That M.2 slot that leaves the drive just sticking up feels super sketchy.

A better explanation for this would be: - AHCI and NVME are like the middleman between your hardware and software. AHCI is a slow middleman (protocols) and NVME is a fast one. - Since they're just middlemen, they can work off of any connection, whether it's M.2, PCIE, or SATA (specifically in AHCI devices) - Some motherboards support both protocols, while others only support one of them for boot drives. If yours only supports AHCI for boot drives, no matter what you connect your NVME drive (PCIE or M.2 slot) it won't let you boot from it. - New motherboards support both protocols so you can connect the NVME drive anyway you want and it'll work at full speed and let you boot from it. So whether you get a PCIE M.2 device or an onboard one, you'll be fine. To sum it up. PCIE, M.2 and SATA are all just data highways. AHCI and NVME are the things that dictate how fast your "car" will be able to travel in any of those given highways if the country (the motherboard) allows that speed limit. I hope that helps better explain it to anyone who's confused.

2015 Linus: SATA EXPRESS IS THE FUTURE 2017: Lmao that shiz dead

I like this kind of videos. I don't understand anything, but I like it.

*Reads title Oh cool, a new TechQuickie video! Wait a minute "Uploaded by LinusTechTips" Huh.

I'm currently building a PC and now I'm even more confused...

Much props Linus. Your explanation saved me from buying a slower M.2 SATA, and instead buying a much faster M.2 NVMe instead.

Thank you Linus! You saved me so much time reading about them. And you consolidate all the into in one video! Kudos! Keep it up!

I am more confused now...

The fastest SSD is as fast as linus in bed

Oh my god why your every video sounds so good and it always has so much meaning , like every time there is new and amazing things to know about i love your videos

dude your videos are great , I'm not much of a tech head but I get what you're you on about, you explain things well.. cheers

You seem to have SATA and AHCI mixed up. SATA is a physical data transfer interface and AHCI is a storage protocol that can run over PCIe or SATA. There is no such thing as an AHCI-only M.2 slot, only PCIe or SATA. There are PCIe AHCI M.2 SSDs that will blow normal SATA drives out of the water, like the SM951.

Time to learn something. Thank you!

Thank you for spelling it out in step by step plain English with visuals. It helps keep it all in order.

thank you so much man. you answered all my questions and more. im looking into upgrading the drive inside my kids inspirion 3050 and had no clue where to start on what type to get. this cleared it all up for me. i knew i subscribed to you for a reason!

You're the only youtuber that I know of who explains complex tech terms and gets into tiny details This is my go to channel for gathering information or to increase my understanding about the various new tech and terms

Who else is pooping while watching this?

Thanks Linus! You answered all the questions I had regarding m.2

I always get depressed because I don’t understand shit after a few minutes... and then thinking I’m doing everything wrong

I really don't like U.2, their last few albums have been dreadful.

The reason this isn't a techquicky video is because it's 8 minutes long.

I'm glad your covering this new storage format. Can't wait to hear more.

We need more videos like this. Videos explaining just what a term(s) means, and what it means for the end user.

Did anyone else see the little bug @1:06?

I was hoping for a performance review. I want a performance review. Why has it taken this long to compare the four or five M.2 sticks out there right now? Intel 600p, Samsung 960 Pro and Evo, Corsair MP500, and the OCZ RD400. Just like, a quick video on which is best value and best performance.

Love these information rich videos. You guys are ever improving on yourself!

iv been watching your videos over the past 2 years and i finally built my first pc the other day and these videos really helped me out thanks

I'll just sit here with my single 1 tb hdd.

Hey Linus, thanks for the informative video. Perhaps you could do a custom build video where you discuss the reasoning on how to get the most bang for your buck? Which drive you chose and why, etc.

perfect timing! I only have a 2242 m.2 available for my laptop, so I'm deciding between using it or just keeping an external for supplemental use

This video is concise, clear, and brief. Subscribed

Good to note: Pretty much *EVERY* ATX Z97, Z170 and Z270 Motherboard got M.2 slots. And I think you can even BIOS update a Z87 to support NVMe. Not sure about Z77 though

"I'm already confused": Yup

Very good and clear explanation of this confusing topic, well done!

Been waiting for a video like this for so long! :D

Watching it again in 2019 And still very informative!

holy crap 522 views in less than a minute

Awesome! Great Job! Dude! Keep doing all the great work! Thank you so much!

Dude, i gotta say, i like your channel!. Keep it up man!

Hey linus, the inability to boot from PCI-E storage isn't a problem almost whatsoever. Bootloaders can be used on a small hard drive, even a cheapie 80GB one, and then that can hand the deal off to the SSD. While this isn't that elegant, this is what I use to dualboot Windows Server 2016 and Windows 7.

why you don't do more in depth video about M.2 and U.2

A video that was definitely needed. Thanks Linus

This was a great basic explanation to Hard drives and connectivity.

whats the point of picking up an M.2 drive and using a converter to plug it into a PCI-e port? Wouldn't it make sense to just pick up a pci-e based NVM-e drive instead, versus haggling with a converter and 1-2 separate drives?

wow, thanks for keeping me from having to google to find all that info...

