mSATA SSD in m.2 slot?

[PGHammer]

If you've been looking at (or building) PCs, you have doubtless heard a ton about the m.2 socket (which also can become an upgrade to SATA Express).  In my case, I'm giving serious consideration to using it for an SSD - however, I don't see any SSD aiming specifically at m.2 - is that because, like SATA-III, it is fully backward/electrically compatible with the older (mSATA) specs?

 

The motherboard in question is the MSI Z97-G55 SLI, and the SSD will replace my smallest platter drive, and be the core of a multiboot system (the SSD, and my two largest platter drives - 512GB and 1 TB; if I retain the 80GB SATA drive - my current "core" drive, it will return to being an OS X drive, and thus be semi-firewalled from the remaining drives, which will all be running various flavors of Windows - 8.1 on the SSD, with 10 and Windows Server Next on the platter drives.)

 

I don't need a big SSD (one reason to consider mSATA if usable), and my 8.1 needs go away when they solve the compatibility issues with Daybreak/SOE Launchpad - therefore, I'm looking small, in addition to cheap.  (I'm only considering Crucial M550 or SAMSUNG EVO that fits the capacity constraints - as I stated before, I don't need a "big" drive.)

[+Fahim S. MVC]

My understanding is that mSATA and M.2 are not pin compatible.  M.2 provides the same level of connectivity as SATA Express (and PCIe x4), as opposed to mSATA which provides pin compatibility with regular SATA (and PCIe x1).  The SSDs are completely different proportionally speaking (length:width, that is).

 

Outside PCIe M.2 SSDs, there are none that take advantage of the extra speed the M.2 port offers - they are just SATA.  There just aren't many out there right now.

 

There are several adaptors to allow you to use a M.2 slot for an mSATA drive.

 

I'm not sure why needing a 'big' SSD even comes into the equation - they go all the way to 1TB.  I have a 500GB one (mSATA) installed in my 'desktop' and it works absolutely fine.

[PGHammer]

My understanding is that mSATA and M.2 are not pin compatible.  M.2 provides the same level of connectivity as SATA Express (and PCIe x4), as opposed to mSATA which provides pin compatibility with regular SATA (and PCIe x1).  The SSDs are completely different proportionally speaking (length:width, that is).

 

Outside PCIe M.2 SSDs, there are none that take advantage of the extra speed the M.2 port offers - they are just SATA.  There just aren't many out there right now.

 

There are several adaptors to allow you to use a M.2 slot for an mSATA drive.

 

I'm not sure why needing a 'big' SSD even comes into the equation - they go all the way to 1TB.  I have a 500GB one (mSATA) installed in my 'desktop' and it works absolutely fine.

In my case, the issue is the SSD will replace my smallest platter drive, and the use period will only be as 8.1 is needed.  Right now, all that is on it is (other than the OS itself) one game that Windows 10 Tech Preview is not compatible with (issues with the game's launcher).  Right now, my smallest platter drive is 80GB.

  I simply don't want to spend more than I need to - and have too MUCH capacity.

[+Fahim S. MVC]

In my case, the issue is the SSD will replace my smallest platter drive, and the use period will only be as 8.1 is needed.  Right now, all that is on it is (other than the OS itself) one game that Windows 10 Tech Preview is not compatible with (issues with the game's launcher).  Right now, my smallest platter drive is 80GB.

  I simply don't want to spend more than I need to - and have too MUCH capacity.

 

In the case of the 128GB Crucial M550, the only drive I know of which is available in M2, mSATA and 2.5" form-factors, the prices are about the same for each in the UK, with the M.2, surprisingly, being the cheapest.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#tbm=shop&q=120gb+sata+m550

[Gotenks98]

Sorry to semi-hijack this thread but aside from physical size and speed whats going to be the different between the mSata vs M2 vs just regular sata for SSD's? Is the speed difference really noticeable? How do you know if your system supports it? My system is primarily used for Gaming, Vms, and video editing. If switching from a standard size SSD to either M2 or mSata will get rid of the hellified load times on some of the games I play I am all for it. Also would mSata or M2 be compatible with the newer MacBook Pro systems for upgrading?

[+Fahim S. MVC]

Sorry to semi-hijack this thread but aside from physical size and speed whats going to be the different between the mSata vs M2 vs just regular sata for SSD's? Is the speed difference really noticeable? How do you know if your system supports it? My system is primarily used for Gaming, Vms, and video editing. If switching from a standard size SSD to either M2 or mSata will get rid of the hellified load times on some of the games I play I am all for it. Also would mSata or M2 be compatible with the newer MacBook Pro systems for upgrading?

 

Typically, mSATA drives (can't comment on M.2) tend to be slightly slower than their 2.5" counterparts.  I don't know why this is but I imagine that they are down-clocked to reduce heat as the components are tightly packed and are typically used in portable devices so are optimised for power utilisation.

 

You can see the graphs here for mSATA and 2.5" versions of the Samsung 840 EVO:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7594/samsung-ssd-840-evo-msata-120gb-250gb-500gb-1tb-review/8

 

MacBook Pros use the M.2 form-factor but PCIe based drives (i.e. not SATA).