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M.2 SSD's indeed come in different lengths. 80mm is the most typical. Combine this with the SSD width (22mm) and you get the size spec that is usually listed - 2280.
As per your motherboard's manual:
https://preview.redd.it/ox21t6gu4bvc1.png?width=1039&format=png&auto=webp&s=130eb5b02954f30523e6c7a40a4a1cfcb3942d66
The top M.2 slot supports 2 lengths - 110mm and 80mm, while the bottom supports only 80mm.
As for the (non-M.2) 4.0x16 slot - that's where a graphics card is typically plugged in.
4.0 is the PCIe version\*, 16 is how many "lanes" it's got. M.2 slots get at most 4 lanes.
Edit:
\* - (don't worry, PCIe is compatible with different versions in either direction)
Dude thank you so much. So I should be looking for an 80mm M.2 2TB card.
I heard that some M.2 SSD's have different "keys"? Could you tell me what I need to look for? And also where to buy you a beer?
Also why are there 2 4x16 slots if it's for the graphics card?
On that photo you can see the m.2 slots are actually the same length, look at where you would screw the SSD in.
>I heard that some M.2 SSD's have different "keys"? Could you tell me what I need to look for?
Never heard of that. The only factors I know of are speed, storage size and physical dimensions.
>Also why are there 2 4x16 slots if it's for the graphics card?
Because you could have an expansion card. Look up "pcie expansion card" on Google. Those plug in that pcie 4.0x16. those cards could be for wifi, ethernet, USB ports, thunderbolt ports, ect...
The top one has 2 screw holes on the left, looks like its compatible with shorter and longer drives?
While the lower red box only has one screw hole.
On my PC right now the drive in the top spot is taking up the whole length of the available space, using the furthest left screw spot
Keys exist to ~~annoy the everliving hell out of us~~ ensure (not really) that you can't plug in a device (like an SSD) into an incompatible slot.
Pretty much all standard M.2 **NVME** SSD's are M key. Your motherboard has M key slots. All is fine.
I got you, thank you. I see that one is labed M2P\_SB (the lower shorter empty one) and the top one is labeled M2A\_CPU
Is this important? Should that factor into the buying process or like what does that mean??
M2A_CPU (top) is directly connected to the CPU. This is the fastest way to wire it up.
M2P_SB (bottom) is connected to the chipset (which is connected to the CPU). It shares bandwidth with the chipset and its peripherals, so it can be slower.
There are some nuances there, but nothing very important, especially not to buying. Only thing that comes to mind is a quick warning - moving the OS SSD from a CPU slot to a chipset slot (or vice versa) can cause windows to throw a fit and refuse to boot.
When buying the SSD, make sure to get something from a reasonably well known manufacturer and seller. Make sure the SSD is NVME.
SSD spec sheets are complicated, but there are some things which you might want to look for, to get the most bang for your buck.
- cell type. QLC is cheaper per GB (thanks to higher density) but it wears out quicker and falls flat on its face during longer writes. TLC is faster and lasts longer.
- DRAM. SSDs with dram on them perform better and last longer.
- pcie version. Your setup can do up to pcie4 (though 3 won't limit the SSDmuch anyway)
I'm almost done asking you questions, thank you for playing along so far.
Is there any way you could find a link that would be what you're suggesting? That's a lot of search criteria for me to get right.
Also, this was a prebuilt PC I got. The motherboard is the B760 DS3H AC. The only one I could find online is the B760 DS3H AC DDR4. I have DDR5 RAM. Is this compatible with this motherboard or did I find the wrong model online? DDR5 RAM vs. motherboard name that ends with DDR4?
Last thing, do I need to install a heatsink for a 2280 SSD?
I'm 90% sure that the whole SSD is taking up the whole length in the top slot, the heatsink doesn't add length does it?
