What is an mSATA SSD and how can it be useful - especially if you're not satisfied with the overall speed of your laptop? Important Features of Ultra-Fast M.2 Interface

Often, when working with a PC, we encounter problems that we did not expect. For example, we don't know how to connect an SSD drive to a computer. It would seem that the matter is not at all difficult, but it requires care and correct actions. Therefore, if you decide to carry components or assemble a PC yourself, then you will need to know everything about such minor difficulties.

For what?

Upgrading a computer is always a responsible matter. Not all users are ready to do this. Firstly, you need to have a good understanding of components and understand compatibility different devices, understand new products. Secondly, in addition to this, significant financial investments are needed, since what better product, the more expensive it is accordingly.

In this case, everyone will need to learn how to connect an SSD drive to a computer. This is also necessary for those who decided to assemble a PC themselves, or for those whose hard drive “passed away.” There are a lot of instructions on this issue on the Internet, so let’s get started.

Peculiarities

Before we begin to understand this issue, we need to tell those who do not know anything about SSDs.

It is a solid state drive, which is a non-mechanical storage device. It is based on a memory chip. The device arrived at HDD replacement. Although it is impossible to say so unequivocally, since many experienced users prefer to install both a hard drive and a solid-state drive in their PC.

As a result, sometimes this device becomes the main one, replacing the place of the hard drive, sometimes auxiliary. In the second case, the system is loaded onto it, and personal information is stored on the hard drive.

Advantages

Now, not everyone needs to learn how to connect an SSD drive to a SATA computer, since most users still use this device in compact devices: tablets, etc.

However, in desktop computers it can also be installed because it brings additional benefits. Most importantly, it improves system performance. Compared to traditional hard drives, it is smaller in size and weight and has increased performance. Moreover, the speed turned out to be 6-7 times greater. Hence the high price for SSDs.

In addition, solid-state drives began to be integrated in pairs with HDDs to form hybrid hard drives. In this case, the flash memory became occupied by a buffer. Although, as mentioned earlier, sometimes it is used as a separate free space.

In addition, noiselessness has been added to the main advantages, since the device is non-mechanical and has no moving elements. Hence the high mechanical resistance. Files are read stably, without interruptions or jumps. Reading speed is close to the throughput of the interfaces.

Connection

So, how to connect an SSD to a computer? Installed using approximately the same method. Therefore, if you have at least once encountered the work of a railway, then solid state drive there won't be any problems. The only difference is the dimensions. You will need to fit the smaller device into the correct slot.

Start

To start the procedure, of course, you need to turn off your PC. To be on the safe side, it’s better to do it completely unplugged. Don't forget to turn off the power supply as well. Usually the button to turn it off is located on the back, on the case.

Now you need to do the following operation: press and hold the PC power button for several seconds. This is necessary so that all the current that remains on the board and in general in the entire case disappears. This way you will de-energize all circuits and ensure your safety.

Depending on your goals, the next steps may vary. But in general, the connection principle is always the same.

Let's act

To understand where to connect the SSD drive to the computer, you need to get to the case. First you need to open it. Usually it all depends on its design. But there are always small screws to remove the left panel and get to the “insides” of the PC. There are cases that may have access to the ports from the other side, so here you need to act according to the situation.

If you are new to computer chassis design, you may have problems. But if you at least know what a hard drive looks like and can find it in a metal box, then half the battle is done.

Usually hard drive placed in a special compartment. There may be several of them in the case. Made specifically for 3.5 inch HDD size. This is where you need to place the SSD.

Because the dimensions are a little different, being 2.5 inches, you'll have to bolt it down pretty well. They usually come with the device. Lately Slots for SSDs are becoming increasingly common in cases. Therefore, perhaps the task will be simplified.

When the drive is secured and well fixed, you will need to figure out how to connect the SSD drive to the computer, to the motherboard. Here the matter is somewhat more complicated, since you will have to google it or figure out the interfaces.

Compound

Next you need to take the cable that came with the drive. You will find an L-shaped port on it. This is SATA. In addition to this, you must have a power cable. It usually looks like a bunch of wires.

