anyway.

[@keifuchan7265]

These videos make me realize just how dumb I am....but I also don't even know just how dumb I am...make sense?

[@ReyomHD]

@@keifuchan7265 Well hey, the more you watch the more you learn. So in a way, you are a little smarter at the end of each video.

[@robmanabat8293]

Me too

[@GumaroRVillamil]

@@DihelsonMendonca this is basically my dad. He worked in IT since the 80's to the mid 2000's (He has printing business now). There were always computers in our house while growing up. He taught me how build my first PC. But he's a little lost now. I little while back I explained to him all the USB 3.XXX mess and this ssd stuff

[@erikcastro3431]

Much props Linus. Your explanation saved me from buying a slower M.2 SATA, and instead buying a much faster M.2 NVMe instead.

[@LazerLord10]

*Reads title Oh cool, a new TechQuickie video! Wait a minute "Uploaded by LinusTechTips" Huh.

[@Lucifer3230]

Same thought came in My mind.

[@kylenetherwood8734]

LazerLord10 That's why I miss AFAP

[@Ph4tT0ny]

Same

[@YK-xw4nj]

That's what I exactly thought my friend.

[@jesselioce]

too much info to put in a techquickie video of 4 min

[@EpicLPer]

I'm currently building a PC and now I'm even more confused...

[@coopercummings8370]

You will probably be fine with a sata ssd, nvme ssds can be much faster but the difference isn't nearly as noticable in most applications as the difference between a hdd and sata ssd. Nvme ssds are also much more expensive per gb than sata ssds of the same capacity, so most consumers that don't need the extra speed are better off sticking to sata until the price drops.

[@EpicLPer]

Cooper Cummings Yeah, oh well... SATA SSDs are fast enough for me tbh but the next thing would also be the PCI lane speeds and such. Like, if I attach an "unsupported" or slower PCI device to a lane it'll drag down all others from what I understand. So what's the best place to put one then? And where for the GPU? I am so freaking confused even tho I'm an IT technician myself and should know it...

[@coopercummings8370]

most z170 and z270 boards suppord ahci (sata protocol at sata speeds) and nvme (new protocol at pci express speeds) on their m.2 slots, and you just have to switch the mode in the bios, but for the best place to put them I haven't done too much looking at them because of their expense, but I have seen a few places find they will run cooler directly underneath an open air style gpu (because even though it is hot air being blown onto it it is some airflow over the device, but others say to put it as far from the gpu as possible to avoid the heat source. Every source I have seen says not to use a behind the motherboard m.2 slot if there is one on the front because there is better airflow, but the drives dont actually run over their temperature ratings without airflow, so it doesn't make much of a difference unless you put it next to a heat source with no airflow.

[@mytten]

If you only game, just go for a sata ssd ;)

[@WhiteoutTech]

EpicLPer just put your gpu in your first pcie 16 slot, connect your sata drives to your sata connectors and if you really want to have 3000mb/s write speeds put your m.2 ssd in your m.2 motherboard slot. the video just makes it seem difficult. :P unless you use a motherboard from 2010 you can't really do anything wrong nowadays.

[@Onibaka]

I am more confused now...

[@tbonenom3736]

I thought i knew basic PC tech, i got like 20% of all that in the video... Apparently i'm getting old. :(

[@kenkalajdzic]

Aaron Luedemann There are already some NVMe drives on the market that aren't too expensive. Samsung 960 EVO for example has great performance and OK price. Upcoming (mid-february IIRC) WD Black SSD will be even cheaper - 200$ for 500GB.

[@joshisnot11]

I'll just stick with the 1TB 850 evo for a while. Thing is still around 300.

[@nermanus]

I thought the same until I realized stuff in this video concerns maybe the 10% of tech literate people from the 1st World that have the extra cash for these types of hobbies. Most people will just go with a 1 to 2 TB HDD for storage and the cheapest 120 GB ADATA or Kingston SSD for OS.

[@sandylie1655]

i'm definitely not one of them since i will install os and games on them, and game is huge 20-60gb....

[@josephv7762]

I kinda miss this style/vibe of your content. Not that your current stuff is worse by any means, I wish I could articulate what I like about this but it feels like a guide for dummies and it works for me!

