Matob will provide what an M.2 SSD means, from its definition to function.
SSD M.2 or M2 is a type of SSD (solid-state drive) that is rectangular with a fast size. These SSDs are generally faster but will cost more than 2.5-inch SSDs.
Many thin laptops now use M.2 SSDs because they are smaller than the 2.5-inch hard drive.
M.2 SSDs are available up to 2TB in storage size. This is still relatively small compared to the 2.5 HDD or SSD capacity sold.
To use an M.2 SSD on a desktop PC or laptop, you’ll need a motherboard with an M.2 slot. Some motherboards have two or more M.2 places, allowing you to run SSDs in RAID.
While 2.5-inch SSDs use the SATA bus, which debuted in 2000 and was initially geared towards hard drives, M.2 SSDs can use SATA or a PCI Express (PCIe) slot, depending on the product type.
So M.2 SSDs can be SATA-based, PCIe-based with NVMe support, or PCIe-based without NVMe support. M.2 SSDs with NVMe support offer up to five times more bandwidth than SATA M.2 models, delivering better performance in critical tasks, such as file transfers, video or photo editing, transcoding, compression, and decompression.
Most M.2 SSDs measure 22 x 80mm (Width x Length) but can be shorter or longer. You can tell the size of an M.2 SSD by reading the four- or five-digit number in its name or on the printed circuit board (PCB). The first two numbers are the width, while the other two are the length (example: M.2 Type-2280).
SSD M.2 Size Chart
Below are common M.2 SSD sizes:
- M.2 Type-2280 (22 x 80mm)
- M.2 Type-2230 (22 x 30mm)
- M.2 Type-2242 (22 x 42mm)
- M.2 Type-2260 (22 x 60mm)
- M.2 Type-22110 (22 x 110mm)