This was amazing please make more videos like this

Thanks for the helpful tech tips! Your video really helps, particularly on the SSD variants! I had bought a Dell Inspiron 15 a month ago. The laptop included an 8th gen Intel CPU, 1TB HDD and 32GB RAM. I knew the 1TB HDD is a standard 5400rpm. I opened up the laptop for inspection, it have a slot to support an M.2 SSD. I gave my laptop an upgrade of using a newly 250GB M.2 SSD, and it is running blazing FAST! just freakin' awesome! ALOHA!

My brain is mush from watching linus explain this, lol. If only I had went to computer school instead of hvac school.

So you could just install the Bootloader on a normal SSD and use that to boot from the NVME Drive if your Mainboard does not support that?

I had to watch this a couple of times, it'll eventually lock in :o !!

This is the best Linus Tech Tips I have ever seen! Thanks, Team Linus!

worst written script of LTT....this is super super confusing....

I wish this video was longer

I’m glad I’ve spent the time researching and didn’t rush off to buy hardware. We have a 10 year old computer at work I wanted to upgrade with ssd. It looked like the cheapest option was to get a pcie adaptor for nvme ssd but didn’t realise you can’t boot from it for old motherboards. So will have to go the 2.5 sata route. Will need a USB 3 pcie adaptor as well to speed up cloning.

I dropped out of follwing tech news at all for a couple years after 2014, then came back this year and was super confused what these little ram looking things were. Can't believe that this kinda thing came along and just became a standard so quickly that nobody talked about them by the time I started following tech news again.

2019...just bought one to use as a stream library...

I've the samsung 950 Pro in my build and it's faster than my 3 x 850 Evo storage in Raid-0. Very impressive. To be fair to apple, my 2014 Macbook Pro PCI-e benchmarks are twice as fast as a regular SSD.

I just installed my M.2 drive directly into my motherboard, but I really enjoyed your explanation and the visuals, and I had no idea that PCIE devices existed that could basically port your M.2 drive in. :)

Linus, you are amazing. You have helped me, a pro user, but not a pro builder, to understand what i need to TELL MY BUILDER what i need. Thank you a million times. And i love your fun style.

Just what we don't want, confusing computer standards regarding cables

Whats with the useless info in the start, about cables? Which has nothing to do with M.2

Amazingly helpful. Thanks!

@Linus, Thanks for all your research on this.

meh I'll stick with a SATA III 480 GB SSD. The load times are already 2 fast I can never read the loading screens anymore :(

When he said, "That product already exists", I was tabbed out for a moment and started thinking, "Wait, someone's made a USB to coathanger adapter?"

Thank for the research linus....most don't realise ho many variables there usually are....

Great video! it helped me to understand it more clearly, so now that i know more about it may get one that is worth it. :)

after 1 year of trouble shooting I finally fixed my computer... FML

2019? ...... still confused

hahahahaha I love how you guys put Schluter tile membrane up on the walls!!

This video is really chill

I feel like an idiot. And hey - I've built all my PCs to date myself (hardly an achievement, but still). Damn.

touching the mobo with a screwdriver making me hurts

Interesting video very educational! Wish I had known all of that a while back...

THanks, a graph would also be cool for understanding

as a gamer and photo editor will I realistically notice a difference between NVMe and SATA III?

I understood totally none! First video from Linus that was really not that clear!

Nice Video, added this to the specs for the next pc to build :)

really useful video, thanks

this was barely an explanation of m.2, just a small lesson on how to install a m.2 ssd.

Are NVME and M.2 the same thing??

This is the kind of content i miss from LTT, very useful

Thanks for this video, I recalled you made one, and when I decided to get a m.2 for my mobo gave me a better understanding on which one is the right one.

This video makes no sense to me and I don't understand it but I watched it all anyway.

Still confusing AF

thanks for the video,,,way easier than reading different web-pages over and over and getting things misinterpreted and confused

When I built my brother's computer, I just got him a SATA SSD. I knew nothing about M.2 even though my brother's motherboard supports it. Thank you for explaining this! It will help me in my future builds.

i misread the title as "the fastest std"

One Plus 3 at 1:03 ?

This stuff is deep man!

Many thanks again for this video, you're the best

I have an SSD from an old laptop that is the exact same size as the one in my new laptop. They both run windows 10. Would there be any side effects if I straight up replace the drive in my new laptop with the drive from my old laptop? Would the entire computer have the same digital contents as my old laptop?

8:01 - Linus' Face Is Concerning...

Efficient and informative so thanks :D

ive never been soo confused cx but wow the future looks amazing

Thanks, but I still don't understand.

m.2 ahci is not the same as sata

Linus thank you for your videos. I feel like my latest rig is 80 years old with a 2 year life span so far... But i've heard about this M.2 standards when i bough the ASRock Beebox for my HTPC. BTW why don't you analyze NUC devices? That would be fun.

Thanks for the helpful video.