[@solomonshv]

I really don't like U.2, their last few albums have been dreadful.

[@lakechocolate9785]

Lol 🤣

[@shawncruz732]

Well U2 doesnt like u 2.

[@johnc3403]

last few, like since Rattle and Hum! They've been blagging it ever since...

[@SkankHunt-rv8qo]

I dont like how they forced themselves into my Apple music library

[@GJBedrin]

Has anyone ever actually liked them?

[@The_RoboDoc]

The fastest SSD is as fast as linus in bed

[@Tailslol]

he is neutered no?

[@linusmlgtips2123]

Tailslol someone didn't watch WAN show

[@Red9419]

He still has those man juices.

[@Tailslol]

i didn't used the right word because i m not a native English speaker,but you got the idea... but putting no with an interogation point at the end of a phrase is a key point here too... and yea wan shows are too long ...

[@iota-09]

he still has the balls, no worries about that. apparently the specific operation he did is also possible to be reset, as in, he can go back to how he was before if i understood correctly. still, are we really going to keep talking about linus balls for weeks?

[@eligrey]

You seem to have SATA and AHCI mixed up. SATA is a physical data transfer interface and AHCI is a storage protocol that can run over PCIe or SATA. There is no such thing as an AHCI-only M.2 slot, only PCIe or SATA. There are PCIe AHCI M.2 SSDs that will blow normal SATA drives out of the water, like the SM951.

[@Uraveragegamer172]

Eli Grey I have an sm951, how does that stack up to other drives?

[@_clemens_]

Your are totally right...they should fact check their videos better...the Ethernet video some while ago was also crap...

[@kwarkon1]

Yes, but to be exact, m.2 PCIe AHCI drive can connect only through PCIe lines directly CPU (it has its own AHCI controller) while m.2 SATA needs AHCI or SATA controller in between (usually build in PCH or on SATA -> PCIE adapters ). PCIe AHCI are not limited by SATA limitations so they can run much faster than SATA drives. NVME is a redesigned protocol that has lower latencies than ACHI. Please go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.2 and especially this diagram: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.2#/media/File:SATA_Express_interface.svg The adapter shown two slots has the lower slot for m.2 PCIE ( so both AHCI and NVME) and the upper slot is for M.2 SATA drives ( thats why there is a sata connector for SATA cable that you have to connect to have it working). The drive MZ-N5E250BW shown is a SATA drive. the difference between m.2 SATA and m.2 AHCI is expecially important in older laptops where often you have m.2 SATA support but not m.2 PCIe ( both AHCI and NVME).

[@itsneight1260]

Now that makes more sense as well... The Kingston HyperX Predator is also an example of this, right???

[@_clemens_]

Yes but that's an PCIe 2.0 x4 drive

[@hole1stdrillpresschannel]

Time to learn something. Thank you!

[@cyancoyote7366]

I'm subscribed to you, but fucking hell, you're everywhere. Great channel tho :D

[@hole1stdrillpresschannel]

Thank you coyote! But I'm not everywhere, just at good channels! :-)

[@Moodymann_NL]

I always get depressed because I don’t understand shit after a few minutes... and then thinking I’m doing everything wrong

[@joelmathew616]

You're the only youtuber that I know of who explains complex tech terms and gets into tiny details This is my go to channel for gathering information or to increase my understanding about the various new tech and terms

[@feynstein1004]

Nah mate. Check out Explaining Computers. He does a much better job.

[@jdtechgear]

Did anyone else see the little bug @1:06?

[@James2t3]

sure did! lol

[@WardForFun]

yeah XD

[@raywei8472]

Holly sh*t, good eye, took a few seconds to find it

[@polyjohn3425]

Fucking silverfish. Gross.

[@ryleemanning794]

where is it?

[@elijah_9392]

The reason this isn't a techquicky video is because it's 8 minutes long.

[@christiandeuctor3606]

And the fact that it's uploaded on LinusTechTips.

[@Thinker145]

The actual video minus the ads is just 7 minutes though kinda like all the LTT videos these days.

[@bluefoxtv1566]

Remove the ad's and the dicking around and it would fit with in that window.

