{"id":390,"date":"2022-03-21T16:26:03","date_gmt":"2022-03-21T16:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-698089-2344727.cloudwaysapps.com\/2022\/03\/21\/nvme-vs-m-2-vs-sata3-overview-and-comparison\/"},"modified":"2023-06-28T07:13:18","modified_gmt":"2023-06-28T07:13:18","slug":"nvme-vs-m-2-vs-sata3-overview-and-comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gearlush.com\/nvme-vs-m-2-vs-sata3-overview-and-comparison\/","title":{"rendered":"NVMe vs M.2 vs SATA3: Overview and Comparison"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

When scanning through your motherboard\u2019s specs, under the storage interface section, you are likely to meet two interface types, M.2 and SATA.<\/p>\n

In terms of the Serial AT Attachment interface, for the past decade we have been using SATA III but you are still liable to find older motherboards that still use SATA II.<\/p>\n

The current SATA III revision is SATA 3.4. It was introduced in 2018 and features durable and ordered writing notifications, device temperature supervision, and device sleep signal timing.<\/p>\n

You may be wondering why we\u2019re discussing these storage interface standards when you clicked on this article to figure out what the differences between an NVMe, M.2, and SATA 3 SSD\/HDD is.<\/p>\n

However, if you understand the differences between the storage interfaces on your motherboard, you can understand the difference between these SSD form factors.<\/p>\n

This is what we will be discussing in this guide. We will be providing you with an overview and comparison of these form factors.<\/p>\n

By the end of this guide, you will be able to understand what makes them different and which one will benefit you the most.  But first\u2026<\/p>\n

NVMe, M.2, and SATA III: What is the Difference?<\/h2>\n

 SATA III<\/h3>\n

Since its success over the Parallel ATA in the early 2000s, the Serial AT interface standard has been the favoured choice of storage device connections.<\/p>\n

As you may be able to surmise from the name, SATA III, there have been three main revisions of this interface since its conception.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, many mechanical hard drives still use the SATA II interface.<\/p>\n

This is not a big problem since every revision is backward compatible. Each revision essentially uses the same port\/socket.<\/p>\n

Speaking of mechanical hard-drives, you are unlikely to see an NVMe\/M.2 HDD unless someone comes up with a conversion kit (if they haven\u2019t already).<\/p>\n

However, this would be a waste of time. The performance boosts would not be significant enough to warrant it.<\/p>\n

What we have noticed is that people often mistake the connection standard for the form factor.<\/p>\n

In other words, some people believe rectangular drives are SATA connecting drives because of their shape.<\/p>\n

When we cover M.2 drives, you will see that this is not the case at all.<\/p>\n

But first, let us explore the differences between SATA III HDDs and SSDs and why you would want the latter.<\/p>\n

SATA III HDD vs SATA III SSD<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Hard disk drives are what are known as electromechanical drives.<\/p>\n

They have internal moving parts. If you put your ear to an external HDD while it\u2019s reading or writing, you can hear it work.<\/p>\n

Basically, hard disk drives work like old turntables.<\/p>\n

They have internal disks (platters) and heads that work similarly to record player needles.<\/p>\n

That is why the hard drive\u2019s input\/output speeds are measured in revolutions\/rotations per minute (RPM).<\/p>\n

For a long time, it was believed that HDDs last longer than SSDs.<\/p>\n

However, modern SSDs now unequivocally last longer than HDDs, especially in high-pressure situations.<\/p>\n

This is especially true for SLC and MLC variants.<\/p>\n

Thanks to their moving parts, HDDs may experience mechanical failures, particularly if they experience any shock.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, HDDs are still more affordable than SSDs despite the maturation of the latter\u2019s market.<\/p>\n

For retail and commercial drives, HDDs generally have higher storage capacities than SSDs.<\/p>\n

You can get the HDD in two different sizes, 2.5\u201d and 3.5\u201d. You\u2019ll find the former in most laptops.<\/p>\n

SSDs are essentially flash drives. They are an arrangement of semiconductor chips.<\/p>\n

And thus, unlike HDDs, they are not made up of moving parts which may be prone to failure, especially after they experience shock or trauma.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, they can still experience data loss.<\/p>\n

SATA III SSDs are substantially faster than SATA III HDDs.<\/p>\n

However, they\u2019re still limited to the SATA\u2019s 6GB\/s transfer rate which was essentially built for HDDs in mind.<\/p>\n

Generally, you must connect SATA III SSDs to your motherboard through a data cable.<\/p>\n

In addition to this, you will need to connect them to your computer\u2019s power supply unit using a power cable.<\/p>\n

SATA III SSDs work and look like you have always known hard drives to work. NVMe type SSDs are a little different\u2026<\/p>\n

Examples of good SATA III SSDs include:<\/h4>\n