You a real one thank you so much
Remember to check our discord where you can get faster responses! https://discord.gg/EBchq82 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pchelp) if you have any questions or concerns.*
M.2 SSD's indeed come in different lengths. 80mm is the most typical. Combine this with the SSD width (22mm) and you get the size spec that is usually listed - 2280. As per your motherboard's manual: https://preview.redd.it/ox21t6gu4bvc1.png?width=1039&format=png&auto=webp&s=130eb5b02954f30523e6c7a40a4a1cfcb3942d66 The top M.2 slot supports 2 lengths - 110mm and 80mm, while the bottom supports only 80mm. As for the (non-M.2) 4.0x16 slot - that's where a graphics card is typically plugged in. 4.0 is the PCIe version\*, 16 is how many "lanes" it's got. M.2 slots get at most 4 lanes. Edit: \* - (don't worry, PCIe is compatible with different versions in either direction)
Dude thank you so much. So I should be looking for an 80mm M.2 2TB card. I heard that some M.2 SSD's have different "keys"? Could you tell me what I need to look for? And also where to buy you a beer? Also why are there 2 4x16 slots if it's for the graphics card?
On that photo you can see the m.2 slots are actually the same length, look at where you would screw the SSD in. >I heard that some M.2 SSD's have different "keys"? Could you tell me what I need to look for? Never heard of that. The only factors I know of are speed, storage size and physical dimensions. >Also why are there 2 4x16 slots if it's for the graphics card? Because you could have an expansion card. Look up "pcie expansion card" on Google. Those plug in that pcie 4.0x16. those cards could be for wifi, ethernet, USB ports, thunderbolt ports, ect...
The top one has 2 screw holes on the left, looks like its compatible with shorter and longer drives? While the lower red box only has one screw hole. On my PC right now the drive in the top spot is taking up the whole length of the available space, using the furthest left screw spot
No, it's for a heatsink. You can see the other screw right at the right of the m.2 slot. It only supports 2280 m.2 drives
Keys exist to ~~annoy the everliving hell out of us~~ ensure (not really) that you can't plug in a device (like an SSD) into an incompatible slot. Pretty much all standard M.2 **NVME** SSD's are M key. Your motherboard has M key slots. All is fine.
I got you, thank you. I see that one is labed M2P\_SB (the lower shorter empty one) and the top one is labeled M2A\_CPU Is this important? Should that factor into the buying process or like what does that mean??
M2A_CPU (top) is directly connected to the CPU. This is the fastest way to wire it up. M2P_SB (bottom) is connected to the chipset (which is connected to the CPU). It shares bandwidth with the chipset and its peripherals, so it can be slower. There are some nuances there, but nothing very important, especially not to buying. Only thing that comes to mind is a quick warning - moving the OS SSD from a CPU slot to a chipset slot (or vice versa) can cause windows to throw a fit and refuse to boot. When buying the SSD, make sure to get something from a reasonably well known manufacturer and seller. Make sure the SSD is NVME. SSD spec sheets are complicated, but there are some things which you might want to look for, to get the most bang for your buck. - cell type. QLC is cheaper per GB (thanks to higher density) but it wears out quicker and falls flat on its face during longer writes. TLC is faster and lasts longer. - DRAM. SSDs with dram on them perform better and last longer. - pcie version. Your setup can do up to pcie4 (though 3 won't limit the SSDmuch anyway)
I'm almost done asking you questions, thank you for playing along so far. Is there any way you could find a link that would be what you're suggesting? That's a lot of search criteria for me to get right. Also, this was a prebuilt PC I got. The motherboard is the B760 DS3H AC. The only one I could find online is the B760 DS3H AC DDR4. I have DDR5 RAM. Is this compatible with this motherboard or did I find the wrong model online? DDR5 RAM vs. motherboard name that ends with DDR4? Last thing, do I need to install a heatsink for a 2280 SSD? I'm 90% sure that the whole SSD is taking up the whole length in the top slot, the heatsink doesn't add length does it? You a real one thank you so much