[@TheZaman_]

well you guys use adblocker.. instead only depend on google ads that you block they make ads in the videos.

[@davidoke3909]

Elijah _ no, its a guide, that's why

[@god2172]

Who else is pooping while watching this?

[@jonnathan780]

OBX Sand Devil holy shit deadass how did you know

[@loryferli]

OBX Sand Devil me

[@joseruiz6626]

just about 2 wipe...creepy

[@kakashi99908]

any girls pooping or just guys?

[@OMGYasuke]

Duck Girls don't poop lul

[@gaiustrollius9920]

I'll just sit here with my single 1 tb hdd.

[@Joe-xb8bf]

Gaius Trollius lucky, 480GB. its slow too, its like 4 or 5 years old.

[@gaiustrollius9920]

Maybe a format will help.

[@Fosi94]

+Joe check your sectors, do a defeag, fresh install os?

[@Joe-xb8bf]

Fosi94 its just the age

[@bringitlp5177]

yeah got only 250gig ssd for games like bf1 fallout etc which got long load times other hit is on hdd and fuck off ppl who say mimimi long wait times ...meanwhile u can ....roll a joint,smoke some other shit,take a shit etc xD

[@JasonOFlaherty]

Thank you for spelling it out in step by step plain English with visuals. It helps keep it all in order.

[@blodstainer]

Good to note: Pretty much *EVERY* ATX Z97, Z170 and Z270 Motherboard got M.2 slots. And I think you can even BIOS update a Z87 to support NVMe. Not sure about Z77 though

[@Ampera_]

Hey linus, the inability to boot from PCI-E storage isn't a problem almost whatsoever. Bootloaders can be used on a small hard drive, even a cheapie 80GB one, and then that can hand the deal off to the SSD. While this isn't that elegant, this is what I use to dualboot Windows Server 2016 and Windows 7.

[@joem3082]

Bah guess i was beaten to the punch.

[@itsneight1260]

but why get an M.2 if you're not going to use it for booting? Seems pointless to me as the larger storage size drives are WAYYYY too expensive.

[@Ampera_]

Itsneight If you actually read what I said, you would know how stupid that was.

[@itsneight1260]

I assumed since you said 80GB that you were referring to a 2.5"ssd or AHCI M.2 since 80gb M.2 nvme drives dont exist.

[@Ampera_]

No, I was saying if you put a bootloader on some random ass hard drive, I gave 80GB as an example, you can boot off of that, but store the OS on an SSD. That way when the PC boots, it hands you off to the bootloader, which then hands you off to your OS. My config is a 300GB HDD with a Server 2016 install disc image on it, and the disc image's bootloader allows me to boot into Windows 7 and Server 2016 because Windows 7's bootloader refuses to load Server 2016, and Sever 2016 doesn't want to boot into Windows 7. The same thing can be done with PCI-E storage that can't boot. Load GRUB on a small hard drive, configure it to load your OS off the SSD, and you're good.

[@nbrikha]

I was hoping for a performance review. I want a performance review. Why has it taken this long to compare the four or five M.2 sticks out there right now? Intel 600p, Samsung 960 Pro and Evo, Corsair MP500, and the OCZ RD400. Just like, a quick video on which is best value and best performance.

[@nbrikha]

There's also a value M.2 NVMe ssd on amazon that has amazing review but I've never of the company before. MyDigitalSSD BPX

[@itsneight1260]

Agreed! Dont forget about the Plextor drives though! I would also like to add in comparing the AHCI M.2 drives like the Kingston Predator, Samsung SM951, Adata XPG SX8000 (is that one nvme?) as well!

[@Ausskip87]

dude your videos are great , I'm not much of a tech head but I get what you're you on about, you explain things well.. cheers

[@benjaminoechsli1941]

We need more videos like this. Videos explaining just what a term(s) means, and what it means for the end user.

[@hunterloli]

worst written script of LTT....this is super super confusing....

[@aoshi1992]

Agreed

[@pinkspiders34]

I'll make it simple,get a samsung evo pro nvme m.2

[@johnabuick]

Yah, 970 1 tb.

[@Joostinonline]

The script was fine. It's just an incredibly confusing topic.

