M.2 SSDs that use SATA protocol - Why?

ZodaEX

Supreme [H]ardness
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I'm curious what the purpose of these M.2 SSDs that just use the SATA protocol are. Why would anyone ever want one of these over a regular SATA drive, or a NVME m.2 SSD?
 
Think legacy, rather than modern.

Supporting protocols for NVMe, booting, and such were not implemented just exactly yet at that time. NVMe was a very recent thing actually. However, SATA and routing the protocol over PCIe was easily possible at that time due to existing support structures in place. Then support ratified for NVMe and flattened out in the computer'sphere. In Windows speak we are talking 2013. Linux is around the same time with kernel 3.8, IIRC. 2011 is when ratifying began, IIRC.

NVMe spec 1.0 was released in 2013. We are with 1.4, which is a very awesome multi-core, queue, and everything else protocol. When many say "you wont notice a difference" they are not really seeing the whole picture in which the change in how data I/O just exploded there. They also probably didn't use SCSI, or both ISA 14, 15 IRQ's to increase paging I/O back in the NT days. Honestly, you can tell who knows hardware or not, by the shitty "generalizations" made. To put it into perspective, you are starting to see what NVMe can do, such as, with the recent consoles and even the new DiskStorage API. Also, with re-size BAR, you can just free-flow texture(s) in a-many-a GB's transfer into the frame buffer. SATA drives will not go much into the frame buffer space in one tick at around 550MB with a very capable drive. Oh, and at that very reduce latency that NVMe can provide too.
 
For me between home and work I have several motherboards and laptops with some SATA only M.2 slots sometimes in addition to a NVMe + SATA M.2 slot. I have no problem buying a 1TB or 2TB SATA M.2 drive to put in that slot instead of cabling up a SATA drive and purchasing a 2.5 inch bracket. Also there used to be a larger price difference between SATA M.2 and NVMe.
 
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Shouldn't a USB 3.1 gen2 flash drive be much faster than sata3 speeds though?
 
I'm curious what the purpose of these M.2 SSDs that just use the SATA protocol are. Why would anyone ever want one of these over a regular SATA drive, or a NVME m.2 SSD?

m.2 SATA drives are a lot smaller than regular 2.5" SATA drives (especially the 2240 drives); and the systems I use them in are tiny, and they didn't support nvme. Mostly thinking about chromebooks (before they switched to eMMC) and chromeboxes/similar. m.2 sata is way cooler than mSata too?
 
mSata? I dunno if it's cool because I've never actually heard of that. M.2 drives make me kind of nervous handling them with their bare PCB. I always worry I'll static shock them on accident.
 
Simple, packaging. But everything is going NVME. In a few years I doubt we'll even see m.2 drives marketed anymore that aren't NVME.
 
I made a point to avoid SATA SSD drives on my last build. It wasn't worth the difference in cost at the time (2017). It will be the same with my next full build later this Spring.
 
Silly myth. For decades that fairy tale has been told, yet I've never had an issue and I always use heavily magnetized screwdrivers. I ain't fishing out no screw that falls in an area where I can't reach unless I turn the case upside down or on its side........NO! I'm getting my magnetized screwdriver, it pulls right out with the screw on the tip.




They are, but for the price? I guess they'll never be popular, $170 for 512GB drive is too expensive. I ordered the ASUS ROG USB 3.2 enclosure and I'll pair it with an MP510 960GB (from Corsair) and see if I get even faster R/W speeds. I got lots of reasons to purposely use SATAIII drives and in enclosures as well as spare drives in my PC.
I gotta separate important files and programs, photos and videos and pr0n.

BTW, a USB 3.1 Gen2 drive can do up to 950Mb/s R/W AND my SATAIII does 450MB/s, so fast enough. Although for the ASUS ROG enclosure I ordered, it's because I got no use for the NVMe 960GB in my PC (I got a 500GB coming), otherwise, it'd disable more SATA ports which I need.
So the anti static wrist bands are just snake oil?
 
Think mostly for notebooks. Still the dominant form factor of PCs by a huge margin, still - for some reason - wanting to become smaller and thinner.

M.2 sticks are significantly smaller than 2.5inch drives, and SATA (was) significantly cheaper than NVME.
 