First you need to connect the power cable to the connector from the power supply. Then we take the SATA cable and look for the right place on the motherboard. Usually there are few options. If the board has SATA III, then it is better to use this port. If this option is not available, connect to SATA II.

Now these two wires will need to be connected directly to the SSD. A power cable is placed in the wider connector, and a SATA cable is placed in the narrow connector.

Other options

Not everyone knows, but they’ve been releasing it for a couple of years now SSD form factor M.2. Now these models are not uncommon. Many people prefer them. In addition, newfangled motherboard models began to be equipped with a special connector specifically for this form factor.

As a result, the situation led to the fact that we need to know how to connect an SSD M2 drive to a computer. It must be said right away that this model has many variations. Therefore, the connection may be slightly different. But the main point is that, unlike the previous option, we connect the solid-state drive to the “motherboard” not with wires, but with the device itself.

When you see the M.2 SSD in the photo, you will understand what the point is. It is not presented in a case, like the model described above. It is made of a small board containing memory chips. This board has special slots for installing them on the motherboard.

It is impossible to describe the connection for all cases, since there are really many options. But when you buy an M.2 SSD drive, you will have instructions that will tell you how to do it correctly.

Settings

Once you have assembled and connected everything, you can turn on the PC. While loading it, you need to call up the BIOS. You should search here AHCI mode, which is responsible for the operation of the solid-state drive.

For example, you are going to load an operating system onto an SSD. But in addition to the new drive, you already have connected hard drives. Then you will need to prioritize the devices. To do this, we put the solid-state drive first in the list. We install the ability to boot the OS from a disk or flash drive.

If you need an SSD as an additional tool, then it will be enough to check that the existing hard drive is first in line. Otherwise, the system may simply not boot. You might want to move your OS to an SSD. In this case, after you have learned how to connect an SSD drive to a computer, you will need to perform a very extensive operation. This is a topic for another article.

Laptops

When you try all the above operations using your own example, you will realize that you even know how to connect 2 SSD drives to a computer. The main thing is that there is enough space on your motherboard.

But speaking about PCs, we need to remember that initially solid-state drives began to be widely used in laptops because they are compact. Therefore, you can additionally learn how to connect an SSD to a laptop.

Certainly, this question It is better to consider each device model, since the cases are different, and, accordingly, the placement of the disk slot is also different.

However, the main thing is to decide where the hard drive is located in your laptop. Usually, to do this you have to turn off the device and open the bottom cover. Sometimes it can be completely removed, sometimes you can unscrew the compartment panels. The railway station is usually located in one of them. If you can't find it, check your laptop's manual.

It must be said right away that HDDs in laptops are the same size as SSDs - 2.5 inches. In order to remove the hard drive, you need not just pull it out, but first pull it to the side. It is thus attached to the power and SATA connector.

Then it's a small matter - just install the solid-state drive. Don't forget to secure it with screws. Since laptops usually have one place for a hard drive, you will have to think in advance about how you will transfer the operating system: by cloning or a new installation.

Conclusions

You need to find out how to connect an SSD drive to a computer in advance, and not when you have unscrewed, unscrewed and disconnected everything. Sometimes you have to do additional settings, think in advance about the location of the OS.

The easiest way to do this is when solid state drive you only need it as an auxiliary tool. Then you just need to connect it to another compartment and connector. If you want to make it your main one, then you need to read the instructions for cloning HDDs and SSDs, configure and think through everything in advance.

If you are assembling a PC from scratch and decided to simply instead hard drive install its fast “colleague”, do not forget to configure the connection in the BIOS. It is important to set the special mode and priority of the drives.

Today we’ll talk a little about the present non-standard SSDs. The benefits of using solid-state drives have long ceased to be debated - today SSDs are recommended not only for gamers or designers, but also for all ordinary users. While the market is waiting for the release of revolutionary controllers that will take full advantage of PCIe, simplified analogues of the M.2 format confidently hold the lead in this direction. Initially, the “intermediate” form factor (on the way from SATA to full-fledged PCIe) managed to occupy its niche due to several advantages over older standards.

What exactly are the benefits?