[@JAYRAY00]

I thought it was just me who was "wha??" 😞

[@laurensi1]

"I'm already confused": Yup

[@SolomonCornish]

whats the point of picking up an M.2 drive and using a converter to plug it into a PCI-e port? Wouldn't it make sense to just pick up a pci-e based NVM-e drive instead, versus haggling with a converter and 1-2 separate drives?

[@MattSena1]

At 5:53 he says "go through the same steps as our previous board that supported it natively". I have a feeling they had a longer video that included them installing a drive on a motherboard with an m.2 slot and that clip got cut, but they didn't bother updating the script.

[@yaeshraj]

Maybe they want to talk about motherboards that do not have m.2 slots but support NVMe drives.

[@JMotion]

I dropped out of follwing tech news at all for a couple years after 2014, then came back this year and was super confused what these little ram looking things were. Can't believe that this kinda thing came along and just became a standard so quickly that nobody talked about them by the time I started following tech news again.

[@EveryLittleThings]

Thank you Linus! You saved me so much time reading about them. And you consolidate all the into in one video! Kudos! Keep it up!

[@mtstechgamingtherapy5850]

why you don't do more in depth video about M.2 and U.2

[@mellifont96]

2019...just bought one to use as a stream library...

[@solidanlive6313]

Yup....

[@sean8102]

Yeah, it's fantastic how much pricing has come down on NVME and solid state storage in general. Got a 1 TB NVME PCI E drive for ~$120 bucks recently. And thank god DRAM prices are finally getting back to sane pricing.

[@provet1]

Or steam library

[@wrifraff]

@bittercottoncandy Micro Center has a Crucial 1TB NVMe drive for $109 right now 4/20/20.

[@wrifraff]

@bittercottoncandy www.microcenter.com/product/513534/crucial-p1-1tb-ssd-3d-qlc-nand-m2-2280-pcie-nvme-30-x4-internal-solid-state-drive

[@TheUnclejulian]

Hey Linus, thanks for the informative video. Perhaps you could do a custom build video where you discuss the reasoning on how to get the most bang for your buck? Which drive you chose and why, etc.

[@tablatom]

Linus, you are amazing. You have helped me, a pro user, but not a pro builder, to understand what i need to TELL MY BUILDER what i need. Thank you a million times. And i love your fun style.

[@navblank6848]

When I built my brother's computer, I just got him a SATA SSD. I knew nothing about M.2 even though my brother's motherboard supports it. Thank you for explaining this! It will help me in my future builds.

[@MuhammadAhmed-wh5kv]

Watching it again in 2019 And still very informative!

[@MrabEzreb]

holy crap 522 views in less than a minute

[@eduardonazario]

Mrab Ezreb i got 101 views here

[@MrabEzreb]

you got here earlier than me

[@rocketlaunch99]

Mrab Ezreb Most people have no life. Just like me.

[@slickm7]

2278 in about 3

[@wizzo2280]

I seen 5k views in a minute before.

[@dubious6718]

Whats with the useless info in the start, about cables? Which has nothing to do with M.2

[@rexyliusde7681]

The video is not only about the m.2 standard

[@dubious6718]

Rexylius De But it has nothing to do with cables

[@Marcus-OK]

He's trying to explain the difference between the connector standard and the wire. Otherwise, people would think all the m.2 stuff is the same. Kinda like how people think USB C is an upgrade from USB 2.0 or 3.0

[@dubious6718]

Marcus Kapoor He might as well explain the difference between a BMW and a Audi

[@AlifAmzariAzamee]

It's not about cables. It is about explaining physical interfaces (USB-C, SATA, M.2, U.2, Sata Express, Thunderbolt, Display Port, HDMI) vs Protocols (AHCI, NVME, USB 3.0, USB 3.1, ). It is like, not all USB-C is having the 3.1 speeds. USB-C is not necessarily USB 3.1 protocols. The same thing apply to M.2. Some M.2 have fewer PCIE lanes. And some don't speak NVME language.