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I have this kind of issue with my A-data S40g 4TB nvme. Drive is recognized by windows and bios works fine. But the A-data SSD toolbox and firmware upgrade errors with no sata device found. This ia a TUFF Dash F15 laptop with 4th gen PCI express.. If I put the S40g in a laptop with both an Nvme and sata port software works fine. TUFF Dash has only 2 NVme slots no sata. I did not see any BIOs setting for any legacy support... anyway to fix this or just hope A-data updates their stuff? Maybe a way to install sata protocol?
 
I have this kind of issue with my A-data S40g 4TB nvme. Drive is recognized by windows and bios works fine. But the A-data SSD toolbox and firmware upgrade errors with no sata device found. This ia a TUFF Dash F15 laptop with 4th gen PCI express.. If I put the S40g in a laptop with both an Nvme and sata port software works fine. TUFF Dash has only 2 NVme slots no sata. I did not see any BIOs setting for any legacy support... anyway to fix this or just hope A-data updates their stuff? Maybe a way to install sata protocol?
Consider your own thread. This thread isn’t a support thread for your situation.
 
So the anti static wrist bands are just snake oil?
That depends, if you're just using a rubber bracelet like that Verge video, then that isn't doing a damn thing. However, if you have a strap and a ground point to connect it to, then you are draining any charge from you and keeping it away from your electronics. Most consumer electronics should be able to be good without it, but if you're concerned, then it doesn't hurt.
 
So the anti static wrist bands are just snake oil?
That depends, if you're just using a rubber bracelet like that Verge video, then that isn't doing a damn thing. However, if you have a strap and a ground point to connect it to, then you are draining any charge from you and keeping it away from your electronics. Most consumer electronics should be able to be good without it, but if you're concerned, then it doesn't hurt.
I been building computers for over 20 years and haven't used a antistic band since my very early days. I have never had any issues with static damage.
 
I been building computers for over 20 years and haven't used a antistic band since my very early days. I have never had any issues with static damage.

One time when I was upgrading the RAM on a computer for my employer, a spark shot out of my finger and went into the northbridge of the PC, killing the motherboard instantly. Has anyone else had something like this happen to them?
 
One time when I was upgrading the RAM on a computer for my employer, a spark shot out of my finger and went into the northbridge of the PC, killing the motherboard instantly. Has anyone else had something like this happen to them?

I don't believe this has ever happened to me in hundreds of builds however I always attempt to touch the metal part of the case before touching any components. I did see this happen to someone else however and was when I first started out at work in the late 1990s.

With that said I have on rare occasion used a grounding wrist strap. I mean if its right there and I have a good place to ground it I will use. If I have to search for one likely I won't do that.
 
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That depends, if you're just using a rubber bracelet like that Verge video, then that isn't doing a damn thing. However, if you have a strap and a ground point to connect it to, then you are draining any charge from you and keeping it away from your electronics. Most consumer electronics should be able to be good without it, but if you're concerned, then it doesn't hurt.

I've never used one, and my first real job at 16 was working for a local computer repair shop. HOWEVER, I have always grounded myself before touching anything with a PCB. It's as automatic as breathing for me.
 
I've never used one, and my first real job at 16 was working for a local computer repair shop. HOWEVER, I have always grounded myself before touching anything with a PCB. It's as automatic as breathing for me.
I haven't used one either while building computers, but if it makes someone more comfortable doing so, it doesn't hurt anything to use a properly grounded strap. Just don't think putting a rubber bracelet like the Verge video on your arm is going to do any good, there aren't any wireless ground straps that I'm aware of.
 
A word to the wise if you buy a new Asus Tuff Dash f15 or possibly any other computer that does not have a sata bus, You are giving up the SATA bus completely. The problem is the current Nvme software will NOT see the drives, Both A-data Toolbox it will say no sata device found, Samsung Nv driver installer will say no Nvme device installed. The only fix is for this is of course for the drive manufactures to update their software to work directly on the pci express bus... I would not hold my breath waiting......
 
sounds normal to me, m.2 nmve and m.2 sata are two different things. pretty sure someone already told you that.
 
I knew that, I've never used m2 sata. Obviously you can't have M2 sata without a sata bus. However until the drive makers patch or write new software for pci, you won't be able to update any firmware updates either. However I have a Gigabyte Aorus with two Nvme and sata connector, You know what, the A-data and the the 970 Evo NVme drives are seen and update firmware if I put them in that machine it's just a royal pain to have to do that..
 
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