Secondly, compactness. If we compare the sizes of M.2 drives with the previous standard, mSATA, the former can be at least a quarter more compact in size. Originally developed for ultrabooks and portable devices, the standard is now actively supported by manufacturers of motherboards for regular desktop PCs. In this case, for example, the memory capacity of the line SanDisk X300(represented by our SanDisk X300 SD7SN6S model) increases up to 1TB.

Size comparison of review model with OCZ Trion 100 drive

The third advantage is versatility. As mentioned above, some models have the ability to connect to both PCIe and SATA. Today the difference in speed is not as noticeable as we would like, but the future is obvious for PCIe. But in addition to M.2 drives it supports bluetooth connection, Wi-Fi and NFC chips.

M.2 slot on motherboard Asus Maximus VIII Ranger

And finally, prevalence: so far SATA Express has not received widespread development, the M.2 slot managed to find its place in motherboards from leading manufacturers. As you can see, the standard has become a logical evolutionary branch of development using SSD, surpassing mSATA and at the same time being the most compact and quick solution on the market.

Excursion into history

It was preceded by other drives (from companies such as Intel, Crucial, KingSpec), but they were designed only for mobile and portable devices. Despite the capabilities of two PCIe 2.0 lanes used in the Plextor M6e, the drive in the new form factor did not give the expected results in terms of performance, and compatibility was hampered by the lack of custom M.2 drives on the market at that time. In fact, it was Plextor that opened up this new direction.

An important problem for a long time remained the reluctance of manufacturers to spend money on full support PCIe: when assembling drives in the M.2 form factor, they still reduced performance to a minimum. There were only a few models available in stores that supported SATA via 2x or 4x PCI interface e. In this case, the advantage of M.2 over mSATA was only compactness and only slightly increased performance.

In addition, even when using PCIe capabilities, manufacturers resorted to AHCI drivers, although for SSDs it is much more profitable to use NVM Express.

Gradually, the market began to be filled with models from the manufacturers mentioned above: Crucial M500, Transcend MTS600, Kingston SM2280. However, the form factor of these models can still be called “half M.2”: no one wanted to fully use the capabilities of the new standard.

By the way, now the presence of certain keys in the selected drive model can also cause difficulties when purchasing: it all depends on the user’s motherboard. Some boards only support drives with B-keys (2xPCIe), some - with M-keys (4xPCIe). It is clear that M is fully compatible with B, but if the “mother” is designed only for models with B-keys, you will have to forget about M-products. The length of the M.2 card will also have to be taken into account: on some boards, long drives with adapters simply will not fit.

Samsung is going to complete the development of M.2: the revolutionary Samsung PRO 950 finally switches to 4 PCIe 3.0 interfaces, allowing you to increase the write speed to 1500 MB/s. Samsung has specially developed a new controller that allows you to squeeze the maximum available out of the bus. At 256GB, the drive's lifespan is equivalent to overwriting 200TB: about 180GB of overwriting daily for three years. The drive will go on sale in the near future, and its terabyte version will be available next year.

X300 – not the fastest, but inexpensive horses

Technology, connection

SanDisk is a well-known player in the storage drive market. Their proprietary nCache 2.0 technology (allows you to save device resources when working with small-block data; programmed at the controller level) has already earned positive reviews critics and specialists and is used in many of the manufacturer’s drives. Including in the X300 under consideration.
The drive is connected via the SATA 3.2 interface.

This is what a disk board looks like without a container

An important detail, by the way, is this treasured screw, which, of course, is not included with the disk. You need to look for it in a box with motherboard. There should also be a special pad that is screwed into the board (or it may already be screwed in - depends on the manufacturer).

There are two versions of the drive - 128GB and 512GB with the same screw

The motherboard can accommodate M.2 cards of different lengths. It’s great that we came across exactly this one in the test – ASUS MAXIMUS VIII. It has several fasteners for fixing boards of different lengths.

Sandisk X300 on motherboard ASUS board MAXIMUS VIII RANGER

The installed board takes up almost no space in the case. This is, of course, the main advantage in terms of ergonomics - no cables or rigid power cables from the power supply in the grid, with which we have no friendship.