[@throttle411]

Oh my god why your every video sounds so good and it always has so much meaning , like every time there is new and amazing things to know about i love your videos

[@iggytse]

I’m glad I’ve spent the time researching and didn’t rush off to buy hardware. We have a 10 year old computer at work I wanted to upgrade with ssd. It looked like the cheapest option was to get a pcie adaptor for nvme ssd but didn’t realise you can’t boot from it for old motherboards. So will have to go the 2.5 sata route. Will need a USB 3 pcie adaptor as well to speed up cloning.

[@GnuB0ot]

So you could just install the Bootloader on a normal SSD and use that to boot from the NVME Drive if your Mainboard does not support that?

[@sahibjot01]

GnuB0ot what is bootloader.. fuck it this pc shit id confysssingsgsgshsjsks

[@scubaac753]

My brain is mush from watching linus explain this, lol. If only I had went to computer school instead of hvac school.

[@liby5958]

i didnt go to any school about computers and i pretty much understand all of this...

[@martyisokay]

Sheeeit, I appreciate you guys in the HVAC school! I have no friggin' clue how that sorcery works.

[@Dexter101x]

Just what we don't want, confusing computer standards regarding cables

[@sheenobi]

Thanks for the helpful tech tips! Your video really helps, particularly on the SSD variants! I had bought a Dell Inspiron 15 a month ago. The laptop included an 8th gen Intel CPU, 1TB HDD and 32GB RAM. I knew the 1TB HDD is a standard 5400rpm. I opened up the laptop for inspection, it have a slot to support an M.2 SSD. I gave my laptop an upgrade of using a newly 250GB M.2 SSD, and it is running blazing FAST! just freakin' awesome! ALOHA!

[@HistoryandReviews]

Aloha 😊

[@thezman350]

One of your better videos, in a while... Really useful info thanks for breaking down the different aspects of the protocols.

[@mbahmarijan789]

2019? ...... still confused

[@liby5958]

what you confused about?

[@cosmosofinfinity]

2020 and still confused. I got on here to learn specifically about Ultra M.2...

[@shadi6160]

@@cosmosofinfinity 2021 and still confused

[@hattrickster33]

meh I'll stick with a SATA III 480 GB SSD. The load times are already 2 fast I can never read the loading screens anymore :(

[@ssssaa2]

The areas where you see a major difference between M2 and SSD are a light less numerous than between SSD and HDD, but they do exist and are once again a several times increase. The big reedeming factor here is that it isn't actually that much more expensive, the gap between HDD and SSD is waaaay bigger than between SSD and M2. It's also very small and frees up a Sata port, so I could see it outside of a budget build.

[@TheFluffernutter12]

@@ssssaa2 Why not both? or is that just pointless?

[@tdog7326]

as a gamer and photo editor will I realistically notice a difference between NVMe and SATA III?

[@iNick90]

You'll likely experience faster boot times and loading times (take GTA5 for example) that game will load 2-3x faster on NVMe

[@QuantumWrench]

Oh Yeah. I have an OEM Samsung ahci m.2 256GB drive, x99-pro that yields 2200/1200 MB/s throughput for r/w according to CrystalDiskMark. It is four times faster than my moderately fast SSD on sata. Since storage will always be the slowest HW component, an X4 improvement in potential read and write will always help. NVMe will be faster than ahci. Less code and designed for FAST devices using four lanes of PCIe.

[@polyjohn3425]

Considering how bulky most photo/video editing programs are, an increase in your drive's throughput is gonna make a pretty big difference.

[@tdog7326]

thanks, I planned to already get a 7600k but I didn't know that

[@InfinityAlien337]

thank you so much man. you answered all my questions and more. im looking into upgrading the drive inside my kids inspirion 3050 and had no clue where to start on what type to get. this cleared it all up for me. i knew i subscribed to you for a reason!

[@Professor__Cow]

I just installed my M.2 drive directly into my motherboard, but I really enjoyed your explanation and the visuals, and I had no idea that PCIE devices existed that could basically port your M.2 drive in. :)

[@laowai2000]

Not only do they exist but they also do not appear to lose any bandwidth. Good to know if you want to run multiple M.2 and motherboard does not have multiple slots.

[@darkflux]

wow, thanks for keeping me from having to google to find all that info...

[@NorthshireGaming]

When he said, "That product already exists", I was tabbed out for a moment and started thinking, "Wait, someone's made a USB to coathanger adapter?"

