If you’re looking to upgrade your storage solution, you may have come across the term NVMe. NVMe stands for Non-Volatile Memory Express, and it’s a type of storage protocol that has been gaining popularity in recent years due to its high speed and low latency.
But what slots do NVMe use? In this article, we’ll explore the different slots that NVMe drives can be installed in.
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Firstly, let’s start with the most common slot for NVMe drives – the M.2 slot. M.2 is a form factor that was introduced in 2013, and it’s designed to be a smaller and more versatile replacement for mSATA and Mini-PCIe slots.2 slots are found on most modern motherboards, laptops, and even some desktop graphics cards.
NVMe drives that are designed to fit into an M.2 slot will have a specific keying that matches the slot on the motherboard or device they’re being installed in. There are two types of keying – B keying and M keying. B keying is used for SATA-based SSDs, while M keying is used for PCIe-based SSDs like NVMe drives.
Another slot that can be used for NVMe drives is the PCIe expansion slot. If your motherboard has an available PCIe x4 or higher slot, you can install an NVMe drive using an adapter card. These adapter cards typically have an M.2 slot on one end and a PCIe connector on the other end.
It’s worth noting that not all PCIe slots support NVMe drives – some only support SATA-based SSDs or other types of expansion cards like network adapters or sound cards. Be sure to check your motherboard manual before purchasing an adapter card.
In addition to these two options, there are also U.2 ports which were initially developed as SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) ports but now support both SAS and PCIe (including NVMe) devices. U.2 ports have been used mostly in enterprise settings, but they are starting to show up on some high-end consumer motherboards.
In conclusion, NVMe drives can be installed in a variety of slots depending on the form factor of the drive and the available slots on your motherboard or device. The most common slot for NVMe drives is the M.2 slot, but PCIe expansion slots and U.2 ports can also be used with the appropriate adapter cards or connectors. Whatever slot you choose, make sure it’s compatible with your drive and your system to ensure optimal performance.