Test results

Test stand:

• OS: Windows 10 Pro
• CPU: i7-6700 @ 3.4GHz
• RAM: 16GB DDR4 @ 2140MHz
• MTHRBRD: ASUS MAXIMUS VIII RANGER

Test results in Crystal DiskMark:

Results of disk check using HD Tune Pro utility:

Indications of the HD Tune Pro utility and standard means diagnosing hard Windows drives while copying a large file from an OCZ Trion 100 drive to a Sandisk X300 drive:

Results of checking the disk using the AS SSD Benchmark utility:

Greetings to all, dear readers of the blog site! In 2002, the SATA interface appeared, which is now used to connect the vast majority of hard drives and SSDs. Over the past 16 years, it has been updated three times, while maintaining backward compatibility. In 2009, a compact version of this interface appeared - mSATA, which is located directly on the motherboard.

Support for Connector m2 on motherboards began in 2013. In terms of its purpose, it is very similar to mSATA, however, it allows you to bypass the bandwidth limitation of the SATA interface. Since the mSATA standard is based on SATA 3, its throughput is only 600 MB/sec, while modern SSDs already operate at speeds of 3000 MB/sec and higher.

This is what an SSD looks like in the M2 form factor

Using the M2 connector, you can install not only an SSD in your computer, but also other ngff devices: Wi-Fi cards, Bluetooth, NFC and GPS expansion cards. With this type of connection you will get rid of numerous wires running from the drive to system board. Thus, you save space inside system unit, improve its cooling and simplify maintenance.

SSD drives, using the M2 connector, are similar in appearance to RAM strips - they are just as thin and are inserted directly into the computer motherboard. It is noteworthy that initially the m 2 connector was used in laptops and netbooks, because their cases are thin enough to install full-size devices there. Then, the m2 connector began to be found on regular motherboards - on stationary PCs.

Connector m 2 uses an interface type such as PCI Express to communicate with the motherboard. Just don’t confuse it with the PCI Express connector itself, of which there may be several and which are located below the video card connector and are present even on older motherboards. This is a little different, although there are SSDs that connect via a PCIe port. And here’s what the M2 connector looks like on the motherboard:

Peculiarities

SSD drives designed for the M2 connector are available in different sizes: 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110. The first two numbers indicate the width, and the next two indicate the length (in millimeters). The longer the strip, the more chips you can place on it, and the greater the disk capacity. Despite such a variety of form factors, the most popular is 2280.

The m2 connector on modern motherboards may have different positions. We are talking about some “keys”. Again, we can draw an analogy with RAM strips: DDR3 memory differs from DDR2 in the location of the keys - small cutouts in the strips and the slots themselves, respectively. The same here, small cutouts can be located in the left and right parts port.

Connector m2 can have two keys: B and M. It turns out that they are not compatible with each other. However, you can find motherboards with a B + M (combined) connector. In addition to the PCIe interface, the m2 port also supports SATA mode. But the speed in SATA mode will be significantly lower than in PCI Express. The keys usually determine what type of interface will be used.

In ordinary hard drives(HDD) controller communicates with the operating system via the AHCI protocol. But, this protocol is not able to use all the capabilities of modern solid-state drives. This prompted the emergence of a new protocol called NVMe. The new protocol is characterized by low latency and allows you to perform more operations per second, while minimizing the load on the processor.

How to choose m2 SSD

At purchasing an SSD drive operating via the m2 interface, be sure to pay attention to the following things:

• Port size m2. Select a disk so that it can be installed in the motherboard, so that nothing rests anywhere.
• Key type - B, M, or combined. Both the motherboard and the SSD itself must have compatible keys. SATA m2 SSD drives are usually available with “M+B” keys, and PCIe m2 SSDs are available with “M” key.
• Interface version and number of lines: PCI-E 2.0 x2 has throughput 8 Gbit/s, and PCI-E 3.0 x4 - 3.2 GB/s.
• Which interface is supported - PCI Express or SATA. Of course, PCIe looks preferable because it allows you to work at higher speeds. The possibility of installing an M2 SSD in SATA mode should be indicated in the instructions for the motherboard.
• Support for the NVMe protocol is desirable. If it is not there, then AHCI will do.

An SSD drive that meets all the parameters will be much faster than one connected simply via SATA ports. This solution may be required in games and programs that require high read/write speeds from the disk. The best option there will be a drive using the PCIe version 3 interface with four lanes and the NVMe protocol.

