Modern systems now rely heavily on Solid-State Drives (SSDs) for fast data access, but not all SSDs are built the same.

Two common types—NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) and SATA (Serial ATA)—differ dramatically in speed, interface, and performance.

SATA SSDs use the older SATA interface, originally designed for hard drives. They’re limited to a theoretical maximum transfer rate of 6 Gbps (about 550 MB/s).

SATA SSDs typically come in the 2.5-inch form factor and connect via a data and power cable. They’re ideal for upgrading older laptops and desktops that don’t support newer standards.

NVMe SSDs, on the other hand, use the PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) bus and the NVMe protocol to achieve blazing-fast speeds—often 3,000 MB/s or higher.

NVMe drives come in the M.2 form factor and connect directly to the motherboard, reducing latency and eliminating cable clutter.

Some high-end NVMe drives also use U.2 or PCIe add-in cards.

Technicians must know not just how to install the drive, but whether the system supports NVMe in the BIOS/UEFI and if the correct M.2 key (B, M, or B+M) matches the slot. Additionally, operating system installation media may require loading drivers if NVMe support is not native.

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