In the past few decades, we’ve seen computer storage improves much more than previous. SSD (Solid State Drive) is one of the top recommendations to boost your PC’s performance. They are thinner, much faster, don’t dissipate as much heat as the old spinners and also very cheap nowadays. In that manner, the M.2 opens up new data transfer interfaces that could be the next step forward in the consumer market. we can say that M.2 (and SATA Express) are the future for SSDs. In this article, we discussing M.2;  what it is and how it is better than previous SSDs. It will help you in considering an M.2 drive for your next computer. So, let's begin -

What is M.2 SSD?

M.2, previously known as NGFF (Next Generation Form Factor), is a specification for internally mounted computer expansion cards and associated connectors. It is a revised and better form of mSATA, optimized for SSDs, which uses the PCI Express Mini Card physical card layout and connectors. It allowing various lengths and widths of the PCB. M.2's more flexible and paired with the availability of more advanced interfacing features makes the M.2 more suitable than mSATA for solid-state storage applications in general and particularly for the use in small devices such as ultrabooks or tablets. The M.2 specification supports applications such as Wi-Fi, Universal Serial Bus (USB), PCI Express (PCIe) and Serial ATA (SATA).

Why is M.2 SSD build for?

Long ago SSDs were not capable to surpassed the limit of speed. They were slower to perform. To achieving the speeds above 1 GB/s, thus making SATA a bottleneck. Now, the latest SATA revision offers speed of 6 Gbps which translates to the real world speed of 750 MB/s. But, as PCIe was not meant for connecting storage devices and early manufacturers had to employ proprietary standards and custom chips to make it work, making them costly and too complex for a general user. PCIe is a communication bus through which the processor communicates with various peripherals like graphics cards, network cards; like your smartphone connects and transfers data over USB with your PC.

To overcome the difficulties, there are two types of PCIe SSDs, ones that directly plug into a PCIe slot, and one that uses the M.2 connector.  M.2 works over PCIe and supports both, the older AHCI and the newer NVMe protocols. M.2 SSDs based on PCIe is oriented for consumers and so are small in size and cost as well.

Now many high-performance laptops are coming with M.2 drives as standard. Intel’s latest chipset, the Z170, supports M.2 natively.

Features of M.2 SSD

Speed

M.2 SSD’s are designed for the PCIe connector, which has far more potential than the previous standard for SSDs, SATA. M.2 SSD’s can fetch you 15x the speed of the fastest hard drives. You’ll also be able to find some M.2 SSDs that take advantage of the NVME protocol, which offers much lower latency. Upgradation to M.2 SSD will make everything feel smoother. It improves computer boot times and shortening video game load screens.

No moving parts

In the Architecture of the SSDs basically, there are Semiconductor flash chips also called as Integrated circuit assembly. The data is stored in the that Semiconductor Flash Chips instead a revolving disk. So, M.2 SSDs have no moving mechanical components.

Small size

M.2 drive design was to reduce the overall size of the storage device. M.2 SSDs are much thinner than mSATA. M.2 cards are just 22mm wide compared to the 30mm of mSATA. The cards can also be shorted as just 30mm long compared to the 50mm of mSATA. They take less space than mSATAs or HDDs on the motherboard. So, you will get more extra space for other parts.

Compact Form

Typical 2.5-inch SSDs are about the size of your entire hand, but most M.2 SSDs could lie on two or three fingers. Better yet, M.2 connectors plug right into the motherboard, so there’s no need for extra cabling. M.2 drives reduce the weight of SSDs from 50g to around 7 grams. M.2 SSD should be a serious consideration to reduce space and weight when making a portable build.

Low power consumption

The low power consumption gives solid-state drives another advantage because there have no moving parts in M.2 SSDs. This means this SSD is suitable for energy-efficient computers and consumer electronic devices.

Durable

Because there have no moving or mechanical parts, it is more durable to drops and shudders thereby making it more resilient against data loss caused by physical or external trauma.

Reliable

One of the key advantages of SSDs over hard drives was that they don't physically degrade and often last longer. M.2 SSDs work in the exact same way, so unlike many new technologies there’s little long-term risk and their reliability is well known.

Local Server Advantage

M.2 SSDs have considerable advantages over HDDs when installing on a server. Not only will the system boot up considerably faster, it will also store and locate files faster. This can help facilitate applications and programs - allowing them to start and run at faster rates as well.

Faster Web-Hosting

Using M.2 SSDs for web hosting will provide an advantage in the load time of your website. Websites hosted on SSD servers tend to load 2-5X faster than websites hosted on servers with HDDS. You may find that the administration panel for your web host loads faster and is more responsive as well. SSD hosting can improve the user experience on your website by allowing images and pages to load quicker.

Future storage technology

M.2 SSD is expected to dominate the consumer market in a few years. New M.2 projects come out of all the major storage manufacturers, including, Intel, Western Digital, and Samsung. If you get a computer that supports M.2 SSD drives, you'll get plenty of upgrade options in the upcoming years.

Downside

The only downside is the price; M.2 SATA SSDs are more expensive than a standard SSD.