Whether in the past or this year, articles about SSDs can safely begin with the same passage: “The solid-state drive market is on the verge of serious changes.” For several months now, we have been looking forward to the moment when manufacturers finally begin releasing fundamentally new models of mass-produced SSDs for personal computers, which instead of the usual SATA interface 6 Gb/s will use the faster PCI Express bus. But the bright moment, when the market is flooded with fresh and noticeably more high-performance solutions, everything is postponed and postponed, mainly due to delays in bringing the necessary controllers to fruition. The same single models of consumer SSDs with PCI bus Express, which do become available, are still clearly experimental in nature and cannot amaze us with their performance.

Being in such anxious anticipation of change, it is easy to lose sight of other events that, although they do not have a fundamental impact on the entire industry, are nevertheless also important and interesting. Something similar happened to us: new trends, to which we had paid almost no attention until now, have spread unnoticed in the consumer SSD market. SSDs of a new format - M.2 - have begun to appear on sale en masse. Just a couple of years ago, this form factor was talked about only as a promising standard, but over the past year and a half it has managed to gain a huge number of supporters both among platform developers and among SSD manufacturers. As a result, today M.2 drives are not a rarity, but an everyday reality. They are produced by many manufacturers, they are freely sold in stores and are installed in computers everywhere. Moreover, the M.2 format has managed to carve out a place for itself not only in mobile systems for which it was originally intended. Many motherboards for desktop computers today they are also equipped with an M.2 slot, as a result of which such SSDs are actively penetrating classic desktops.

Considering all this, we came to the conclusion that it is necessary to pay close attention to solid-state drives in the M.2 format. Despite the fact that many models of such flash drives are analogues of the usual 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, which are tested by our laboratory on a regular basis, among them there are also original products that do not have twins of the classic form factor. Therefore, we decided to catch up and conduct a single consolidated test of the most popular M.2 SSD capacities available in domestic stores: 128 and 256 GB. The Moscow company “ Regard", offering an extremely wide range of SSDs, including those in the M.2 form factor.

⇡ Unity and diversity of the world M.2

M.2 slots and cards (formerly this format called Next Generation Form Factor - NGFF) were originally developed as a faster and more compact replacement for mSATA - a popular standard used by solid-state drives in various mobile platforms. But unlike its predecessor, M.2 offers fundamentally greater flexibility in both logical and mechanical parts. The new standard describes several options for the length and width of cards, and also allows the use of both SATA and the faster PCI Express interface to connect solid-state drives.

There is no doubt that PCI Express will replace the drive interfaces we are used to. Direct use of this bus without additional add-ons allows you to reduce latencies when accessing data, and thanks to its scalability, it significantly increases throughput. Even two PCI Express 2.0 lanes can provide noticeably higher data transfer speeds compared to familiar interface SATA 6 Gb/s, and the M.2 standard allows you to connect to an SSD using up to four PCI Express 3.0 lanes. This foundation for increased throughput will lead to the emergence of a new generation of high-speed SSDs capable of delivering more fast loading operating system and applications, as well as reducing delays when moving large amounts of data.

Formally, the M.2 standard is mobile variety SATA Express protocol, described in the SATA 3.2 specification. However, over the past couple of years, M.2 has become much more widespread than SATA Express: M.2 connectors can now be found on current motherboards and laptops, and SSDs in the M.2 form factor are widely available for sale. SATA Express cannot boast of such support from the industry. This is partly due to the greater flexibility of M.2: depending on the implementation this interface can be compatible with devices using SATA, PCI Express and even USB 3.0 protocols. Moreover, in its maximum version, M.2 supports up to four PCI Express lanes, while SATA connectors Express are capable of transmitting data over only two such lines. In other words, today it is the M.2 slots that seem to be not only convenient, but also a more promising foundation for future SSDs. Not only are they suitable for both mobile and desktop applications, but they are also capable of delivering the highest throughput of any consumer SSD connectivity option available.