[@mattblatchley2061]

likely!

[@ModrunOfficial]

touching the mobo with a screwdriver making me hurts

[@davidoke3909]

MoDRun wut

[@electronJarvs]

I'm hitting one with an hammer right now lol :)

[@007vsMagua]

I'm glad your covering this new storage format. Can't wait to hear more.

[@le4848]

Thanks Linus! You answered all the questions I had regarding m.2

[@dexty112]

Are NVME and M.2 the same thing??

[@ChrisThomasBone]

M.2 is a hardware connector. NVMe is a protocol. So no, they aren't quite the same thing, but there's some overlap between them. You can think of protocols as languages that different components use to communicate with each other, and the hardware connectors as just what they're talking through. Some connectors support multiple protocols, and some protocols can be used over different connectors. The question you're asking is analogous to asking if English and Email are the same thing. NVMe protocol can be sent over the M.2 connector, but AHCI protocol can also be sent over M.2, the same way you can write an email in English, but you can also use French. NVMe can also be sent over PCIe, the same way you can choose to write the same English information over a text message instead of email.

[@jefffy7775]

@@ChrisThomasBone i thinks he will be more confuse now😂

[@VijitChandna]

No

[@cst256]

M.2 is a 'socket', a port, a bus or an interface, a physical (a hardware) thing like a USB/PCIE/SATA ports. Some are faster than the other. Like how a USB 3.0 port is faster faster than the 2.0 one. NVMe is a protocol like AHCI, so is not physical thing. NVMe is a new protocol while AHCI exists since early 200 and was designed for hard drives so you could imagine that NVMe is much faster. It sort of a procedure of how the data should be handled during transfer. Like http or tcp protocols for instance -- they sort of handle the rules regarding data transfer. NVME manages to be faster because is reduces the CPU overhead and some more magic that I don't understand like NVMe having more queues and more command in each queue bullshit.

[@Sheed96]

Chris Thomas I totally understood that

[@amelliamendel2227]

How to choose an m.2: Look for the word Samsung, then look for the pro, then make sure it has the number 970 or a higher number. If it has all three buy that one, you're welcome.

[@jeyendeoso]

this was barely an explanation of m.2, just a small lesson on how to install a m.2 ssd.

[@MadMaxBLD]

Very good and clear explanation of this confusing topic, well done!

[@ArmandAlberts87]

Dude, i gotta say, i like your channel!. Keep it up man!

[@mathboy_]

One Plus 3 at 1:03 ?

[@skweej]

Mathboy first

[@mattthetechguy5057]

I was first Skweej

[@mathboy_]

wow i'm so pleased with my self. this has truly been the pinnacle of my existence as a human being.

[@denis_dg]

yes, the normal oneplus 3 or the oneplus 3t

[@kenkalajdzic]

Denis G It's a "normal" 3. 3T's gunmetal casing has a slightly different tint.

[@AstroRamiEmad]

I understood totally none! First video from Linus that was really not that clear!

[@AgentSmith911]

Just get the NVMe M.2 SSD.

[@Oldbanana3]

What I hear is nnnmmmnmnmnmn.2

[@BrawndoQC]

I've the samsung 950 Pro in my build and it's faster than my 3 x 850 Evo storage in Raid-0. Very impressive. To be fair to apple, my 2014 Macbook Pro PCI-e benchmarks are twice as fast as a regular SSD.

[@NighteeeeeY]

Im rocking a Samsung 950 Pro on a X79 2011 board with an 8 core Xeon in full NVME mode with all benefits like booting and full performance on Windows 7 (!). Installation was as easy as you could imagine. No bios hacks, no W8 legacy bullshit, no driver updates, nothing. Samsung 950/60 are just awesome. Installed, booted right up, performance over 2gb/s with nonstop video rendering. I love it!

[@brandonturbo9911]

This was a great basic explanation to Hard drives and connectivity.

[@osirisgolad]

No-one who didn't already understand this is going to understand it better after watching this. You weren't systematic at all and your analogies were really bad for someone who has no idea what you're talking about. You should've at least explained what PCIe is and then shown a PCIe AIB NVMe SSD to explain that all of the things you showed, including the PCIe M.2 adapter AIBs, work in basically the same way but with a different physical connector at the end of it, yet that is the only type of NVMe SSD you didn't show. Next time you do one of these videos, ask one of your less tech savvy employees to watch it and then immediately explain to you what the video was about. Then you'll know whether others will understand it or not.