However, given the fact that the key property of the M.2 standard is the variety of its types, it should be borne in mind that not all M.2 drives are the same, and their compatibility with various options for the corresponding slots is a different story. To begin with, the M.2 form factor SSD boards available on the market are 22mm wide, but come in five lengths: 30, 42, 60, 80, or 110mm. This dimension is reflected in the markings, for example, the M.2 2280 form factor means that the drive card is 22 mm wide and 80 mm long. For M.2 slots, a complete list of dimensions of storage cards with which they can be physically compatible is usually indicated.

The second feature that introduces differentiation into different options M.2 are “keys” in the slot slot and, accordingly, in the blade connector of the cards, which prevent the installation of storage cards in connectors that are logically incompatible with them. On at the moment for M.2 SSD, two key locations are used out of eleven different positions described in the specification. Two more options have found application on WLAN and Bluetooth cards in the M.2 form factor (yes, this also happens - for example, wireless adapter Intel 7260NGW), and seven key positions are reserved for the future.

M.2 slots can only have one key cutout, but M.2 cards can have multiple key cutouts at once, making them compatible with multiple types of slots at the same time. The type B key, located instead of pins numbered 12-19, means that no more than two PCI Express lanes are connected to the slot. The M type key, occupying pin positions 59-66, means that the slot has four PCI Express lanes and therefore can provide more high performance. In other words, the M.2 card must not only be the right size, but also have a key layout compatible with the slot. At the same time, the keys not only limit mechanical compatibility between various connectors and boards of the M.2 form factor, but also perform another function: their location prevents incorrect installation drives in the slot.

The information provided in the table should help to correctly identify the type of slot available in the system. But you need to keep in mind that the possibility of mechanical joining of a slot and connector is only a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for their complete logical compatibility. The fact is that slots with keys B and M can accommodate not only the PCI Express interface, but also SATA, but the location of the keys does not provide any information about its absence or presence. The same applies to M.2 card connectors.

There is one more problem. It lies in the fact that many motherboard developers ignore the requirements of the specifications and install the “coolest” slots with an M type key on their products, but only install two of the four assigned PCIe lanes on them. In addition, the M.2 slots available on motherboards may not be compatible with SATA drives at all. In particular, ASUS is guilty of installing M.2 slots with reduced SATA functionality. SSD manufacturers also adequately respond to these challenges, many of whom prefer to make both key cutouts on their cards at once, which makes it possible to physically install drives in M.2 slots of any type.

As a result, it turns out that it is impossible to determine the real capabilities, compatibility and presence of the SATA interface in M.2 slots and connectors by external signs alone. That's why full information information about the implementation features of certain slots and drives can only be obtained from the passport characteristics of a particular device.

Fortunately, at the moment the range of M.2 drives is not so large, so the situation has not yet become completely confusing. In fact, there is currently only one model of M.2 drive with a PCIe x2 interface on the market - Plextor M6e - and one model with a PCIe x4 interface - Samsung XP941. All other flash drives available in stores in the M.2 form factor use the familiar SATA 6 GB/s protocol. Moreover, all M.2 SSDs found in domestic stores have two key cutouts - in positions B and M. The only exception is the Samsung XP941, which has only one key - in position M, but it is not sold in Russia.

However, if your computer or motherboard has an M.2 slot and you plan to fill it with an SSD, there are a few things you need to check first:

• Does your system support M.2 SATA SSD, M.2 PCIe SSD, or both?
• If the system has support for M.2 PCIe drives, how many PCI Express lanes are connected to the M.2 slot?
• What is the location of the keys on SSD card does the existing M.2 slot in the system allow?
• What is maximum length M.2 card that can be installed in your motherboard?

And only after you can definitely answer all these questions, you can move on to choosing suitable model SSD.

Just as various new products and alternative technologies are constantly appearing in the field of computer hardware, not all users are able to “keep up” with them.

For this reason, self-assembly of a computer, replacement of hard disk or RAM can become quite a complex process, even if you have already done it before.

In this article we will look at the mSATA interface, answer the question of what it is, what it is needed for and what features it has.

Definition

Where can a user even encounter this concept and what does it refer to?

The abbreviation mSATA is used in relation to and denotes a type of interface and form factor.

Therefore, documentation for such equipment usually contains the wording mSATA SSD.

The advantages of the SSD format are obvious. This includes speed, less heating, and almost complete absence of noise. But what features does the mSATA form factor give it?