[@Barncore]

Yeah, i don't know what PCI means and i didn't understand the vid

[@elijahdunwoody5091]

after 1 year of trouble shooting I finally fixed my computer... FML

[@SavolX]

I feel like an idiot. And hey - I've built all my PCs to date myself (hardly an achievement, but still). Damn.

[@FrancoContreras]

This is the kind of content i miss from LTT, very useful

[@alyeakitty]

Should also note; for many boards using m.2 slots on board will disable one or two SATA ports as with ASUS (some especially if running in SATA mode). While this is a good trade off for some, when planning a rig make sure to check the motherboard specs of which ports are disabled (usually in the fine print), if you need those ports and not think the board is bricked because a drive isn't connecting because the port is disabled.

[@jordanallison7105]

Still confusing AF

[@The_LIC]

This video makes no sense to me and I don't understand it but I watched it all anyway.

[@snackymcgoo1539]

Thanks, but I still don't understand.

[@BenitoFan760]

I ended up more confused after this video

[@firstnamelastname-xt5kn]

This video is concise, clear, and brief. Subscribed

[@llamasplosion684]

iv been watching your videos over the past 2 years and i finally built my first pc the other day and these videos really helped me out thanks

[@agentp92115]

Why do you guys always pronounce it "N.V.M.E", when it's clearly meant to be pronounced "Envy Me"? You know, because the performance of the interface is to be envied.

[@Sheed96]

agentp92115 because it’s an abbreviation for non-volatile memory express

[@BabaNamKevalamGames]

Lol. That was clever. Like the GPU company nvidia. Envidia...

[@brbbiobreak]

m.2 ahci is not the same as sata

[@WorBlux]

AHCI or the Advance Host Controller Interface, is an Intel standardized implementation of a Serial ATA host controller.

[@_clemens_]

Indeed AHCI can also be used over PCIe...then it isn't Sata! e.g. the SM951 has also a AHCI flavour, which can be used in M.2 PCIe compatible slots. All the new PCIe SSDs use NVMe, but in the eraly PCIe SSD days there were PCIe AHCI cards...unfortunetely the video is confusing about this...

[@Epicvampire800]

i misread the title as "the fastest std"

[@yaeshraj]

That easy: its ebola

[@EternalSilence1]

Btw: Prices of SSD and RAM modules will increase a lot this year. Because of the high demand from social media data bases. Some RAM modules already cost €40/$40 more than last year.

[@RhinoXpress]

AHCI M.2 based on the sata III protocol and is limited to 600mb. NVMe M.2 is based on the pci express protocol which is capable of 2100mb or more. NVMe M.2 is the latest in drive storage connection technology.

[@kcwidman]

I have an SSD from an old laptop that is the exact same size as the one in my new laptop. They both run windows 10. Would there be any side effects if I straight up replace the drive in my new laptop with the drive from my old laptop? Would the entire computer have the same digital contents as my old laptop?

[@sahibjot01]

Kai Widman drivers and all will be messed up.. i dont know tho ima noob

[@NineS5]

Kai Widman you have to re install windows 10 and re install the drivers your Windows 10 product key should be below the laptop.

[@ebash43]

just make it legacy then run a driver updater. all should be fine

[@Beta-lc8xl]

it works on desktop, you may have a problem with drivers though and do a restore thing its not to hard

[@cullenwalsh4485]

i don't think there would be, it is still like a baby desktop and you can do that in a desktop

[@stargazeonacloudyday]

Slim shady

[@kazi1]

lol

[@MrBuash]

I wish I could just plug everything into my hole.

[@dudelee1181]

@Linus, Thanks for all your research on this.

[@axlsumanreloaded]

A video that was definitely needed. Thanks Linus

[@jacobrose9606]

8:01 - Linus' Face Is Concerning...

[@nicholaskinkaid]

Doesn't even come close to how weird his face is at 4:15

[@roebbiej]

This video is a mess.

[@morganmc32]

THANK YOU LINUS! Needed a much better, clearer picture to work with. I'm at the point I'm gonna stay with SATA and fast HDD until new technologies are more matured.

[@HockeyPlayoffRun]

My setup is a 250GB main SSD and a 64GB M.2 two 1TB externals. Works great their cheap to replace and plenty fast for the video a day I do

[@DytliefMoller]

Thank for the research linus....most don't realise ho many variables there usually are....

[@Wrathlon]

You CAN boot them on X79 with a simple mod of the BIOS to add the X99 NVME UEFI boot ROM. I'm currently using the 960Pro in that Silverstone adapter that has both AHCI and NVME on my Rampage IV Extreme as my boot drive and it reports and benchmarks at full speed as well.

[@jacobrose9606]

I could see a college professor being very happy to watch these videos... is awesome

[@cgme7076]

I just finally ordered my first M.2 drive. I'll have two HDDs (backup drives -- total of 3 TB), one SSD (for games 500 GB), and an M.2 (500 GB) for my dual-booted (Windows/Linux), mid-tier gaming PC. I can't wait to load up games quicker!

[@prokilleru6099]

Good or not max speed ??

[@DOGMA1138]

You can use an NVME as an OS drive on a system that doesn't not supports NVME boot, the bootloader has to be installed on a different drive.

[@Souchirouu]

Mmm a lot of people seem confused about the explanation in this video. What it comes down to is: SATA-Express: Dead, don't buy it. U.2: Dead, don't buy it. SATA 600: Mainly used for large disc based storage (ie: 7200rpm drives) and early SSD's. This technology is limited to 600MB/s. If you're on a budget I would recommend a smaller SATA 600 SSD for your OS and a 7200RPM drive for bulk storage. M.2 drives on the other hand come in two flavors SATA (AHCI) and NVMe. M.2 SATA (AHCI): These drives are meant to ensure software-level backward compatibility with legacy SATA devices and operating systems. These are slower, but cheaper but don't really have a major advantage over regular SATA 600 drives other than the form factor. M2. NVMe: The major advantage of NVMe is that it can access data parallel this gives it a massive performance advantage. Where M.2 SATA (AHCI) drives are limited to +-550MB/s read and write and 50~60.000 IOPS and NVMe drive go well up to 3.500MB/s read 2.100MB/s writes and 330.000 IOPS and expected to go even higher as technology advances. Disadvantage is that M.2 NVMe drives are currently really expensive. I would only recommend to those running applications with very high disk usage such as content creation or simply if you have the money and want what is fastest on the market. If you're building a new PC I would highly recommend you get a motherboard with at least an M.2 NVMe slot on it for future upgrades.

[@Rowlett54]

the first actually useful and informative LTT video in a while. the recent LTT videos seem to be crossover with channel super fun videos. smh

[@ianbender5090]

You saved me within the first 4:30 of this video... I was doing a bunch of research because I was afraid an M.2 I was gifted would need an adapter to x4 PCIE. My mobo had one all along! It sits between the two x16 slots, perpendicular to them (horizontal with the mobo), so I just could barely see it! Never thought to check if one was embedded because I figured--not a laptop? Most likely no M.2 slot!

[@harrytsang1501]

1:04 On my Oneplus 3T, I have tested to copy files to OTG SD cards via a 3.0 card reader/hub and the result is 5.79s to transfer 525MB of 3 videos included the latency. which means an at least 105MB/s speed and is definitely 3.0 instead of 2.0

[@Togaholic]

I'm sad you didn't mention the differences between PCIe 2.0 and 3.0. I have an AMD board with and NVMe M.2 slot, but would like to know more about what you would lose, compared to putting something like the MP500 in a 3.0 slot.

[@rebeccaschade3987]

I have 512GB M.2 NVMe for boot/system drive, 1TB SATA SSD for Steam and other apps, and 2TB 2.5" HDD for mass storage, and it's a great way of setting things up. M.2 is ideal for small form factor systems as well. I think such a form factor is going to be the way forward.

[@iamwisdomsky]

it's year 2022 and yes you are right. m.2 with NVMe support is now the de facto standard for main(boot) drives in most laptops nowadays.