In this abbreviation, m stands for mini (miniSATA), and from this it immediately becomes clear that this form factor implies a device of a relatively small or reduced size. The dimensions of this form factor are 5.95x3.0x0.3 cm.

Initially, this disk format was developed as a fast and stable buffer memory.

And indeed, these discs, thanks to the efforts of the developers Intel, significantly increased the speed of the computer.

But currently the standard is actively used in all compact devices, as it is capable of providing speed.

Devices with this standard size were first sold starting in 2009. It was this year that it was introduced by Serial ATA International Organization.

And although this is a fairly convenient and functional type of hard drive, it is not very widespread.

Form factor is an indicator that specifies the dimensions of any technical product, as well as describing some of its other dimensional parameters. The most adequate translation of this concept into Russian would be standard size. This indicator is important to consider when choosing a device, since it determines whether you can even connect a hard drive to the connector provided on your computer.

Peculiarities

The main purpose for which these drives were developed was to install them in laptops and small or ultra-thin ones.

That is, this type disk is required in those devices in which it is impossible to install a larger disk due to its dimensions.

It is believed that a miniSATA drive combines all the advantages of SSD and HDD drives, which is why they are successfully implemented in almost all small mobile devices, starting from the very year of their release.

Despite its dimensions, the device remains functional and stable in operation, and is quite powerful. Moreover, it is characterized high speed work and almost complete absence of noise during it.

Other names that essentially also mean NGFF or Next Generation Form Factor and M.2.

Memory

Pronounced difference in memory capacity between regular disks and no mini format.

For example, a mini-disk from , which provides 1TB of memory, is currently quite successfully sold on the market.

However, such a device costs almost $600.

However, there are also more budget-friendly and functional models with less memory.

They will be quite enough for normal functioning and work on a PC.

They are also capable of providing fast and stable work devices.

What devices is it suitable for?

Strictly speaking, suitable for any electrical compatible device, having a suitable connector for connection.

But such a device costs a little more than disks with a larger form factor with the same quality, operating features, and performance characteristics.

Therefore, it is advisable to buy such a mini-disk only as a last resort, that is, for installation in devices in which it is impossible to install a larger disk.

These can be various small netbooks, ultra-thin ultrabooks, very small laptops.

Advice! Technically, the connector of this mini-disk is similar to the common and popular PCI Express Mini Card interface. These interfaces are compatible both technically and electrically. But for correct operation it will be necessary to switch a number of signals to the controller intended for this.

However, it is important to consider that not all laptops are equipped with a slot for connecting such a drive.

And if the manufacturer did not consider it necessary to equip the laptop with it, then you will not be able to connect a drive of this format.

How can you find out if your device supports this format?

Compatibility

Naturally, all old models released before 2009 do not support it, since such devices simply did not exist in the year of their release.

If the laptop is quite new, then you can check the presence of the appropriate connection interface on the official website or using technical documentation,

Here are some of the most popular lines of laptops from well-known brands, many of whose models support this disk size:

• Acer Aspire(M3, M5, R7), Timeline, Iconia Tab(W500, W700);
• Alienware;
• ASUS EeeSlate, Vivo Book, Zenbook (Ux 21, Ux 31);
• Clevo Notebook (P150, P151, P157, W350, W650, W230, W355, W651, W655, W740);
• Dell Inspiron (14, 15, 17), Precision, XPS, XPS One, Vostro;
• Fusion Garage, Futro;
• Gigabyte (Q, U);
• Google;
• HP Pavilion, ENVY, Folio, ZBook;
• Lenovo, IdeaPad, IdeaPad Yoga, ThinkPad, ThinkPad Edge;
• LG Xnote;
• Samsung, Samsung Chromebook;
• Sony VAIO;
• Toshiba Portage, Satellite;
• WeTab.

However, they are small in size, allowing them to be installed in compact portable devices.

Thus, such disks have the main advantage - their installation can significantly improve the quality and increase the speed and stability of the operating system on a laptop.

Thus, if the performance of your device does not suit you, you can replace the HDD with mSATA. On the other hand, if you already have a standard form factor SSD installed, then installing mSATA is pointless, since the performance of the device will not change.